The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-07-09

grimly smiled assent, and drank
pIonouncing it good" then he said
Where's your boss, stranger"
looked round, and, to my dismay
saw that nv steed had vanished
"had vamoosed," the stranger said
then he continued: 81 thought saw
a hoss in the gully over there, and
when I see you, I thought it might
be y0urn. Here, come this way"
scram bled over the rugged slOpt
after him, but the horse was nowhert
in sight. The stranger pointed Il
! where be had seen it, and then, by
signs totally unintelligible 10 me, W.
tracked it for some half a mile
until we found it in a perfect maze o
rocks and g1llies. / thanked hin
very heartily, and made an offer o
, reward; but with the same apathy
which mad marked his conversation
all though, he declined it, and bid
ding ne ''good night" rode slowly off
first having conducted me back to thf
track.
1 followed the road FOR q long time
until / began To grow uneasy at tht
! time which elapsed before I struck
the plaiu.A could no longer see the
base of the hills, and although / be
lieved / knew the exact direction
ought to follow, at last began to con
ceiye the possibility OF my having
lost my way. To get back TO my
original road before nightfall was i'm.
practicable, and / pushed desperately
on until nothing but the highesi
peaks of the tremendous mountains
behind me were tinged by the setting
sun. In a very short time this died
away, and the valleys and ravines
below became more dense and gloomy
every minute. r-.F ~ l.e.s.,
All this time ] saw no living thing,
save that twice q mountain VOL
crossed ny path few score yards
ahead of me. To make matters
worse, I found that my horse was
nearly exhausted, and could only
limp painfully along the rough track.
| was growing more out of heart with
my situation than ever was in my
life, when, on turning an angle, /
found that l had come upon a large
tract of level ground, and that, not q
hundred yards ahead, stood shanty,
from which a light feebly cleaned.
Ny jaded horse prieked up his ears
and stumbled briskly along, and in
another minute, was knocking at
the rude door. It was thrown open
by a gaunt-looking fellow, in an old
blue army cloak, and who held, al
though he partially concealed it, a
pistol in his right hand. The interior
as could see, was OF the most unin-
viting character an article
of furniture, and lighted by a lamp
which, void of glass, fiared on the
Window-ledge.
told my case, and sullenIy bid
ding me turn my horse into the cor
raj by the side of the house, and then
enter, be moved away. When had
secured my steed in the inolosure, and
the door OF the shanty swung to be-
hind me, I was almost SORRY / had
not chosen to sleep with the wolves
in the mountain gullies. NY host
was silent and sullen, showing very
plainly his intention not to talk; pres
emily, however, he said: "Guess
you'll want supper. There's water in
that pail; there's whisky in that bot
| tie; there's beef in that locker. You
can't have nothing else."
said, which was partly true, that
l was too tired to eat. / certainly
could not have eaten or drunk in his
dirty hovel, or Of such uninvitIng
food, especially with so fOrbidding a
ruftian Tor my companion.
Then you'll want to go to sleep,n
he said roughly, and kicked bundle
apart, disclosing couple of buffalo
robes, with two rude pillows. "rhere
you are. Go to bed then"
1t was of no use betraying any fear,
and he was evidently giving up his
bed to me, so lay down, and in q
short time was doing, when was
aroused by hearing the tread OF a
horse, and then the door opened.
half rose from my bed, and, to my
surprise, saw enter the man whom
had met at midday on the mountain.
He recognized me too, but said moth
ing distinctly. -.r..t..- -.-
"Well, how is it, Joe ?" said the
other man, with a very serious, if not
anxious look.
"Bad," said may friend, or joel
livery bad. d.-Itls all correct ~ --
'And are they-are the Loys"-
| began the other
HYes," said Joe, filing up the pause;
''they mean coming. They may
come OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Tonight.
We shall have to yamoose.n -
They conversed in undertones, as
they sat on their rude stools by the
low wood fire, chewing or smoking,
and occasionally drinking from q
whisky-bottle; their discourse seemed
very grave and disquieting, and from
word or two I caught and from
| their glances, l fsncied they were Of
ten referring to me. At last, in spite
of myself, 1 fell asleep, and tired as /
was, might have slum bered till morn
| ing, but a tremendous crash awoke
me, and rising, l saw that the door
had been burst open, and that the
shanty was filling with strangers aIl
armed, while Joe and his comrade
had drawn suddenly to my side of the
room. On the instant, half a dozen
men surrounded them and took their
firearms.
"HalloW exclaimed one of the new
comers, as he caught sight of me,
''who is this p? Are there three in the
gang ?' 1 --a3fa-
All eyes being upon me, although
did not quite understand the situa-
tion, explained briefly who I was ;
and the account seemed satisfactory.
"Now, Joe Blakey, and you Phil
Marll, l reckon you know why we
have come ?" said the man who
seemed spokesman.
"Guess we do, said Joe, in his usual
apathetic tone. s-.Ee
"You expected a VIslsp continued
the man. I'VE have heard all your
Dragging agiR the Vigilantes'- ~
"Never said so," interrupted Joe.
soon understood the purport of the
visit. as addressed to my host.
"You've been a terror to this here
neighborhood," continued the spokes-
man "you've stole horses and cattle
for more than two years past, and
tried to put it all on the Indians. You
have murdered men and this here
traveller would never have seen day
light again, If we hadn't come in.
You got the Jew from Santa Fe into
your shanty, and robbed and killed
him.p EtEEss IafFE eret
-"No, captain ~ burst out Joe; 81
bar that. L don't deny the horses nor
the cattle and L may hev killed q
man or two so may hev Pail but
never touched the Jew, nor killed a
man in my own shanty and this
here Traveller should have gone hi:
way a safe man." Then turning tC
me, he said: You don't believe
meant killing of you, stranger ?'
81 do not % I said very emphatieal.
ly, for meant it.
''WelI, there's enough agin you
without that" said the spokesman
"though we know you amt so bad as
Phil. You've been warned to go
time after time.r
mot regular warned, captain u
argued Joe; "and now we ara agoin.'
''No, you amt, you bet,n said tht
captain with . meaning smile, which
ran responsively through his band
mo, you amt Yonr time has come
but you shall have a fair trial from
the Vigilantes here assembled anC
what their judgment is, you mus
abide by"
In an instant sort Of formalit!