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

ny ihoSo o puiuiuS auu !ePfauS W tHe
ground, their Spanish spurs ringing on
the stone. L sat uptin bed, grasped my
pistol, and listened. The peach tree
next my window rpstled.f The horses
moved about 30 restlessly that I heard
but little of the conversation, but that
little 1 found of personal interest to my
self. Il. +camt
give as nearly as 1 can remember
the fragments of dialogue between my
host and the man whom recognized as
the elder of my two robbers. : } :
"When did he come ?"
"Wall, the sun might have been about
four hours"
"Has his horse give out ?"
1 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 mile of
the place."
"'.Sta 6uen."
Out of the compressed tumble of the
final sentence | got but one word
buckshot rasiIsi,F ~
The Spaniards mounted and the
sound of their spurs and horses hoofs
soon died away in 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 | thought Of his no.
| BILE run, and it seemed to me, SO wrong
to turn my back 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 FIVE dollar
gold psecc, / laid it upon the stand by
my bed, and in my stocking feet, with
my clothes in my hand, started noise
lcssly for the corral. A ,fercc.Bull- dog
who had, shown no disposition to mako
irieuds with me, bounded from the open
door OF the proprietor to my side In
stead Of tearing me, as l had expected,
he licked my hands aud fawned about
my feet
Reaching the corral gate, I 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 by inch -ao
operation which required me eight OF
ten minutes; then | walked up to- Ka.
weah and pa,ted him. His manger was
empty; he had picked up che last ker.
mel Of barley. The creatures manner
was full Of curiosity, as if he had never
been approached ir the night before
Suppressins his ordinary whiuIiying, he
| preserved mot,onless, statue like 81
.cncc. | was IN terror lest by neigh
or some nervous move lent he ssh ould
awaken the sleeping proprietor and ex.
pose my plan.
The corral and the opon square were
half covered with loose stones, and wher
| thought of the elatter of Kaweah'
shoes | experienced feeling of trouble
aud again mcditatcd running off on foot
until tie idea struck me of mull,in9 the
iron feet. Ordinarily kaweah would
not allow me to lift his 1ore-tcct at all
The TWO hlacksmiths who shol him haC
done so at the peril of their lives, anC
whenever | had attempted to pick up hi.
hind feet he had warned me away by
dangerous stamps; SO | approached hin
very tinidly, and was surprised to fnl
that he allowed Inc to lift all four of hi
feet without the slightest objection. AS
| stopped down he nosed me over, ant
nibbed playfuliy at my hat. In constant
dread lest he should make some noise,
hurried to muiiie his forefect, and will
rather more care, to tie upon his hinc
feet my coas and drawers.
Knowing nothing Of the country
ahead of me, aud fearing thst 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 th,
darkness to ,he slrenm, | brought him /