The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-04-09

him with my rifle, cooked lie saw the
movement, showed his teeth and drew
out n pistol, but not before l had ordered
him to throw down his arms or die He
hesitated; he saw that in my eye and as
pect 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 language 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 n murderer 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 opposite side of the fire, not daring to
make even a doubtful motion. Then
told him what ! knew; that | heard
who he was and what he intended to do.
With that he broke down utterly, or pre-
tended to do SO; cried like child, de-
| claring that now he knew my pluck, and
| was the first man ever to get the better
Of him, he loved me like 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 us he could have no liberty
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
! ~ hnrQ mo 'HnI1phinn m u
| rifle significantly, | pointed to the stick
| lying across the hearth-place between us.
! That's your boundary-line, my man.
! said |; don't go stretching your hand
! over that This sent him into a fit Of
sullenness.'
What came Of itpn
1--WE must have remained in this posi-
! tion until midnight. Several times heard
| slight sounds outside the fort, but, though
he too listened, he dared not respond to
them; he could do nothing. After a
| while these sounds ceased; his associates,
rightly Judging that something or other
had gone wrong and spoilt the scheme,
had no doubt made off, tired of waiting.
| The fellows head was bent, his chin
resting on his breast, his shaggy beard
spreading over it like a mantle. He suf-
fered martyrdom. By-and-by we got to
talking, but did not relax my vigilance
for an instant. Once started on his own
history, the subject seemed to have q
fascination for him. He had been hon
estly raised, he said, by good and low
ing parents in the State of Missouri; had
passionately loved young girl in the
town where he lived, and his description
Of her was so pretty and vivid that de-
clare it brought into my mind that other
girl who was waiting for me down in
! mi c
to marry her he resolved to go to Cali
fornia. He went, was successful, and,
full Of joyful anticipations, returned to
find that she had married another. The
man, the husband, had played them
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 in the town. To this party
came his love and her husband; and
when he put out his hand to welcome
her their eyes met, and both knew then
how they had been betrayed. From
that hour the man took to evil courses,
and his first victim was the false hus-
band. He became desperate outlaw.
Once again he saw his love; he met her in
the streets of Sacramento; she was mar
ried again: and she turned from him
with cry of aversion. Yes, he might
be a desperate man now, he added, but
he had had his trials. ] suppose |
should have done society benefit had !
shot him as he sat there, but | did not.
Perhaps you won't believe that | felt a
sort of pity for the fellow, but | did.
Well, morning came at last. | sent
Edwards to get the gate open, and es-
cOrted my visitor out, telling him that
there was not room for him and me in
that part of the country, and that he had
better quit it for another
And did he ?"
- suppose 50, for lie never attempted
to molest me again. Not long after
heard of his death; He met his fate east
of the mountains"
And what of that pretty Amazon,
Joseph | am sure she was almost as
good to you as guardian angel, coming
on horseback to give you warning
WAS she not ? And | had returned
it by behaving so unhandsomely to her
But now, just ask you, would it have
been proper TO let her come in on that
weeks visit, and a young m,n with {
, reputation ?'
At any rate, you did not. But hav,
you ever seen her since ?"
Once; il was in Frisco, She was
I married and staying at the same hOte
with me. Her husband was a tall, dash
ing man, what with you would be calleC
gentleman, and very wealthy. She haC
been lucky, you see. | knew her a,
soon as she came into the dining-room
and in few minutes ] saw that sh,
recognized me; but she did not take any
notice and neither did l. She told m,
, with her eyes that she remembered, bu
there was an appealing glance in then
which interpreted rightly. After din
l ner we got into conversation, tn,
l three Of us, just as strangers will do in
, hotel, and found the husband a very in
l telligent, well-informed man. In parting
, got Just a word aside with her. ! an
' glad to meet you again, and thus, | said
' Hush = she answered, ! thank you fO
. your reticence. In the past of life tina
. has been composed of ups and down
fhava ie 1lNy CON, no, ~. 0tba,. 1,y