The Republican journal., 1877-12-27


rest Of the furniture was embodied in u
long Tennessee rife that hung close to
the rough wall
If the hut was remarkable it, proprie-
tor was still more So He was. / think.
the most Villain0us looking man ! ever
beheld About Six feet two inches ii
height, proportionatcly broad across the
shoulders, and with a hand large enough
to pick up titty-six pound shot, he
seemed to be a combination of extra0r-
dinary strength and agility. His head
| was narrow, and OblOng in shape His
straight, Indian-lke hair fell smoothly
over his low forehead, as if it had been
plastered with soap And his black, bead
like eyes We're set obliQuely. and slanted
downward towards bis nose, giving him
mingled expression OF ter0city and cum
ming. As | examined his features atten-
/ lively, i'll which | thought | could trace
almost every bad passion, confess ex-
/ perienced a certain feeling Of apprehen-
sion and distguSt that ! could not shake
Oft
W hlie he was getting us the promised
lood We tried. by questioning him. to draw
/ him into conversation. He seemed Very
tacitum and reserved He said he lived
entirely alone, and had cleared the spot
| he occupied with his own hands He said
| his name was Joel but when we hmted
| he NuSt have some other name he pre-
/ tended not to hear us, though | saw his
/ brcNS knit and his small black ewes flash
| angrly. Ny suspicious If this man were
/ further aroused by observing Il pair of
shoes lying in a corner Of the hut. These
shoes We're at least three sizes smaller
| than those that our gigantic host Wore.
! and yet he had distinctly replied that he
/ lived entirely alone. II those shoes were
not his, whose We're they The more
reflected on the circumstance the more
uneasy felt and apprehensiols We're still
| further aroused when Joel, is lie called
| himself, took both our foWing pieces.
and in order to have them out of the way.
he said. hung them on crooks on the Wall.
at a height that neither Dick nor could
reach without getting ON Il stool. smiled
| nWardly, however, as felt the smooth
barrel OF my revolver that was Slmg in
the hollow OF my back by its lcathelm belt
and thought To myself, il this fellow has
any bad designs, the more unprotected he
thinks us the more incautiOuS he will be:
So | made no effort to retain our guns
Dick also had a revolver. and was one 0f
those men who knew Nould use ii well
when the time came.
My suspicious Of our host grew at last
to such a pitch that determined to com
municatc them to Dick. Nothing would
be easier than for this vilIainouS half
breed for felt convinced he had Indian
blood i'll him nothing could be easier
than, with the aid Of an accompict, to
thIoat.,
asleep. and 50 Get our Guns. Watches and
whatever money we carried. Who in
these lonely woods, would hear the shot.
or hear our cries for help? What ennis
sary OF the law, however sharp. could
point out our graves i'll those Wild woods,
or bring the murder home to those who
committed it! Linton at first laughed
then grew serious and gradually became
4 convert to my apprehensons. We hur-
rie(lly agreed that while one Slept the
other should watch, and so take t in
turns through the night.
joel had surrendered to us his couch Of
deerskin and his blanket; he himself said
he could sleep quite rs well on the floor
near the fire. As Dick and were both
tired We We're anxious to get our rest
as soon as possible. So after hearty
meal of deersteak and tough cakes, wash
ed down by a good drauoht from our
brandy flask, /, beng the Youngest, got
the first hours sleep, and flung myself on
the couch Of skins AS my eyes gradual
ly closed, | saw a dim picture Of Dick
seated stcrnly by the fire and the long
shape OF the halt-breed stretched ont like
a huge shadow upon the floor.
After what could have sW0re to be
only thrce-minutcs' doIe, Dick woke
me and informed me that my hour was
out. and turning me out of my warm nest.
lay down without any ceremony, and in a
few seconds was heavily snoring. | rubbed
my eyes, felt for my revolver, and seating
myself on one OF the pine Stumps, com
menced my watch The half breed ap-
peared to be buried in Il profound slum-
Der, and in the half-Weird light cast by
the wood embers his enormous figure
seemed almost Titanic in its proportions.
| confess | felt that in a struggle lor life
he was more than Il match for Dick and
myself then looked at the fire, and be
gan a taVOrltc amusement of mine shap
ing forms in the ember#. Al sorts Of
figures defined themselves before me
Battles, temppSts at sea, familiar faces,
and above all ShOne ever returning, the
dear features OF Bertha Linton, my af-
tianced bride. She seemed to me to smile
ut me through Il burning haze. and |
could almost fancy | heard her say,
'Nhlle you are Watching IN the lovely
forest am thinking of You and praying
for your safety"
\ Slight movement on the part Of the
shmherng haIt-breed here recalled me
from those sweet dreams llc turned on
his side lifted himself slowly on his elbow,
and galed attentively at me. did not
stir. Still retaining my STOPPING attitude,
| haif closed my eyes and remained mo-
tionless. Doubtless he thought | was
asleep, for in a moment ur two he rose
noiselesslv, and creeping With d stealthy
step across the floor, passed out Of the
hut. | listened oh how eagerly 1t
seemed to me that through the imper-
iectly joinred creyces Of the log walls
could plainly hear voices whispering. |
would have given worlds to have creDt
near to listen, but | was fearful of disturb
ING the fancied security OF our host, who
| felt certain had sinister designs upon us
So | remained perfectly still. The Whis-
pering suddenly ceased. The half-breed
re-entered the hut, in the same stealthv
manner in which he had quilted it, and
after giving a scrutnizing glance at me
once more stretched himself upon the
floor and affected to sleep. In q few mo-
ments | pretended to awake -NaWned,
looked ut my watch, and finding that my
hour had more than expired, proceeded
to wake Dick. As | turned him out of
bed, ! whispered in his ear, Don't take
your eyes of that fellow, Dick. He has
accomplices outside; be careful ~ Dick
gave meaning glance, carelessly touched
his revolver, as much aS to say, "Heres
something to interfere with his little ar
rangemcnts," and took his seat on the
pine stump, in such a position as to com
mand view Of the sleeping half-br
and the doorway at the same time
This time though awfully tired, | could
not sleep. A horrible load seemed press
ing on my chest, and every five minutes
| would start up to see if Dick was keep