Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1870-08-04

L OOu lullik 6lLfIST VI us Slept
much that night. When / went
to Franks room in the morning
he was already dressed.
'One word, Harry he said sbe-
fore we GO This man is armed
to the teeth, and swears that he
will not be taken alive. These
fellows seldom die game when run
to the earth, but he cannot be
worse off, and he may keep his
word. Promise me if there is
any fighting you will act as a re-
serve, and leave me to deal with
him.A e Mnsa& 9&n9 a
made the promise, with some
mental reservations, and started.
There was long days work be-
fore US; all the likely places we
had come across in our previous
search had to be visited; some of
them miles apart.
Franks senses preternaturally
sharpened. No trace, however
slight, escaped him. An Indian
could hardly have displayed more
sagacity in following up his ene-.
my's trail. 1t was then for the
first time that / learned how ex-
citing man-hunt becomes under
certain circumstances.
Towards evening we reached
mountain--our last hope. There
was only one face of it over the
sea, where a man would be likely
to conceal himself. That side was
composed Of a number of perpen-
dicular cliffs, separated from each
other by green platforms, vary
ing in width from one foot to ten;
but all sloping downward at a
considerable angle, SO as to make
the footing rather precarious.-
The cliffs gradually incresed in
height until the Lowest, which
went right down for four hundred
feet into the Atlantic.
While taking a hurried look
through some broken ground, we
met o little boy herding cattle.
He could not speak English, but
we managed to ascertain that a
stranger had given him a penny
the day before TO run down the
hill for lighted turf; when he
returned the man was gone, and
be had not seen him since.
The scent was getting hot, and
our spirits rose as we commenced
on the sea side of the mountain.
There were caves in several of
the platforms, and these we agreed
to search together gr-,
They were very narrow, scarce
ly admitting one person; and it
was nervous work, feeling our
way onward, not knowing the mo-
ment when the darkness would
be Illuminated by a pistol flash,
which must have proved fatal to
one or both of US. n -
Frank always insisted on GO
ing first, and lest no precaution,
examining the outside carefully
for tracks, and sending the dogs
forward. The latter, however,
were so tired after three days
continuous work as to be of little
use.
We had reached the last shelf
but one, and as it contained no
cave, and was nearly all visible
from the platform Immediately
above, which had just been
searched, | was about to pass on
to the lower one just over the sea,
when a mark in the fresh earth
dug from a rabbit hole, across the
path attracted my attention, and
on closer examination, | could
distinctly see traces of a mans
foot. Frank was by my side in a
few seconds, down on his knees
examining it. There was no mis-
take about it; there it was plain
ly visible leading inward, and no
sign of it returning.
Some one was there; whether
the man we were in search of or
not remained to be seen. Frank
rose from his Knees and drew
long breath.
ANY outlet from this, / won-
der?' he said.
None whatever. 1t stops sud-
denly one hundred yards further
ON. The rock above and below
is thirty feet high and smooth as
marble. Now that / remember,
there is a large stone just where
the path ends, behind which
man might lie. If he were any
where else | must have seen him
from the upper one.'
We walked silent and cautious
for some distance until we reached
q projecting rock. l touched
Frank.
when we turn that corner we
will be within ten yards of the
end