The Republican journal., 1874-12-10

and with my flask and some crackers and
sardines, managed pretty well. | had
Just lighted my cigar and was lying under
the shelter OF q solitary tree. when sud
denly a mounted figure came over little
stony ridge Just behind me. ! started up
ana he started back A more suspicious
looking character it would be difficult to
imagine He was tall man, wearing
felt or leathcrn hat, squeezed into no shape
al all; his black hair had probably not
been cut for tWelvem0nth he was clad
in buckskin from neck to ankle buffalo
robe covered his saddle by the side OF
which hung an eighteen-shot repeating
rifle; on each hip he carried a large re-
volver, and a straight knife IN a leathern
sheath hung in his belt, AT the sight Of
me he recoied, as | have said, and half
drew one Of his revolvers but seeing that
was alone and quite in his power. he
came slowly on, keeping, however, his
eye on me all the while. l thought con
ciiation best, 50 said, Good morning"
Good evening" he replied; as every
body out there would have replied, what
ever the time OF day
will you have a drop Of brandy ?"
| asked by sudden impulse. He grinlv
smiled assent. and drank pronouncng it
good" then he said "Where's Your
hOSs, stranger?
| | looked round and, to my dis1nay
saw that my seed had vanished had
! vamoosed," the stranger said then con
tinued: Il thought | saw a hoss in the
gully over there, and when | see you, |
! thought it might be vOurn. Here, come
| this way"
] scrambled over the rugged slope after
hin; but the horse was nowhere i'll sight
The stranger pointed to where he had
seen it, and then, by signs totally unintcl-
ligiblc to me, we tracked it for some halt
mile, until We found it in perfect maze
of rocks and gullies. | thanked him very
heartily, and made an offer Of reward but
with the same apathy which had marked
his conversation all through. he declined
it, and bidding me good day" rode
slowly off, first having conducted me
back to the track
followed the road for long time, un-
til | began to grow uneasy at the time
which elapsed before struck the plain
could no longer see the base of the hills,
and although | believe [ knew the exact
gan to conceive the possibility Of my hay
original road before nighttalI was imprac-
ticable, and pushed desperately On, un-
til nothing but the highest peaks Of the
tremendous mountains behind me Were
tinged by the setting sun. In very short
time this died away, and the valleys and
ravines below became more dense and
gloomy every minute.
All this time saw no living thing, save
that twice q mountain wolf crossed my
road a few score yards ahead OF me. TO
make matters worse, | 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 lite, when,
on turning an angle, | found that [ had
come upon a large tract of level ground,
and that, not q hundred yards ahead, stood
Il shantv, from which light teebv
cleaned. My iaded horse pricked up his
ears and stumbled briskly along, and in
another minute | was knocking at the
rude door 1t WAS thrown open by a
gaunt-looking fellow, ia an old blue army
coat, and who held although he partially
concealed it. a pistol in his right hand.
The interior as | could see, was Of the
most uninviting character-scarcely an
article Of furniture, and lighted by q lamp
which, void d glass, iiared on the window
ledge.
I told my case and sullenly bidding me
turn my horse into the corral by the side
Of the horse, and then enter, he moved
away. When had secured my steed in
the inclosure, and the door Of the shanty
swung to behind me, was almost sorry
! mad 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 presently, how
ever, he said Guess you'll want sup
per. There's water in that pail there's
whiskey in that bottle there's beef in that
locker You can't have nothing else
! said, which was partly true, that I
was too tired to eat. ! certainly 1. uii
not have eaten or drunk in his dirty
hovel, on Of such uninviting food, es-
pecially with 50 forbidding rntfian ior
my companion,
Then you'll wait to go to sIoep,'
he said, roughly, and kicked bundle
apart, disclosing a couple Of buffalo
robes, with two rude pillows "There
YOU are Go to bed, then"
1t was of no use betraying any fear,
and he was evidently giving VI his bed
to me, so | lay down, and in 2 short
time was doing, when I was aroused
by hearing the tread Of q 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 nothing distinct
well, how is it, Joe?" said the other
man, with a very serious. if not anxious
look.
bad, said my friend, or joe
''verv bad. Its all correct"
And are they-are the boys
began the other
Yes. said Joe, filling up the pause;
they may come to-morrow-perhaps to-
night We shall have to yamoose."
They conveYsed in undertones as they
sat on their rude stools by the low
wood-tire, chewing OF smoking, oc
casionaly drinking from a whiskey-bot
tie their discourse seemed very grave
and disquieting. and from word Or
two | caught, and from their glanCes,
fancied they were often referring TO me.
At last, in spite of myself, | fell asleep,
and tired as | was, might have slumbered
till morning, hHt tremendous crash
awoke me, and rising, ] saw that the
door had been burst open and that the
shanty was filing with strangers all
armed while Joe and his comrade had
drawn suddenly to my side of the room.
On the instant half-a-dozen men surround
cd them and took their fire arms.
''Hollon exclaimed one Of the new
c0mers, as he caught sight Of me, who
is this? Are there three in the gang y
All eyes being upon me, although | did
not quite understand the situation. | eA-
planned briefly who was and the ac-
count seemed satisfactory.
"Now, Joe Blakely, and you, Phil
Marll, | reckon you know why we have
come ?" said the man who seemed spokes
man,
Guess we do, y said Joe. in his usual
apatbetic tone.
You expected a visit, continued the
man I'VE have heard All your Dragging