Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-06-13

tnOSe slender unBerb tnhJ lOOkeu rs II no
rough work had ever come near him and
what must they have been before it did
Gomez
He went ON thoughtfully: "She finally
rode away, not having been invited to get off
her horse, leaving me in anything but pleas
ant frame of mind. From telling myself
was Bear / turned TO the other subject, the
contemplated murder and robbery Of myself.
Had she simply invented that fable or was
it true bill felt inclined to believe il to
be the latter Anyway l deemed it well to
be prepared for all contingencies, barring and
boiling my fort against intruders and sitting
up over the fire. This was Sunday night.
On Tuesday morning three or four men rode
up, one of whom was the traitor, my former
naked and hungry protege. lie no longer
attempted to conceal his true character from
me, but said he and his comrades were de-
termined to clean out the Chinese camp, and
asked me to Join them in the raid. | was on
my guard in answering him, simply saying
that | would have nothing to do with rob
bing the Chinese, that they wcrc my friends
and customers, and thought they had best
be left alone With that he went of That
same afternoon Edwards came in, having re-
captured some of the horses lie was very
tired and asked leave to stay with the horses
Mt my place till next day. ] said nothing to
Edwards Of the gang just gone away, or that
(as l suspccted) they had talked Of making a
raid on the Chinese only TO throw me OIL my
guard for il was my fort on which the at
tack was undoubtedly to be made
dusk came on. sent Edwards. dead
tired, to bed, made a great fire in the tent,
and sat by it facing the window. My ex-
pected visitor came, the villain! He made
believe to have been drinking, and put that
forward as plea for asking shelter until the
morning The instant he was inside | made
the gate fast, driving the big wooden pins
home with an aX. | caught a gleam from
his eyes as was doing this which"
"But why not have made the gate fast be-
fore he entered y
because he was safer inside than out. A
conviction had come over me that he was
some most desperate character. His COM
rudes were no doubt waiting near, and his
plan had been quietly to open the gate to
them"
Had you no arms but your rifle =
II wanted none, for we understood each
other. my rifle and /. This villain under
stood US too don't think either, that 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 a contest
of skill between the fellow and me. He was
waiting his opportunity, and so was l. OF
all villainous men he was the worst-looking.
Tall, swarthy. black-bearded and with hard
face that must have been handsome once,
and fierce black eyes cleaning with evil he
sat on one side Of the hearth, on the other,
our eyes fixed on one another.
You guess, dare say, that have a quick
ear for you know what my temperament is,
all sensitive consciousness My good hear
ing had been cultivated too by listening for
I,l Loo 1
stealthy movement outside the fort and then
a faint chirrup such as a young squirrel might
make. Up sprang the man, but l covered
him with my rifle, cooked. He saw the
movement, showed his teeth and drew out a
pistol, but not before / had ordered him tu
throw down his arms or die He hesitated
he saw that in my eye and aspect which made
him quail While held the rifle leveled and
my finger on the trigger. he threw down his
arms pistol and knife, with a 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 Ian
guage was awful and We are not very 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 a muir
derer and a robber. 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 OPP
positc side of the fire not daring TO make
even doubtful motion. Then | told him
what knew that had heard who he was
and what he intended to do. With that he
broke down utterly, or pretended to do so I;
cried like child, declaring that now he
knew my pluck, and | was the first man to
get the better of him, he loved NE like a
lrDtl,.r Ia. Gr m d.
had to sit where he was, and / in front of
him with my rife on my knees There was a
long night before us he could have no lib
erty in it, and the restraint was horrible to
him. One moment 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 lie bore me.
Touching my rifle significantly, pointed to
the stick lying across the hearth-pRce be-
tween us. That's your boundary-line, my
man, said l don't SO stretching your hand
over that. This sent him into IA fit of sullen.
ness"
"What came of it?'
1--WE must have remained in this position
till midnight. Several times | heard slight
sounds outside the fort, but, though he toe
listened, he dared not respond to them hG
could do nothing. After while these
sounds ceased; his associates, rightly judg-
ing that something or other had gone wrong
and spoilt the scheme, had no doubt made
of, tired of waiting. The fellows head was
bent his chin rested on his breast, his shaggy
| beard spreading over it like a mantle. He
suffered martyrdom. BY and by We got tC
talking, but did not relax in my vigilance
for an instant. Once started on his own his
| lo g,,li saa,naI 10 lova fagaipa
tion for him. He had been honestly raised
he said, by good and loving parents in Mis-
souri,; had passionately loved young girl il
the town where he lived and his description
of her was so pretty and vivid that declar,
| il brought into my mind that other girl who
was waiting for me down in the Wallame
valley. To get the means to marry her h,
resolved to go TO California. He went, wa,
successful, and, full of joyful anticipations
returned to find that she had married anOth
er The man, the husband, had played then
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 il
town To this party came his love and hel
husband and when he put out his hand t.
welcome her their eyes met, and both knew
| then how they had been betrayed From
| that hour the man took 10 evil courses, anC
| the first victim was the false husband. IL,
became desperate outlaw. Once again he
saw his love he met her in the streets OF
Sacramento; she was married again. and She
| turned from him with cry of aversion. Yes
he might be desperate man now, he added
but he had had his trials. l suppose / shoulC
have done society a benefit had l shot him az
he sat there, but l did not. Perhaps you
won't believe that felt a sort of pity for tn,
fellow but / did. Well, morning came a
last. sent Edwards to get the gate open
and escorted my visitor out, telling him tha
there was not room for him and me in tina
part of the country, and that he had bettel
| quit it for another"
"And did he 2"
II suppose so, for he never attempted tC
molest me again. Not long after heard o.
his death. He met his fate east Of the noun
| tains."
"And what of that pretty Amazon, Joseph
am sure she was almost as good to you as q
guardian angel coming on horseback to give
you warning"
'Was she not And had returned it by