The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-05-17

trees. had just walked inside the hut
to prepare supper, when the muilled fall
OF horses feet became audible. / knew
the canter well, aud came to the door to
await the arrival of Mr.. S., the owner
of the station. He galloped up to the
hut, and with cheerful GOOD even
ing, Bill,'' and as usual came inside to
ask me If / wanted anything, and to
light his pipe.
+" 1 can't stay long with you this time,
BILL" he said, pleasantly, but with
little anxiety "the black fellows are
about again. 1 hope your gun is in
order. Do you want any powder or
lead 2"
"We have quite enough" 1 replied,
"both for Mat and myself; but there's
30 bullets; I'll run them tomorrow.
Mats rather late this evening, but the
flock's not far off; they'll be home in "a
quarter of an hour. l saw them pass
the belt before you came"
A this instant the shadow of a man
darkened the door and Mat entered.
"Good evening"" he said quietly, to
Mr.. s. and myself. 1.-The sleeps
feedin' home all right, sir, but there's a
few missin'. One of my marked ewes
is gone, and can't see two of the
crawlers."
You'll pick them up tomorrow,
Mat" replied the strong, pleasant voice
of the squatter. "Bill says you've got
nh hn lxo
are about; do you know thatr"
Without waiting for an answer, Mr.
s. proceeded to undo his horse, and
was about to mount, when Mat said
81 guess you had better stop tonight,
sir"
"Why 7"
"Injuns is close up. One of them
sheep spoke of was speared"
81 heard there were black fellows
about" said Mr.. s., delaying to
mount, "but the ride is safe enough
I've got my rifle with me-"
"They're too close" responded the
shepherd, after filling panikin of tea,
and, contrary to his custom, standing
We looked at him inquiringly. He
kept his eyes wandering over and
around the flocks, while he explained.
"Wall, you see, sir, after seein' the
spear wound on the crawler, 1 looked
about me purity sharp, but couldn't see
nothin' till was leavin' the belt there,
when L sighted one of the varmints
wrigglin' through the grass like snake.
was goin' to give him ball, but saw
another wriggle in his wake and then
another; and" continued the narrator,
with something like glow of expecta-
ton, "they amt far off now, l reckon"
He had scarcely uttered the words
when he lifted both hands and struck
Mr.. S. full on the chest with enough
force to drive him 20 the extreme end of
the hut. At the same instant spear
whizzed through the open doorway and
quivered in the slabs behind.
BY gum
More remarks were drowned by loud
quivering snort from the poor horse a
moment after and he rolled heavily
across the hut door, completely blocking
up the entrance.
Mat muttered away: "First-rate for
us coons! Ye'd better bar de door, Bill
Doctor Doctor Doctor psf, psf Here,
lad" The dog leaped on the shepherd.
"By gum," he said, " 1 thought he was
outside"
~ xxroa
accommodating through the loopholes.
He had let down the window, and was
preparing for action as unconcernedly
as the shepherd.
These quiet, brave men inspired me
with confidence, and L remembered
thinking, as threw water on the fire,
so as to extinguish all light, that the
black fellows had met with their match.
BY this time the moon was up and the
light was gradually growing on the
landscape. AT first we could discern
the outlines of the trees, and then, as
the night withered, the white, scared
grass between the shadows. There was
a long time of silence. Mat, Mr.. S.
and myself had our barrels through the
loopholes, and were closely watching for
any movement outside. The convulsive
shuddering of the horse had ceased, and
there was painful silence. The squat
ter and Mat were like two statues, and
notwithstanding the quiet breathing of
the dog and the croaking of the frogs
along the river, there seemed to be a