The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-04-16

sweetness. l assure you the struggle
within my own mind was great at that
+ moment; and l don't know whether
have forgiven myself even yet for what
happened afterwdrd."
"What did happen?"
"She came back again. She came back
again and / drore her aecay. That is, |
made the best excuses could for not re-
admitting her, saying we should per-
; haps have fighting and murder and what
not in my fort that night, and it would
be no place for delicatcly- bred woman.
The pretty and modest girl who was to
come from the Wallamet valley and hang
up her pink garments on my pegs had
rushed into my mind, you see. But
never like to confess to this part Of the
story, because l get lau ghed at. But
don't you think I did right, having my
reputation to keep up?"
While we had our laugh out Joseph
was pushing his soft, fine hair off his brow
with those Slender fingers that looked rs
if no rough work had ever come near
him. and what must they have been be-
fore it did come?
lie went on thoughtfully: "She final
ly rode away, not having been invited to
get off her horse; leaving me in anything
but pleasant frame of mind. From tell
ing myself | was 4 bear / turned to the
other subject, the contemplated murder
and robbery of myself. Had she simply
invented that little fable? OF was it u
true bill? felt inclined to believe it to
be the latter. Anyway, deemed it we'll
to be prepared for all contingencies, bar
ring and boiling my fort against intruders
and sitting up late over the fire. This
was Sunday night On Tuesday morn-
ing. three or four men rode up, one of
whom was the traitor, my former naked
and hungry protcge. He no longer at
tempted to conceal his true. character
from me, but said he and his comrades
were determine to clean out the Chinese
camp, and he asked me to join them in
the raid. 1 was on my guard in answer
ing him, simply saying that would have
nothing to do with robbng the Chinese,
that they were my friends and customers,
and l thought they had best be let alone.
noon Edwards came in, having recaptur-
ed some of the horses. He was very
tired, and asked leave to stay with the
nothing to Edwards of the ing just gone
| away, vi tllStO \iIo SuHJtNtIltJ llltJ lItlll
talked of making 4 raid on the Chinese
was my fort on which the attack was un-
doubtedly 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
expected visitor came, the villain! He
made believe to have been drinking, and
put that forward rs plea for asking
shelter until the morning. The instant
he was inside made the gate fast, driv-
ing the big wooden pins home with an
axe. caught gleam from his eyes us l
was doing this which -
"But why not have made the gate fast
before he entered?"
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 rif1e?"
Il wanted none; for we understood
each other, my rifle and I. This villain
understood 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 contest of skill between the fellow
and me. lie was waiting his opportuni-
ty, and so was l. Of all villainous- look
ing men he was the worst looking. Tall,
swarthy, black bearded, and with hard
| Eacetthat must have been handsome once.
and fierce black eyes cleaning with evil.
| He sat on one side of the hearth, sat on
the other, our eyes fixed on one another
"You guess, dare say, that | have
quick ear, for you know what my tenn
permanent is-all sensitive consciousness.
My good hearing had been cultivated,
too. by listening for the Indians. By
| and-by detected very stealtlly movet
mcnt outside the fort. and then a fain-
chirrup, such us 4 young squirrel might
make. Up sprang the man, but / covered
him with my rifle, cooked. He saw the
movement, showed his teeth and drew
out pistol, but not before I had ordered
him to throw down his arms or die! Hr
hesitated; he saw that in my eye and as
pcct which made him quail. While |
held the rifle leveled and my finger on
| the trigger, he threw down his arms,
pistol and knife, with 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 Californi;,-the foam lay on his
lips. He demanded to be let out of the
house, dcnouncing me as n murderer and
robbcr. TO all his rawlings had but
one answer, to be quiet, to obey me and
| 1,o .1,o,,11 1t,-o. IoYn f,, licphn,- ~ nnI
he should die. He sat there, cowcd, on
the opposite side Of the fire, not daringto to
make even n doubtful motion. Then
told him what l knew; that / heard
who he was and what he intended to do.
With that he broke down utterly, OF pre-
tended to do so; cried like child, de-
claring that now he knew my pluck, and
I 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 4 long
night before us; he could have no liberty
in it, and the restraint was horrible to
him. One moment he laughed uncasily.
the next cursed, the next cried. 1t was
a strange experience, was it noto 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 he bore me. Touching my
rifle significantly, | pointed to the stick
lying across the hearth place between us.
That's your boundary-linc, my man.
said I; don't 60 stretching your hand
over that This sent him into q tit OF
sullcnncss."
"What came Of it?"
eve must have remained in this posi-
tion untilmidnight. 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 4 mantle. He sui
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 a
fascination for him. He had been hon
cstly raised,' he said, by good and low
ing parents in the State of Missouri; had
passionately loved young girl in the
town where lie 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
the Wallamct valley. To get tire means
TO marry her he resolved to 90 to Cali