The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1877-11-15

tCCOuut VI buo bOItuO69 VI bOo NOII,
and pretty soon we came to where
body Of water lay between us aud
The canes. This water seemed to be
; sort Of bayou, fed by seme stream
beyond my sight, and il certainly
had swampy, dismal look, sugges-
live Of snakes aud alligators. We
had passed poiut Of wood that
made close down to the water, when
I fancied that heard the sound Of
horses feet behind me, and upon
turning I beheld four horsemen Just
emerging from the wood. Ny com.
paniou certainly endeavoring to
make some sign to them, but they
did not see bim. They kept straight
on TO the edge Of the bayou went
into tho water as though il were q
Of the road, the horses
moving with perfect assurance, aud
6nally disappeared within the depths
OF the cane brake.
I looked at my companion, and
he looked at me.
"That's rather curious. isn't il 7
he said. Aud he looked into my
face very sharply
"Curious enough I replied.
"What dye s'pose it means ? he
queried.
1t had naturally occurred to me
that within the cane-braks might be
the hidden retreat OF the robbers.
and that the place Of passage across
the bayou was known only to them
selves, but | did not speak my mind
to my companion, I intimated to
him that | had no idea of its mean
ing.
ut isn't impossible he pursusd,
with his eye still upon me, that the
rascals we We been speaking Of have
o haunt in there somewhere"
I told him l thought it quite like
ly.
We rode on short distance fur
ther, and close by spur of the tim
Der he told me that he must leave
me.
II should like to keep on with
you," he said, but I must take the
rest Of my way alone. Here is my
path
lie bade me goodbye hoped we
should meet again, gave mo some
touching my route, aud
then turned toward the timber
Dear reader, did you ever. either
while standing in the street, or in
some crowded assembly, grow ner-
vous and uneasy under the Impress
ion that some one was gazing upon
you land have you not, under
such circumstances, looked around
aud found q pair of bright, electric
eyes fixed upon you f-Something
20 felt l as rode away from that
stranger.
At length the feeling became OPP
pressive aud stopped and turned.
In another instant | should have
been o dead man The seeming
hunter had dismounted, and his
Keen black eye was glancing along
,ver the barrel of his rifle directly
It my heart. Quick as thought
slipped from my saddle, and on the
'alne second a bullet came vizzing
,ver my shoulder close by my ear.
think the tenth part of a second
ost to me ut that time would have
,een fatal. The villain supposed, of
,ourse that he had shot me, and
eaving his horse behind he hurried
oward mo. Under such circum-
Itances could have no hesitation.
waited until he had arrivoi within
few PAGES, and then leveled my
PISTOL and shot him through the
leart. He kept on toward me, and
fred o second tiWe but the first
hot had been sufficient.
"You're a fine travelling compan-
on, aren't ye ! said I as | bent over
him.
He started to his knees, raised
.is hand toward the cane brake, and
ried 70 cry out, either for help, or
Use to warn his companions there
hidden but his voice had failed him,
md he sank back dead without hav>
pg spoken Q word.
With as little delay as possible
ragged the body up into the tim.
Yer, and having remounted my own
lorss aud taken the rein of the dead
mans horse over my arm, started
,ack. did not follow the road
'ver which ! had come, but kept to
he southwark, toward Brickett's
FORD. where the Sheriff had talked
4 going. By tho middle Of the Of,
ernoon I was ON the track of the
,fIicers, though ] did not find them
Until evening. ] told them what
lad discovered, and early on the fol-
owing morning, with fifty or sixty
veil armed citizens, we set of to-
Yard the Big Brake. I remembered
he place where the horsemen had
AIKEN to the water, aud upon enter
ng here and following carefully o.
ong, We found bard road, where
ONE peculiar movement Of the
lood had thrown up Q ridge Of gra-
el. Having gained the cane brake
ur way was clear enough, for we
ound an open path, cut through
be canes, and at distan Q .
1 Q quarter of mile where the
round was high and dry. We came
pom the robbers camp. Twelve OF