Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-08-28
saIes ar1n gketfRes.
THE VIGILANTES.

was yet many miles from Denver, and
was i'll the worst defiles of the Rocky
Mountains, when at noon 1 dismounted by
the side Of little spring. had just light.
ed my cigar, and was lying under solta.
ry tree, when mounted figure came over
the ridge Just behind me. He was a tall
man, wearing Il felt or leathern hat,
squeezed into no shape at all his black
hair had probably not been cut for a
twelvemonth he was clad in buckskin
from neck to ankle a buffalo robe covered
his saddle, by the side Of which hung an
eighteen shot repeating rifle {; on each Kip
he carried large revolver, and straight
knife in leathern sheath hung in his belt.
AT the sight Of me he recoiled, and halt
drew one of his revolvers but seeing that
L was alone and quite in his power, be
came slowly on, keeping however, his eye
on me all the while. 1 thought concillia-
tion best, so said Good morning.
Good evening" he replied, It's cverybo-
dy out there would have replied, whatever
the time of day.
VIII you have drop of brandy p /
asked, by sudden impulse. He grimly
smiled assent, and drank, prOnouncing it
good and then he said, Where's your
boss, stranger y
/ looked round, and to my dismay saw
that my steed had vanished-had 'yamoos-
ed the stranger said then continued-'I
thought L saw IL hoss in the gully over
there, and when l see you l thought it
might be yourn. Here. come this way
l scrambled over the rugged slope after
him, but the horse was nowhere in sight.
The stranger pointed to where he had seen
it, and then, by signs wholly unintelligible
to me, we tracked it for some half mile,
until we found it in perfect maze of rocks
and gullies. j thanked him very heartily,
and made an offer of reward but with the
same apathy which had marked his conver-
sation all through he declined it, and bid
ding me good day. rode slowly off, first
having conducted me back to the track.
followed the road until night came on,
when found had really lost my way.
To make matters worse, | found that my
horse was nearly exhausted, and could only
limp painfully along the rough track. l
was growing more out of heart with my
situation than ever was in my life, when
on turning an angle l found that had
come upon large tract of level ground,
and that not hundred yards ahead, stood
n shanty, from which light feebly gleam-
ed My jaded horse pricked up his ears
and stumbled briskly along, and in another
minute 1 was knocking at the rude door.
1t was thrown open by gaunt-looking
fellow in an old blue army cloak, and who
held, although he partially concealed it, a
pistol in his right hand. The interior, as
l could see, was of an uninviting charac-
ter, scarcely an article of furniture and
lighted by n lamp which, void of glass,
fared on the window ledge.
/ told my case, and sulenly bidding me
of the house, and then enter, he moved
away. When l had secured my steed in
the enclosure, and the door of the shanty
swung to behind me, | was almost sorry /
had not chosen to sleep with the wolves in
the mountain gullies. My host was silent
and sullen, showing very plainly his inten-
toll hA, 10
said Guess you'll want supper. There's
water in that pail there's whiskey in that
bottle there's beef in that locker. You
can't have nothin' else.'
/ said which was partly true, that 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 rufIian for my companion.
Then you'll want to go to sleep he said
roughly, and kicked a bundle apart, dis
closing a couple of buffalo robes, with two
rude pillows. There you are. Go to bed
then.'
1t was no use betraying any fear, and he
was evidently giving up his bed to me, so
lay down, and in a short time was doing,
when was aroused by hearing the tread
of a horse, and then the door opened. l
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 nothing distinct.
We'll, how is it, Joe p said the other
man, with very serious, if not anxious
look.
Bad said my friend, or 'Joe'-'very
bad. It's all correct
And are they-are the boys'-began the
other.
Yes said Joe, filling up the pause ;
they mean coming. They may come to-
morrow-perhaps tonight. We shall have
to vamoose.'
They conversed in undertones, as they
sat on their rude stools by the low wood