The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-07-18
NSBURG, PA, FRIDAY, JULY Is, 1879

| mounted hdInr, VINO rode out from the
bush, from where he had been silently
watching the approach of the spy. The
Scot perceived he was covered by the
rifle of the horseman, and saw we'll that
any offensive movement on his part
might cost him his life. Although un-
eXpectedly placed in this critical position
his GOODNESS never fOrSOok him for a mo-
ment, and he replied to the challenge of
the native in a friendly manner. as he
/ advanced toward him with a step of ap-
parent ease and carelessness, inquiring
at the same time where he was going; to
which the Kaffir answered to spy the
camp of the Beers; the Scot in return
informing him that he had just been
there himself, and was going back again
. to Ta-BOsegO.
During this short parley the Kaffir had
/ lowered his rifle but the Scot did not
fail to notice that the muZZle of the
/ weapon had never for an instant been
turned from his direction. nor did he
fail to note the suspicious move of his
enemy as he passed his right hand to-
wards the lock of the piece. Everything
now depended on his activity, for his
/ identity was apparently suspected by the
! hOrSeman. Springing quickly to one
/ side, he discharged his own weapon al
| most at random at the native. Great
/ was his aStOnishment when the black
| hOrSeman struck his heels into the ribs
/ of his steed and dashed off at a furious
! gallOp along the road i'll the direction of
/ the Dutch camp. On sped the horse :;
and stranger still, its rider directed it
along the narrow winding bush track.
| plainly showing that the native had not
mistaken the road, and that the animal
was completely under control. Reload
ing his discharged rifle, the spy retraced
his steps towards the camp, as he was
well aware the report of the weapon upon
the silent night air would put the enemy
upon the alert, and would possibly bring
a score of them about his ears in a few
I minutes, as the apparently solitary
hOrseman might, for aught he knew, be
one of many close at hand.
With Sharpened ears and watchful
eye, he hurried along, wondering at the
strange proceeding of the kafIir in his
choice of direction, until he came to a
small stream called Loop SpTuit, a very
short distance from his own lines. Here
he halted to ascertain if the horseman
had crossed the drift for if he had done
so the marks of his horses feet would be
I easily diScerniDle upon the soft sand by
the side of the stream. He searched in
vain, however, for no mark of horses
feet could be found going in the direc-
tiOn of the camp while plain enough
/ there were fresh imprintS coming from
it and directed towards Ta-BOSegO-
This puzzled him still more. and he re-
manned for a while upon his hands and
knees contemplating the marks, but get
ting 10 nearer the solution of the mys-
terry. He was in the act of rising to his
feet again, when he was startled by the
whistle of a rifle ball in close proximity
to his ear, Immediately followed by
another, which cut two of the ostrich
/ feathers, forming part of the native war
/ head-dreSS, from his hair; half an inch
lower and it must have pierced his brain.
/ Not doubling for a moment but the un-
/ seen foe who was SO near putting an end
/ to his existence, and the Kaffir he had
; encountered farther back on the road,
. were one and the same person, the pre-
/ sent position of his enemy was ineXplica-
bic to the Scot. who now began to feel
. the reverse of comfortable under the cir
J cumStances, his exact position being
, known to an enemy who had Just given
him ample proof of being no mean oppO-
nent. Having no particular desire to
become target for the invisible warrior,
he plunged into the brush and tried to
/ circUmvent his foe by remaining mo-
tiOnleSs upon the ground, SO as to induce
him by some movement to reveal his
/ whereabouts but the native had either
/ retired upon firing the two shots, or was
too wary to be caught by such method.
Thoroughly disgusted at being so COM
pletely bafiled he made his way back to
the camp, which he reached in safety, to
find the inmates all aStir. having been
alarmed by the last two shots in their
immediate neighbOrhOOd. The spy went
straight to the presence of the command
ant, to whom he narrated his adventure;
who upon hearing the story concluded a
l. til
my. who were no doubt in strong force,
as he believed, under cover of the sur
rounding bush which circumstance
would account for the daring on the
part of their scout ; although he was at
a loss to comprehend how the hereditary
cunning of the Kaffir allowed him to
commit the egregiOus blunder of giving
premature intimatiOn of their intentions
for the qualification of his revenge upon
a single mdiy idual The outlying pick
cts were Immediately doubled, with
strict orders to report at once any cir
cumstance, however slight, calculated
to arouse suspicion; while the forces
within the camp lay by their arms ready
for instant action. Hour after hour of
keen apprehension dragged slowly past
and as sunrise drew near, the faces of
the men seemed to assume more hope
full expression as the chances of a mid
night encounter were likely to be avert
ed. Every one began to think the Kaf-
firS had abandoned their intention, their
chances of a successful surprise having
been frustrated by the shots discharged
by their scout, who would in all proba-
bility pay the penalty of his indiscretion
with his life.
In the first gray dawn of the morning.
a riderlesS horse, saddled and bridled,
was found close upon one of the outpOstS.
which when sent into the camp was
recognized by the Scot as belonging tC
his brother spy. Upon making this dis
cOvery, the Scot, with forebOding OF
evil, repaired to the quarters of his com
rade, only to learn he had been absent
since the previous night. Whittier he
had gone. or with what intent, no one
could tell 1t was by this time broad
daylight and a searching party left the
camp in the hope of finding the spy, OF
/ whose fate no one entertained a doubt.
Coming to the drift on the stream where
the Scot had been fired at on the pre-
vious night they found the imprints OF a
hOrse's feet leaving the camp, which no
one doubted were those belonging to the
steed of the spy; but no returning print
was visible at the place. BY an impulse
which filled him with dread, the spy was
drawn towards the spot whence came
the shots of the night before and there,
still in death, lay the body of his com
rade
The truth was clear. The two men