Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-06-13

doing this, which"
"But why not have made the gate fast
before he enteredV'
I" Because he was safer inside than out
A conviction had come over me that this
man was some desperate character. His
comrades were, no doubt, waiting near,
and his plan had been quietly to open the
gate to them"
Had you no arms but your rife?'
wanted none, for we understood
each other-my rifle and I. This villain,
understood us, too. [ don't think,
either, he liked to see Edwards sleeping
in the tent. The lad was not good for
much, but still he was somebody. 1t
would now be contest of skill between
the fellow and me. He was waiting his
opportunity, and SO was I. Of all vii
demonstrating men, he was the worst.
Tall, swarthy, black-bearded; with hard
face that must have been handsome once,
and fierce black eyes cleaning with evil
He sat on one side the hearth | on the
other, our eyes fixed On one another.".
Elan paused. l wondered what was
coming.
You guess, dare say, that I have
quick ear, for you know what my tenn
permanent is-all sensitive consciousness.
My good hearing had been cultivated,
too, by listening for the Indians. By
and by | detected very stealthy move
ment outside the fort, and then a faint
chirrup, such as a young squirrel might
make. Up sprang the man, but covered
him with my rifle, cooked. He saw the
movement, showed his teeth, and drew
out pistol; but not before | ordered
him to throw down his arms, or die. He
hesitated; he saw that in my eye and as
pect that made him quail. With the
rife leveled, and my finger on the trig-
ger, he threw down his arms-pistol and
knife--with dreadful oath. had the
best of him, and he knew it, for before
he could have put his pistol into form,
or rushed on me with his knife, the ball
from my rifle would have been in him.
His language was awful-and we were
not nice in that respect, you know, In
California-the foam lay on his lips.
He demanded to be let out of the house,
denouncing me as robber and a muir
derer. To all his rawlings [ had but one
answer; to be quiet, to obey me, and he
should live; dare to disobey me, and he
should die. He sat there cOwed, on the
opposite side of the fire, not daring to
make even a doubtful motion. Then |
told him what / knew-that | had heard
what he was, and what he hap meant to
do. With that he broke down utterly
or pretended at it, howled like child,
declaring that now he knew my pluck,
and ! had been the first man ever to get
the better of him, he loved me like a
brother. All the same, love or no love-
he had to sit where he was, and in front
of him, with my rifle on my knees
There was long night before us; he
could have no liberty in it, and the re-
straint was horrible to him. One mo-
ment he laughed uneasily; the next,
cursed; the next cried. 1t was a strange
experience was it not? To pass away
the time, asked him to relate the history
of his life He said he would; but
would, first of all Just shake hands for
the respect he bore me. Touching my
rifle significantly, | pointed to the stick
lying across the place between us.
That's your boundary line, my man. /
said; don't 90 stretching your hand
over that And it sent him into a fit of
sullenness."
| w nat come Oh IL!
eve must have remained in this po-
sition till midnight. Several times [
heard slight sounds outside the fort to
which he listened; but he dared not re-
spond to them, he could do nothing.
After while they ceased; his associates,
rightly judging that something or other
had gone wrong and spoiled the scheme,
no doubt made off, tired of waiting. The
fellow shead was bent, his chin rested on
his breast, his shaggy beard spread
ing over it like a mantle. He
suffered martyrdom. He was like
hyena Gagged, though he showed it by in
voluntary nervous startings and furtive
chances Finally he could bear it no
longer, and entreated me piteously, alb
jectly, to give him his freedom or blow
out his brains He could not have his
brains blown out if he desired it. Which
brought forth some more of his choice
language And the lad, Edwards, slept
through it ALP
"What situation! What night"
cay, it was. By and by we got to
talking, not relaxing in my vigilance
for an instant. Once started on his own
history, the subject seemed to have
fascination for him. He had been hon
estly raised he said, by good and loving
parents, in the State of Missouri; had
passionately loved young girl in the
town where he ived-and his descrip
ton of her was so pretty and vivid that
[ declare it brought into my mind the
other girl waiting for me down the Wal
lamet Valley. To enable him to marry
her he resolved to go to California and
make in some honest way the requisite
money. He went, and did make it, and,
full of joyful anticipations, returned to
find that she had married another. The
man-the husband-had played them
false, told the girl that her lover was
dead, and married her himself. When
he came out of the brain fever, which
this news gave him, he was invited to an
evening party in the town, one given in
honor of him. To this party came his
love and her husband; when he put out
his hand to welcome her, their eyes met,
and each knew then, and for the first
time, how they had been betrayed
IL L J.