Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1878-12-19

| " Hooo VIZ 40 PhSo iooaoiaS
Your father has been assassinated by
unknown hands, and who has done
it is what me and the jedge don t
know; but if there be vengeance,
gal, it shall surely ovt rtakethe scoun-
drel."
"Yes-you betl"
A new voice uttered these words
"a voice that came from ;he oppo-
site side of the wagon. Then the
stranger came out into full view-a
perfect g. t-dssssed from head to
foot in su.t of buckskin. Hc bore
in his hand rifle, which he dropped
to the ground and leaned upon it.
What has happened-a man
shot, with a gal a howlin' for him !
How do ye account for it, stran-
ger?"
Easy enough; the man has been
shot by some sneakin' coward who
knows well where to hide himself
from our bullets.
"Ye don't mean to intimate that
I'm under suspicion of doin tho deed,
do ye? for if ye do, l can furnish
proof enough that there amt 80 much
ground for that belief as there is that
l scalped a muskeeter with this yer
bowie-knife. No, Bill the Ranger is
made of different kind of stuff. That
was a sneakin act.
I'VE don't know who did the
deed, said the colonel, "but it's been
done, and what we want to know
is who the individual is, that We
may give him his just deserts.f
Good In with. We. strangara.- ON
that conclusion. I'm Bill the Ran
ger, at your service. I just got here
from little buffer expedition with
poor success, but that doesn't make
any difference. I kin tell by the
gals grief that he was kind father,
and so I've got my mind on avengin'
him"
Hardly had he said these words
before the sharp report of rife
broke on the night air, followed by
the whiz Of a bullet, and the colonel's
arm dropped by his side like lump
of lead. The ranger and the judge
were on the alert. Both saw the smoke
as it rolled away-even smelled the
powder, but, as before, not hide or
hair of an enemy was visible. The
canv; IS back Of the wagon tapped a
few times, then the same deathlike
stiffness that reigned before.
"Ghost or devil-there's death to
the man that stays here long," said
the ranger, taking few strides to-
ward the direction from whence the
shot had come. The colonel drew his
revolver and followed in the steps Of
the ranger. Carefully they searched
the whole space of ground for con-
siderable distance. People from 9th.
er camps came over to see what the
trouble was, and when they learned
what had happened great was the
anxiety to see where the mysterious
shots came from. But search as they
might nothing beyond few buffalo
bones, whitened and dried, rewarded
them.
The colonel's wound was not 80 bad
but he could stand watch. The ram
ger was to be awakened ifthere were
signs of the enemy while Lie, af-
ter covering her fathers body with a
blanket, got into the team and sobbed
herself to sleep.
Seen anything?" asked the ran
ger, when the colonel shook him to
let him know it was his turn to stand
watch.
Nary ghost, but the hour Of
midnight is here, and time for such
visits, and seein' as ye are to watch
let's rouse the judge and take 9
smoke. Perhaps there's more dan.
ger ahead"
Right; and if I don't get winged
at short notice Ill let into somebody
for certain.
The three men filled their pipes
lighted them, and sat down with
their rifles cooked, and watched the
dim shadows around them. All wa'
quiet as death, not sound even from
the mules broke the stiffness of the
midnight hour.
What is that I hear?" asked th'
Judge, after long silence. Foot
steps are approaching"
Great Heavens! Lookl look!"
They all grasped their rifles will
one accord, and arose and faced what
seemed to them terrible apparition
Not forty yards away, and coming
toward them with gigantic strides
was the colossal figure of man, o
what seemed to be man, clad from
N