The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1871-12-09

my hosts building and lsprang to tho
ground, their Spanish spurs ringing on
the stone. II sat upiin bed, grasped my
pistol, aud listened. The peach tree,
next my window rpstled.f The horses
! moved about SO restlessly that / heard
but little of the conversation, but that
little I found Of personal interest to my
self. ''''' ' - i' ,sn9ama1
I give as nearly as I can remember
the fragments of dialogue between my
host and the man whom 1 recognized as
the elder of my tive robbers. , Z
"When did he come 2" l
"Wall, the sun might have been about
four hours"
"Has his horse give out ?"
I failed tc hear tho answer, but was
tempted to shout "No."
"Gray coat, buckskin breeches." (My
dress.)
"Going to Mariposo at Z in the morn
ing"
~ guess I wouldn't, round here"
A low-Luttered solioquy in Spanish
wound up with grewl
"No, Antoine, not within q mile Of
the place."
"'.Sta 6uen.'"
Out of the compressed tumble of the
final sentence 1 got but one word,
buckshot." JESS Hr-rlTft.f II
The Spaniards mounted, and the
sound of their spurs and horses hoofs
soon died away il the north, and lay
for half an hour revolving all sorts of
plans. The safest course seemed to be
to slip out in the darkness, and fly on
foot to the mountains, abandoning my
good Kaweak; but l thought of his no.
BILE run, and it Seemed to mo, SO wrong
to turn my hack on him that / resolved
to unite our fate. l rose, cautiously,
and, holding my watch up to the moou,
found that II o'clock had just passed,
than taking from pocket a five dollar
tgoad piece, / laid it upon the stsna by
my bed, and in my stocking feet, with
my clothes in my hand, started noise
lessly for the corral. A ,.fercc.Bull dog
who had, shown no disposition TO make Q
friends with me, bounded from the open
door of the proprietor to my side. In
b
stead of tearing me, as l had expected,
he licked my hands and fawned about
my feet
Renching the corral gate, dreaded
opening it at once, remembering, the
rusty hinges, SO ! hung my clothes
upon an upper bar Of the fence, and
cautiously lifting the latch, began to
push back the gate inch }S inqh-@ap
operation which required me eight OF
ten minutes; then walked up to- Ka.
weah and patted him. His manger was
empty; he had picked up che last ker.
mel Of barley. The creature'si manner
was full of curiosity, as if he had never
been approached in the night before
Suppressing his ordinary whinnying, be
preserved n mottonless, statuc-like 81
.encc. was IN terror lest by neigh
or some nervous move leut he esh ould
awaken the sleeping proprietor and ex.
pose my plan.
The corral and the open square were
half covered with loose stones, and when
[ thought of the elatter of Kaweah' ;,
shoes | experienced feeling of trouble
aud again mcditatcd running off on foot
until tine idea struck me of mulfiing the
iron feet. Ordinarily Kaweah would
not allow me to lift his fore-fect at all
The two blacksmiths who shol him hat
doHc SO at the peril of their lives, and
whenever i iiau atto.ip,ou p.Ua up ali.
hind feet he had warned me away by
dangerous stamps; SO | approached hin
very timd!y, aud was surprised to fine
that he allowed me to lift all four of hi
feet without the slightest objection. AS
| stopped down he nosed me over, anC
nibbed playfully at my hat. In constant
dread lest he should make some noise,
hurried to muifle his forefect, and Will
rather more care, to tie upon his hine
feet my Goa; and drawers.
Knowing nothing Of the country
ahead of me, aud fearing that nigh
again have to run for it, determined a
all cost to water him, Cropping abou
the corral and barn, and at last fndin,
bucket, and descending through tb'