Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1869-03-25

EfNF lF
For half an hour my companion
steered the canoe very well, and
seemed to take little notice Of me
but at the end Of that time he be.
came moro uneasy; ! commenced TO
snore with a regular dragn breath,
and at that instant the villain start
ed, just as the hunter starts when
be hears the tread Of game in the
woods
But bark! Ah--there was before
me one lingering fear that ! sho'd
shoot the wrong man; but it was
gone now. As the fellow stopped
the motion ofthe paddle, distinctly
heard him mutter:
"Oh, you dear little sheep, you
little dreamed that Gus Karl was
your companion. If your friend
is dead you shall follow him, and
shall take your traps to pay
your travelling expenses to heav-
en-"
l think these were the very
words, at any rate they were the
drift. As he thus spalse, he noise
lessly drew in the paddle, and thea
rose to his feet. saw him reach
over his left shoulder, and when he
drew his hand back he held a large
bowie knife in it. | could see the
blade CLEAN in the moonlight, and
then | saw Karl run his fingers on
the edge and then feel the point
Ny heart beat fearfully, and my
breathing was hard. 1t was by the
utmost exertiOn | could continue
my snoring, but l managed to do it
without interruption Slowly and
noisclessly the foul wretch ap-
preached me-his step would not
have awakened a hound-and his
long knife was half raised. | could
hear his quick breathing and the
grating of his teeth as he nerYed
himself for the stroke.
The villain was by my side, and
he measured the distance between
my heart and his hand by his eye.
In his left hand he held handker-
chief all wadded up. That was to
stop my mouth with. Every nerve
of my body was now strung, and
my heart stood still as death. or
course my snoring ceased ; and that
instant the huge knife was raised
above my bosom. Quick as thought
raised my pistol, the muzzle with
in q foot Of the robbers heart. He
uttered q quick cry saw the
blade glitter in the moonlight-but
it came not upon me. pnlled the
trigger. and the last fear was passed
There was a sharp report, and l
sprang up and backward. | heard
fierce yell, and at the same time
the robber fell forward, his head
striking my knee as it came down.
Weak and faint I sank back; but
q sudden tipping of the canoe bro't
me to my senses, and | went aft
and took the paddle. As soon as
the boats head was righted, l
turned my eyes upon the form in
the bottom of the canoe, and saw
it quiver-only a spasmodic move
ment, however, and then all was
still.
All the night I sat at my watch
and steered my little bark. I had
my second pistol ready, for knew
not that the wretch was dead. He
might be watching to catch me off
my guard and then shoot me. But
the night passed drcarily away, and
when the morning broke and the
form had not moved, then | stepped
up and found that Gustus Karl was
dead. He fell with his knife true to
its aim, for it struck very near to
where my heart must have been,
and the point was driven far into
the wood, and l had hard work to
unclasp the marble fingers claspcd
with dying energy.
Swiftly flowed the tide, and the
sun had sunk again. Ihad reached
Logansport. The authorities knew
the face of Karl, and when l told
them my story, they poured a
thousand thanks upon my head
A purse was raised and the reward
put with it and rendered to me, l
took simply the reward from the
citizens; the rest | dis
tributed among those who had suf-
fered most from the Wabash rob
ber's depredations.
| found Kemp sick and miserable.
He was burning with fevers, and the
doctors had shut him up in a room
where a healthy man must soon
have suffocated.
"Water waterl In God'sname
give me wafer" he gasped.
Haven't You had any yetY l
asked.
He told me no. l threw open
- Il - go, i r-o- -, tbo t,y,iDt