Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1873-12-04

lIIOuSH HIJ anu NilnOut, ptFudpS
any good result. He simply
told her that he had discovered
bear tracks near by, and that
she and the child must stay
within or close to the house du-
ring his absence.
Several days afterwards, Ru-
fus Branson heard his dogs in
the timber down by the river,
and, knowing they never o.
pened without good cause, he
caught up his rifle and hastened
to where they were barking
They had struck q fresh bear
trail, and, as be arrived in sight,
they fairly lifted it. going off in
a straight line down the river.
The chase led him several
miles, and, when he at last
got a shot that finished bruins
career, he found that it was three
or four o'clock in the afternoon.
Swinging his meat 10 a saphng,
out Of reach Of cat or wolf, he
started Tor home to get his horse
and return and fetch it that
night.
Taking near cut, he reached
the cabin from the western side,
where the timber grew heavy up
to within few yards OF the
building, and consequently he
could not see the clearing, or
what might be transI iring
there, until he passed throug h
the wool.
Thus it was that, when within
a short distance OF his home, he
heard a wild, piercing shrick;
but he could only guess that
something terrible must be tax
ing place beyond the screen of
bushes and leaves. Uttering a
loud Shout that his presence
might soon he known, Branson
sprang forward like q wounded
buck, a great fear in his heart,
for he had only too clearly rec
OgniZed III that scream the ago.
niZed voice Of his wife.
1t took but a moment for him
TO clear the intervening timber
and underground and ashc dash
ed out into the clearing, holding
his rifle ready for instant use, he
comprehended in one swift
glance all that had taken hce,
and~what was further to tear.
Near the end Of the cabin,
facing the cliff, Of which l have
spoken, stood the mother, her
fl,e as palld as death, her arms
outstretched, her staring eyes
fixed upon the PERCEPTIONS
heights up which The figure OF
the Indian was struggling.
'MyI child! ny child'' was
all that the woman said, and
Bganson saw that the bundle
in the Indians arms was the
form Of their only child, Maggie.
Firm of heart, and with
nerves as steady as the rocks a.
round, the father for a moment J
quailed and covered under what
his quick senses told him, the
deadly peril Of the little one
But he was quick to recover.
The Indian was drawing a.
way; stepehy' step he was in /
creasing the distance, and as e !
occasionally glanced backward;
and downward, the parents saw !
in his hideously painted coun-'
tenance the fell purpose that ac-
tuated the abductor.
God aid mel" Branson NUT
tered, as he raised his rifle, glan-
eing through the sights, anti
touched the trigger The IN
dian started violently at the
shot. He was hit, but not baci-
ly, and with yell Of devili'h
triumph he passed upward.
Too low by a couple of inch
cs," said a low calm voice at
his side.
Branson started as though he
himself had been shot. Where
was this man from? Who vas
he? Neither had seen him ap-
proach. But there was no time
Tor explanations. The stran-
ger, a man rather below than a.
bove ordinary height, whose
fine. athletic form was fully di6-
played by his closely fitting
buckskin garment, stepped
quickly forward a few PAGES,
and firmly planting his left foot
in advance a few feet, threw up
an unusually long rifle, though
preparing TO fire.
"For Gods sake, stranger, be
careful of my childl" cried
Bransen, while the agonlzed
motheruttcreddn audible prayer.