The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-12-07

| hugging the little bonnet to her breast !;
but when she heard the gallop of horse,
she stopped still and met her Texas lover
with the stern, white face of the accuser.
"This is her bonnet. found it ct the
bayou and your tracks by it. You
drowned her. Gods cures upon you p
"Mallne, are you crazy? What do
you mean? Where did you fiud that 2"
Down at the bayou, where you
drowned my darling, by the double ash
tree aud the old mill.wheei. saw your
tracks there"
II fished there two days ago, aud
waited for the alligator to rise. I've
never been there since, swear, and I've
never set eyes on the child since saw
her Standing at your side yesterday. I
told you what said about her was moth
ing but idle breath. didn't mean
word Of it. l was mad because you re-
fused to go with me end said Jour duty
was to the children; hut God knows I
wouldn't have hurt a hair of the little
ones head for my own life. Tell me,
how came you to 60 to the big ash just
nOwY"
BLACK kountz, the conjurer-master,
told me to go there, and that should
find signs"
kh ~
"l'll speak TO that old rascal myscif."
he said, and then I'll ride back to where
| left the searching party, and bring
them to drag the bayou where the bon
net was found"
Maline shuddered and walked on with
out speaking.
Karlse rode to the hut Of the conjurcr,
and, dismounting, thundered upon the
closed door with his heavy whip The
shufiling feet of the African were slow to
answer the summons, and when he
opened the door his wrinkled features
exhibited some sign Of perturbation,
which the bold, fierce look of the drover
and the sight Of the pisto' and bowie
knife in his belt might have we'll ex.
cused.
There was nothing suspicious in the
answers he gave to the keen cross-qucs-
tioning Of the Texan. He said, in his
broken gutterel, that lie had seen in his
dream the bonnet lying by the ash tree
the Great Man showed him things in his
dreams.
Karlyc left him, after keen survey Of
his wretched hut, with his black-smokcd,
cob-wcbbcd walls, hung with the skins
and teeth Of vermin and reptiles ita rag
pallet and greasy old chest and table.
The bayou was dragged, but without
result.
"The alligator" was the thought that
was in the minds Of all, though nobody
spoke it. out Of compassion for the broth
er and sister. Night set in with gather
ing clouds, lightning and the promise of
storm, and the weary party rctraced
their steps.
Karlse alone fingered. Maline had
not told the others her suspicion that he
| was Rosie's murderer, but he knew by
the look she gave him when she turned
away tHat she harbored it still. He
stood Dy mis- horses mead in deep thought
moment, then he mounted and rode
back towards the conjurer's cabin. Re-
fore it was in sight, he stopped in the
midst of dense thicket, got down from
his horse and fastened him securely, aud
then waited while the twilight deepened
tnst into DARK night, the clouds obssciuTriiis
the sky, the lightning flashing at inter-
walls, and the rain coming in fitful gusts.
"Now for spying the camp" he said.
awful cautious nhall have to be.
/ shall have to slip up on him like sneak
in up on an old buck at day-break; and
first thing to be done, off must come these
buots." Suiting the action to the word,
he pulled off his boots and deposited
them by the tree where his horee was
fastened.
Then he set out for Kountz's hut, steer
ing his course through the darkness with
the Judgment of q trained backwoodsman
that almost amounts to instinct. No
CLEAN of light came from the hut to
guide him. When be had crert eau
tiously close to it, and gone stealthily
around it, he sGw that there was no crack
through which could be seen the light of
the fire tnat was sure to be burning in
| side. Winter or GUNNER the fire was
| never suffered to die out on the Africans 3
hearth but except the smoke from the
low chimney, no sign Of il was TO be
| seen outside the windowless hut, whose
| smallest crack and Granny the African
hastencd to stop with rags or cotton and
plaster over with mud. Hid behind the
moss-hung limbs Of the oak, Karlse saw
| the negro come to the door, look out,
and muttsr to himself
"Black night; good, jolly night-rain
torn, maybe; jolly night"
With sinister chuckle, he closed the
door and fastened it, rattling the heavy
chain i'll which the paddock was hooked.
| Karlse crept around to the rear of the
cabin, and taking out his k.ife, knelt
down and began to cut into the clay that
was chinked between the logs of the wall,
| and was now some.Shat softened by the
recent rain. Noiselessly, cautiously he
worked until he had cut through sec
tion of TIE clay several inches square.
| This plug he gradually drew out, using
the utmost care to prevent attracting the
attention of the black doctor. In this he
was abetted by the noise of the wind that
| blew fefcely at intervals, and made the
limbs Of the live-oak creak aud sway
against the roof of the cabin. The plug
was removed, and still kneeling, Karlse
| applied his eye to the aperture and saw
the wizard smoking his pipe and mutter-
ing to himself before the fire. Presently
he rose, walked to the door, bent down
| and listened attentively.
| "Wind blowin' hard-mighty dark
torch can't live II minit-white fools gone
home, gone to bed-good, jolly night for
| good supper-ugh!"
He chucklcd ard smacked his lips {;
then, walking up to the screech-owl, he
touched its muffied ;lead, when, ilutter-
ing it's feathers viii :. shivering motion,
| the creature uttered its weird, ghostly cry,
! whereat the hlack wizard nodded and
laughed hideously, showing his double
row of teeth. Then, turning round to
the greasy old chest, he proceeded to
| draw it from its place, and from tho part
of the dirt floor where it had - Jod, to
turn up square board that seemed to be
| trap.door. fnr the coniuror let himself
down into the hole it had covered, and
when he again emerged. scrambling up