The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1881-07-14

him pretty close for two days, aud
had Just got sight on him, when n
big band Of redskins rushed onto
em ont Of a patch of woodland on
tho right. They got drove back to
the Ridge little faster'n they left
it, aud jim Cortland escaped"
The old hunter paused, but still
kept his fierce eyes bout on mo aud
on tho gambler. The freight shono
IN his face, and he lookel ~ though
he wanted to tear the murderer from
limb to limb.
We had remained sitting on tho
log, | in tho middle, tho black
wbiskerod man on my right, tho tall
Yankee on my loft, when tho lattor
rose up and approached the fire.
"dit back thar, Charly,' said
Lewis. when talk, | want to face
tho whole crowd"
The two 'pards' exchanged glanc
os.
Tho young man returned to tho
log but, instead of going to his
former place, he sat down at tho
gamblers right hand.
"a few months aftor tho m urder,'
continued the trapper, Il went bacl,
to Beaver Ridge to git bag Of gold
that I'd loft thar, and l found out
all about it. Tho boys described
jim Cortland to me, and l'yo been
huntin' for that man ovor SINCE
There was a short silence. during
which tho trapper never onco romoy.
cd his eyes from his threo compan-
ions.
"And you mean to wipe out that
man 7" said the gambler, coolly.
you'll find ont do, stranger"
"ilow do you know it was Jim
that murdered tho young man ?
There's no proof. Many an inno-
cont man has been hung on strong
circumstantial evidence said tho
gambler.
"And many guilt y man has been
shot, rcjoinod Lewis, d,s!ouy
"lm going to shoot tho man that
walked over George Atwood, and
pitch his body down over this blun"
What could tho old trappor mean
Was tho murderer even then lurking
in tho vicinity or WAS tho dark
stranger Jim Cortland
II this were tho case, tho actiou
Of the trappsr's young "pard,' in
seating himself at the gamblers
right hand. might DO part ofa pres
concerted plan to wipe out thc
IN urdorer.
Not being a fighting man myself
| naturally began to look about for
some place of refuge. None offered,
unless l went down tho steep des-
cent of the loose rocks, near ut hand,
aud that looked like q dangerous
feat.
But tho gambler did not appear
to understand tho significant words
and dark looks of Abo Lewis any
better than / did
"Where is this Jim Cortland p ho
inquired.
"You SEQ that strip OF pine ?" said
Lewis, without moving his eyes from
us three, but with one hand point
ing across the canyon rumbling at
tho foot OF tho precipico, two thous-
and feet below, to whore tho shad-
ows wero darkening over long
stretch Of pines. well, jim Cort-
land come up the river, this after
noon, on the outside of them woods.
/ come up on the inside
Hore met the steady gaze OF tho
trapper, and | was struck by q sud
den fear, ihad come up the river
along tho edge Of the pino forest.
Could ho suspect mo OF being the
murderer I
But on q second thought I felt
castor. The other stranger might
have come up whers 1 did, aud 1
could easily prove an alibi at the
time Of the murdorby my friends in
Virginia City.
All this passed rapidly In my
mind while tho gambler was saying;
"Are you sure you've spotted tho
right man You never saw him.
All you. ve got to 90 by is tho dos
cription given by tho Beaver Ridge
men 7"
~ know the man I'm aftor," as.
aerted I,awia. "Uo's about your