The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1878-04-25

His companion was much larger in stat.
ne, but less progressing even than the first
named person. His skim was dark and
fiabby, and his features denoted sensuality
and brutal instincts. A shock Of coarse !
black hair hung under the brim Of his
broad hat, and his figure, like that OF his
friend, was incased in buckskin garments.
When the pair had come within speaking
distance, Uncle Sile advanced, let out TIE
mendous snort from his horn, and spoke.
"Who air We strangers, and what do We
want? ?" he asked
ave are from the hills, returning TO
Cheyenne" responded the smaller man, in
clear, incisivs tones.
whats yer namesT
mime" said the spokesman. "is Jack
Watkins. My partner is known as Chero-
kee Bob"
"Come ahead then, if ye're friends. If
not ye'd better keep yer distance"
"All white men are friends in this coun-
| try" observed Watkins, with q laugh, rid
| ing into the corrall.
"Praps that's true remarked Uncle
Sile, sententiously; "but halfbreeds amt
| white men,"
| The lattea part of this speech was leveled
at the person styling himself Cherokee Bob.
| That worthy contented himself with an
| ugly scowls at the speaker, and dismounted
| sullenly.
"Weil," said Watkins, 'that's so. But
my friend Bob does not come from a war
like race The Cherokees are friendly you
know. Besides, he's my pardner, you see,
and that makes q difference.
| Possible, stranger, possible. But red
blood Is red blood the world over, an the
more it gifts mixed with white the wusser it
grows"
Watkins was evidently about to make
some reply, but at that moment he caught
sight Of Deathgrip, lying crouched at her
masters feet with her great eyes firmly fixed
upon his movements, and be abandoned
the idea.
"What kind of a thing do you call that
stranger ?" he asked in some surprise.
That's . mounting lion, my huckleber-
ry," chimed in Oregon Bill, who had been
a silent and suspicious witness of the fore
going scene. "She were captured in the
wilds OF Abyssinia by my fathers uncle.
She's now three hundred and twenty years
old, and never eats 'cept when che kin git
an lniun for supper"
"Rather singular beast shonld saw. Is
she ugly ?"
"No; she amt adzactly ugly-she's only
little fond OF play"
Watkins and his dark-skinned friend ate
supper with keen relish, and both Bill
and Uncle Sile could not help noting that
the ewes OF the former were too constantly
trying to fathom everything about the
camp. The light haired man, by adroit
inquiries, learned that the emigrants were
we'll supplied with ammunition and arms,
that the train contained several barrels OF
, whisky, together with considerable mer-
chandise, and that all this was guarded by
ten men.
"DOn't like this" thought Bill Theirs
, too much curiosity about that chap. Don't
bleve he means any good, Hello whats
, he doln' now ?"
This last animated question was caused
by Watkins rising TO his feet and walking
I among the wagons, looking carefully .;
everything he could see.
Bill rose, and was soon beside the inter
loper.
'See yer, stranger" he said quietly.
"yon've bin a askin' me all bout our equip
. ments for the last half-hour, and I've an,
s'ered yer questions like gentleman. So
far 30 good"
"Well?'
oval, you've bin in this kentry long
'nough low, to know that in any Vaughn
train this kind o thing has its limits. An
I'm blest if I'll low you nor NO other man
, that don't know for to go round peekin'
. into my wagons. faint right nor proper "
The stranger regarded Bill for an instant
with a glare that denoted anger, but a
glance at the broad shoulders of the scout
and the determined look upon his face
! causid him to use more discretion. So
with an uneasy attempt at laugh, he said
. "Oh, that's all right You see, I've jus,
caLle through that confounded Indian coun
try, and "a you have said you were about
going into it, didn't think there would bs
| any objection to my looking to see that all
|, was secure. Surely you are not offended al
hiatt"
stranger, We kin tend to all that our,
selues without no aid from nobody. What,
ever yer intentions is, don't know, nor
don't care, but | tell We, frankly, Mr.. Jack
Watkins, if thets yer name, | don't like
yer style. Theirs too much palaver an too
many fine word bout We to. suit Oregon
Bill. You understand"
|, A resentful flash sprung into the strang-
er's eyes, and he would doubtless have
made an angry reply, but Just at that mo-
ment Rose Bailey gave affairs a new turn
BY appearing suddenly beside the camp
fire at the end of the corral
As Watkins glanced at her, he started
suddenly, and gave vent to an ejaculation,
while his face turned deadly white
"Ehw he exclaimed, with his ewes SEEM
inga lmost to start from their sockets, and
fixed on the lady's face. who's that
tell me, for Heavens sake?"
THAT" Why, that's Rose Baily--
Hey? What In blazes is the matter with
the man?
"Great Heaven! but no; it is nothing
I-nothing.
Bya great effort Watkins mastered his
emotion, whatever it was. But Uncle Slle
and Oregon Bill were both regarding him
with widely openep eyes.
Nothing, hey" said the old man.
avail, look here, now. young fellsr,
should say as how it were somethin'. Folks
don't usually go on that hathaway less
there's somethin' onto their minds"
"Yes, yes, l know. But this young lady's
face-Baily, believe you said her name
was-is so very like that of a person
knew long ago. But We won't talk about it
any more"
And the mysterious strange walked of
to have a closer look at Rose Baily's
face.
WALL" said Bill as soon as he was out
of ear-shot, "theres summat queer about
that chap. l don't understan' him alto
gether.a
| "Nor either" responded Uncle sile,
thoughtfully.
However, the two stood watching Wat
kins as he neared the fire, and saw him
speak to Rose.
Had the watchers been nearer they would
have noticed that the tell-tale blood rushed
to her cheeks at the sound of those clear,
sharp tones, and then receded again, leav-
ing her paler than death. She looked
searchingly toward the speaker, but his hat
was pulled over his eyes, and she could not
discern his lineaments distinctly.
"No," she thought TO herself, cit cannot
be. In this pace, and after all these years
it is impossible"
So after answering the trivial questions he |
put to her, she turned and walked toward |
the wagon, where her husband was already |
asleep.
Uncle Sile and Bill approached at this |
time and found Watkins thoughtfully con- |
templating the Goals. He stood there some |
moments, totally unmindful of their pres
ence, buried in deep reverie.
"See hereT he murmured, under his
breath. She whom l once loved, here
here in my very grasp! Why not entrap |
her and carry her away to the secret grotto
By heaved I'll do it.
Watkins, carried away by bis thoughts, |
spoke the last FIVE words aloud, and in an
emphatic tone.