The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-23
don't you think did right, having my repu-

While we had our laugh our Joseph wa,
pushing his soft. fine hair off his brow will
those slender fingers that looked as II nc
rough work had ever come near them; and
what must they have been before IL did
come
He went on thoughtfuIly: "She finally rode
away, not having been invited to get Off her
horse, leaving me In anything but pleasant
frame OF mind. From telling myself / was
bear. ! turned to tho other subject the con.
templated robbery and murder Of myself
Had she simply invented that little fable on
was u true bill ! felt inclined to believe in
the latter: Anyway, ! deemed 1t well to he
prepared for all contingencies, barring and
bolting my Tort against intruders, and sitting
M late over the fire. This was Sunday night
On the Tuesday morning three or four men
rode up, one Of whom was the traitor my
Former naked and hungry pr0fegr IIe no
longer attempted to conceal his true charac-
ter from me, but said he and his comrades
were determined to clean out the Chinese
camp, and he asked me to join them in tho
raid. was on my guard In answering him.
simply saying that would have nothing to
| do with robhng the Chinese; that they were
| my friends and customers, and thought that
they had best be lot alone. With that no
went of. That same afternoon Edwards
| came In, having captured some OF the
horses. He was very tired, and asked leave
TO stay with the horses at my place till next
day. said nothing to Edwards Of the gang
| just gone away, or that (as expected they
1 nHH EtlkeI Oh HlHkilR u THln Oh Inc JnlnHpSg
only to throw mo or my guard; for it was
my fort on which the attack was to be
| made.
DUSK came on. / sent Edwards, dead
tired. to bed, made a great fire In the tent
and sat by II, facing the window NY ax-
pected visitor came, the villain He made
believe to have been drinking. and put that
| forward rs a plea for asking shelter until
| the morning. The instant he was inside
made the gate fast. driving the big wooden
| N / a nI ON
| from his eyes as ! wac doing this which"
But why not have made the gate fast be-
| fore he entered r.
Because he was safer inside than out A
conviction had come over me that this man
was some most desperate character His
comrades were no doubt waiting near, and
his plan had been quietly to open the gate
to them"
Had you no arms but your rllle2"
II wanted none, for we understood each
| other, my rifle and |. This villain under
stood US, too. | don't think, either, that no
liked to see Edwards sleeping In the tent.
The lad was not good for much; but still he
was somebody. 1t would now DO o contest
of skill between the fellow and me. He
was waiting his opportunity, and so was /.
or all villainous- looking men he was the
worst looking tall, swarthy, black bearded
and with n hard face that must have been
handsome once, aud fierce black eyes gleam-
ing with evil. He sat on one side Of tho
hearth, on the other, our eyes fixed on one
another.
You guess, | dare say, that have quick
ear, for you know what my temperament
lsall sensitive consciousness My good
hearing had been cultivated too. by listening
for the Indians. By and by detected very
stealthy movement outside the fort, and then
u faint chirrup. such as n young squirrel
might make. Up sprang the man, but COW
cred him with my rifle, cooked. He saw the
movement, showed his teeth. and drew out q
pistol, but not before | had ordered him to
A.
he saw that In my eye and inspect which made
him quail. While held the rifle leveled and
my finger on the trigger he threw down his
pistol and knife-wth dreadful oath.
had the best Of him, and he know it, for be-
fore 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 language |
was awful and we are not nice In this re- |
spect you know, In California-the foam lay |
on his lips. He demanded 10 be lot out Of the !
house, denounced mo as rObber and muir |
derer To all his rawlings had but one an |
swer-to be quiet, to obey me, and he should |
live, dare to disobey mo and he should die.
He sat there, cowed, on the opposite side Of
the fire, not daring to make even u doubtful |
motion Then told him what ! knew-that |
had heard what he was aad what he meant |
tt de. With that he brpke down utterly, Of
pretended to do sO-cried like n child deClar-
ing that now he knew my pluck, and | had |
been the first man ever to get the better of
him, he loved me like n brother. All the same,
love or no love- he had to sit where he was.
and / in front of him with my rifle on my
knees There was long night before 6s; he
could have no liberty In it, and the restraint
was horrible to him. One moment he laughed
uneasly, the next cursed, the next cried. It
was strange experience. was it not To
pass away tho time | asked him to relate the
history OF his life. He said he would, but
would first of all just shake hands for the re-
spect he bore me. Touching my rifle signiG-
cantly, pointed to the stick lying across the
between us. That's your bound
iry line, my man, said T. don't go stretch
1 tit of SuenneSs."
what came OF it I"
eve must have remained In this position
Ill midnight. Several times heard slight
sounds outside the forts but though he, too,
listened, he dared not respond to them; he
Gould do nothing After awhile these sounds
leased his associates, rightly Judging that
something Or other had gone wrong and
fred of waiting. The fellows head was bent,
lis chin resting on his breast his shaggy
BEARD spreading over 1t like mantle. He
suffered martyrdom. By and by we got to {
alkng, but did not relax in my vigilance
or an instant. Once started on his own his
DRY, the subject seemed to have q fascination
or him. He had been honestly raised he
aid: by good and loving parents in the State
i Missouri-had passionatelY loved a young ,
,rl III the town where he lived; and his de-
declare it brought into my mind that other !
'irl who was waiting for me down in the Will /,
annette Valley. To get the means to marry
er he resolved to 60 to California. He went, r
vas successful, and, full Of joyful antlcipa- ,,
IONS returned to find that she had married
mother. The man, her husband, had played /
hem false, told the girl that her lover was :
cad, and married her himself. When he q
anne out OF the brain-fever which this news
ave him he was invited to an evening party !
] the town. To this party came his love and ;
er husband; and when he put out his hand ,,
D welcome her their eyes met, and both knew I
hen how they had been betrayed. From that !
our the man took to evil courses, and his I
rst victim was the false husband, h became {
desperate outlaw Once again he saw his z
)ve-he met her in the streets of Sacramen- l
?; she was married again, and she turned z
rom him with a cry OF aversion. Yes, he |
hight be desperate man now. he added, but
e had had his trials. | suppose | should /
ave done society benefit had shot him as
g sat there, but did not. Perhaps you don't I
elieve that felt sort of pity for the fellow. &