Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1871-07-20

side, without gong down into tne
valley at all, I could gain position
directly over it, at height Of, per,
haps, a hundred feet; and though ur
to this moment I had not thought O.
changing my course, now found my.
self instinctively, as it were, movin gof
IL that direcJion. A moments re-
Aection on the mysterious warning
had received convinced me this was
the best thing I could do; for if there
was danger, it was most likely from
robbers, who were, probably, lying in
wait for me on my regular well-known
route-and as the night was warm,
| it could do me no harm to pass it in
the open air.
So I went on, slowly and cautious
1ly,. till arrived at a. point directly
over the cave, which l now found
was as far as 1 could go in that di-
rection, owing to the rocks termina-
ting in precipice a few feet beyond.
Some bushes which had struggled up
| fiom the little earth between the
crevices afforded me place of con-
cealmenJ and crawling into these, I
disburdened myself of my pack, spread
out my blanket, and proceeded with
out attempting to lighta fire, to eat
the food I had provided for nv sup
per. By the time I had finished my
frugal repast the sun had set, and the
dark shades of night were coming on
rapidly. -
Perhaps 1 ana foolish in taking
this precaution against some fanciful
danger" 1 mentally said; Z" but NO
matter; I would rather be foolish in
this way than foolhardy.
Scarcely had these thoughts passed
through my mind than I fancied I
heard voices speaking in low, guard
ed tones. The soundsseemed to co ne
up from below, and it may readily be
credited that listened most intently,
straining my senses of hearing to the
utmost, TO catch the words, if words
indeed they were, for after all, it
might be the breeze playing among
the rocks and trees.
For perhaps FIVE minutes | contin-
ued to hear these sounds, but was at
the time unable to make out for q GER
taintv what they were, and then thev
ceased, and for another five minutes
all was silent. 1t had now become so
dark that nothing could be distinctly
seen at any distance and though. ]
crept cautiously to the edge OF the
rocks, and tried to peer down, it was
like attempting to look into some
black gulf. My situation, under the.
circumstances, was lonely enough;
but I experienced secret satisfaction
in being where 1 was, and not'down
in the cave, where | rather felt
than thought some one or more per
sons were lying in wait for me.
Atlength that same low murmur,
us of voices, was again hearq, and
again l listened, with nay whole sense
of hearing on the stretch. soon be-
came satisfied that words were being
spoken-but then came the thought
that it might be the mysterious voices
1 had heard at the intervals all my
life. This time, however, was not
long kept in doubt, for presently I
could distinguish the words as if the
speaker in the cave had come out into
the pen air.
It is strange he does not make his
appearance said one,
II do not know how 10 account for
it,. replied another.
Are you perfectly sure you saw
him at ali ?" inquired third.
{" Am sure l am. here now?' was
the rejoinder. Have I not eyes !?
and can I not see with them? | tell
you he was within a mile Of here
coming along that narrow, dangerous
path with his pack strapped to his
back. Here we know is where he
usually passes the night in this region,
and why he is not here is more than
I can conjecture.
"If he had gone past, we should
have heard from the others before
this" remarked the first speaker.
Undoubtedly" was the reply.
"No. he must be somewhere. on the
mountain-unless he has fallen over
the preoipice and broken his neck
in which case we shall find. all we
want of HIM in the morning, and be
saved the trouble Of blood-letting."
could he have got near enough
to have heard DIR voices?" inquired
another.
mo, for Ricardo is so posted that
he would have seen or heard him
FIRST" N1S
Well, then he may be here yet.
Hark hush there are steps coming
this way now /" said the speaker, in
a whisper, which ! could just barely
hear, the night being still, and my
position directly over the parties
Now, then, be ready, and let us
make quick work Of it -
After this the robbers were as 81
lent as death. and with feelings thai
must be left to the imagination, Ills
tened to the approaching footsteps
that knew were mistaken for mine
It was with a shudder, and strange
kind of dread, that I heard steps
slowly and steadily approaching, with
i now and then a slight rustic of the
bushes, and the occasional loosenins
and rolling of q stone: I felt tha'
some human being was moving on
ward to his doom, and l would have
called out to him to be'Tare if 1 had
: known l could have saved him with
| anything short of the penalty of m.
| own life.
!, For the few seconds of awful sus
' pense which elapsed, 1 trembled s.
< that 1 was fearful of being heard
8 and the perspiration started out
e every pore,
: Suddenly there came wild, pro