Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-02-10
From Peterson's journal.
THE LONE CABIN.
CAPTAIN CARNES.

I had ridden hard and fast, and was
astonished to find myself coming into
struggling settlement. On the course
which I should have taken there was
nothing of the sort. Somewhere [ had
crossed the right trail and taken the
wrong one. Almost any traveller in the
border sections would have been glad
to thus stumble upon place for food
and refreshment. Not so with myself.
In the breast-pocket of my coat I car
ried five thousand four hundred and
ninety odd dollars United States
money. | had received this amount
from Maj. Gen. 7. NJ Lacy, and it was
to be carried through to Fort L.,
and placed III the hands of Col Asa F.
Southland, to defray necessary army ex-
penses.
'tGet through at your best gait,
Carnes, said the major, 'sthe money is
long since overdue, and Southaru's
rather irasclble temper must have been
tried to the utmost. You know how the
soldiers get to growing if uncle is at
all delinquent IN paying up. Ride in
a careless manner, but be careful. [
don't think that any one dreams of the
arrival Of this money-save, of course,
the mail agent and the clerk who de-
ivered me the packages"
/ was directed over an unfamiliar sec
ton, hence my losing of the right route
[ considered it my safest plan, so long
as had biundered upon the verge of
the settlement, to boldly enter and rest
as an ordinary traveller would do. Should
push hurriedly on, I might, by that
very act, excite suspicion.
There were only two men in the bar
room when | entered: the landlord and
the hostler. Under his familiar cor
diality the landlord furtively eyed me
IN a manner that made me wish was
well done with my job, but treasured
myself with the thought that it was the
consciousness of the responsibility re-
posing upon me that caused his chances
to disturb me. Before [ had finished
my supper two more travellers rode up,
called out for the hostler, and ordered
drinks, or rather one of them came in
with the orders, and the other threw
: himself down on a bench outside
and began. loading a huge pipe.
Strolling carelessly about the room, [
managed TO glance out of the window
My heart leaped into my throat, for in
the man outside-I recognized from
description Of him-Bill Wolf-one of
the most desperate characters that ever
figured ID the annals Of border ruffian-
ism. There was the huge red NOUS
tache, the thick, hairy throat, and the
shoulders hunched up around his head,
suggesting the shape of mammoth
clam-and the voice with e deep down
intonation like the p]op, plop, plop of
water hurrledly leaving a Jug. IT the
description Of the notorious renegade is
inelegant, it has the merit of truthful
ness, and must, therefore, be excused.
went through with my supper in
form, but whatever appetite I might
have felt on my entrance into the inn,
had vanished with my discovery. After
a time the other fellow came in, hay
ing been out, he said, to look after the
animals, and they also ordered supper.
Now was the time to leave, which [ did
IN careless manner, passing some
commonplace remarks with the two
men as [ crossed the dim, smoky bar
room. AS they seemed to take no
notice of me, whatever, felt my spirits
rise with hope that should make a
safe transit. It was quite duskish out
side, but the hostler was fitting
about the stables with his Ian
tern, which emitted but a little
more efulgent light than white bean
would have done, but he graciously
brought out my steed at the order, and,
mounting, [ thankfully trotted away.
The moon-a little passed full-would
make her debut III something more than
an hour after sunset, and Ipushed along
at smart trot SO as to get well out upon
the plains and into the right trail before
that time. The animal went along at
on assuring gait, and I was feeling in
fnitely relieved at my providential es-
cape from contact with the desperate
characters whom [ had left at the set
Element, when my acute, trained, ever
alert ears detected the sound of swift
riding. In which direction :? From
behind me, as the mildly floating
breeze blew from that quarter. The
face of the prairie in this section was 8
little rolling, but not SO as to afford any
shelter, and not shrub or bush dotted
the expanse for miles.
L drew up my horse one moment to
listen. No chance travellers ever rode
like that 1T meant pursuit.
L gave my steed a CALLING lash an6
she broke into q convulsive gait, hove
her body up with one or two plunges
stumbled, going down from her knees
TO her nose, and pitched me literally
heels over head. For an instant [ wa,
paralyzed with establishment, the next
seized the bit to fetch up the fal1e1
animal, which had in the brief misha1
undergone strange metamorphosis
She had lost her white face on or il
the grass, and, passing my hand between
her eyes, found the hair was wet. II
an instant l was examining the white