The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-08-20


visible were two sectious of large
pine trunk that stood close to the ire
place. There VIA no vesfige of table.
and the rest at the furniture wis en-.
bc.!ie,l in u long Tennessee rifle that
hung cl'se to the rough wall.
II the hut WAS remarkable its pro.
prietor was still more so. He was,
think the mast viIlainous looking man
I ever l+he:i. Ab"ut six fees twa
inches in height. proIoriionately broad
acros- the shoulders. and with u hand
large enough to pick up u tysix
pound shot. he seemed To be a comb
nation If extraordinary strength AMI
agility. His head was narrow. and
oblolg in shape. His straight. Indian
lik.. hair fell smoothly over his fore
head, as ii it had been pla>tere,i with
soap. And his black, bead ike eye,
were Sc, obliquely, aud slanied dawn.
ward toward his nose, giving him Il
mingled expression If ferocity AMI
cunning. As examined his features
attenliveiy. in which / thought
could trace almost every bad passion.
| cunfess | experienced a certain feel
ing Of apprehension and di>.rust
cOull nol shake oH.
While he was getting us the prom
isc.i Essl we tried. by Questioning him,
10 draw him into conversation. H.
seemed very ;aciturn AMI reserved
H. said he lived entirely alone. and b.
cleared tie spot he occnpi,d with hi.
oxn hands. lie said his name WI.
Joel; hut when We limited that he
mu>, have s,me other Name he pre-.
tended moi Ia hear IL. though saw hi
brnws knit AMI his smal! black eyes
fash an.riIv. NV >,I>picion> Of thi,
man were further aroused by ob-crvin.
pair I'll shoes living in n corner II ,ho
hut. These ShucS were at least three
sizes smaller than th.~e that our
gigantic hest wore, and Yet he bad
distinctly replied that he lived e,.tire.
" alone. Ii those shoes were not his.
whose. were they The more ! reflect.
al on this circumstance the more I'M
easy | felt. and apprchenSjons were
still further AROUSED when joel. as hr
called himself. tn,k both our fnw!iny
pieces. an.i in order t. have them put
ou, If The wav. IL he said. hun. the n
,n cracks from the wall at height
that neither Dick nor | could reacl,
without getting "n Il stool. / smil.,!
inwar,llv, however. as ] felt the
smooth barrel uf ms revolver tina,
WAS >iung in the h"!iow of NV hack b,
MS rather belt. and thought tn myself
If this fellow has arv bad designs, III,
more unprotected he thinks u ih..
more inc.;uliuuS be- will he: ~ made.
no c.Ert io retain oar guns. Dick
also had revolver. AMI WIS one Of
ihn>e men who l knew would Use !:
well when The time came.
Ny suspicious of our host grew at
last To >'icl, Il pitch that determined
Ia communicate them To- Dick. M
thing would be easirr than for this
villainous half:hTced for | felt con
WINGED he had Indian blood i'm HIM
nothing could be easier than, with the
all Of an uccomplice. tn cut our
threats or shoot us Will. We were
asleep, and :" &c, our guns. watches
and whatever money we carried.
Who. in thos. lonely wonis. would
hear the shot. or hear our cries for
help. What emi>>iry Of the law.
however sharp. could point out our
graves in these wild wr.sis. or bring
the murder home To those who com
mitted it, Linton at first laughed.
then grew serious. and gradually Le-
came convert To my apprehen>ions.
We hurriedly agreed that while one
slept the other should watch. and so
take j, in turns through the night.
joel had surrendered t. ns his couch |
If deer-skin and his blanket he him
self said he c"uli sleep quite As well
III the fl,or near the fire. :. As Dick |
,nl | were boi:, very tired we were |
anxious To get our res: as soon rs
possible. -. after hearty meal of
leer-steal. and Tough cakes washed
down by good draught from our
brandy tia>k. briug the voanger. got !
the first hours sleep. and flung myself
IN the couch If skins. As my eyes
gradually closed, saw a dim picture
1t Dick seated stcrnly watching thu.
Ere and the large shave Of the half |
breed stretched on, like huge shadow
npon the .l.~r 80
Alter what | couli have sworn t. .
h. only a three minutes duze, Dick /
woke me and imIornIc,l me that nv |
hour WAS out. AMI turning me cut Of
nv warm nest, lay down without anv |
ceremony and i'm few seconds was /
heavily snoring. ] rubbed nv eyes
Felt for NV revolver. and seating nv
self On one 81 the pine s;umI,s. com
menced my watch. The half-breed
appeared to he buried in a profound
and in TIE half weire-l light
.ast nv the wood embers. his enormous
iyure seemed almost Titanic in its
] confess felt chat in a
struggle FIR life i've was more than a
match for Dick and myself. l then
nked ut the fire. and began favoriie
Of mine-shaping forms
N the embers. All sorts Of figures de-
ined themselves before me. Battles.
empests a, sea. familiar faces. and
,bove all shone. ever returning, the
lear features Of Bertha Linton, my
,flianced bride. She seemed To me to
mile at me through a burning haze.
'nd could almost fancy ] heard her
ny, "While you are watching in the
onely forest | am thinking of you and
,raving for your safety"
A slight movement on the part of
he slumbesing half breed here recalled
ne from those sweet dreams. He
nrneI an, his S;sio lifted hi,uSalf sl.,,~l,,