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

was brooding above these sounds. Every
instant was expecting a rush from the
outside, but there was not sign nor
sound to betray the presence of any
enemy. The sheep we're camping quiet
ly round the hurdles. Silence-the
bright moon-the white fleeces mingling
with the color of the grass-the still
shadows of the trees-the tan black
forest - the spectral tracery of the
branches in the moonlight The silence
was terrible. One of the outside wethers
rose and walked forward few yards,
then commenced stamping quickly on
the ground.
Blame my eyes ~ said Mat, for the
first time breaking the silence, =" if the
Ole Parson hain't sighted one of the
blacks"
The "Ole Parson' was patriarch
wether that was afflicted with the foot
rot, and usually fed on his knees.
So he has and by gum there's
crowd-the whole tribe hev come to
visit. Not enough in shade boss" con-
tinued Mat, after another interval, and
in hard-whisperlng tone.
The next moment the first report rang
out into myriad echoes A shrill DEATH
shout followed, as the dark figure of q
man leaped with sudden force from
the ambush and fell prone, gurgllng out
blood and broken words.
Now, boss" said Mat, looking out,
but still charging Fifty yards to the
right of the hurdle"
Boss (Mr. -)changed the direction
of the gun and fired. The human figure
seemed to sink down so quickly, SO
calmly, so helplessly, that l felt
strange thrill of pity.
&c He's fixed safe as houses; let's physic
another or two, and maybe they will
make tracks," again muttered the shep-
herd in tone of suppressed glee. "Cook,
why the deuce don't you shoot? Squint
round that block to the right of the
| wattle.''
Looking in the direction indicated by
Mat, whose eyes seemed everywhere, L
saw the figure of man partially visible
against the ground. He was evidently
sheltering himself from the other two
guns, but owing to my silence hitherto,
he must have been of the opinion that
the portion of the hut where stood was
unoccupied. For an instant could see
nothing through the smoke, but it
cleared almost Immediately. Just as
the shepherd said, Don't shoot again
| ha1o yaA tlsa, talx atn
gering wildly toward the hut and then
falling with dull sound. God forgive,
it was very like murder. This was the
first life L had ever taken. The next
thing remember was Mr.. s. asking
me If 1 had run any bullets.
mot one."
"Have you any in the hutp'
"Not one."
Mat informed us that we were
"tree'd, much in the same way as he
would tell the overseer that the rations
were short. He quietly pulled his gun
from the loophole, saying "I've only
one more pull to keep our skins whole.
Well hev to trust to Doctor"
Mats dog Doctor was partly Smith
field and partly a Newfoundland. He
had been trained by him to all kinds of
tricks. Among Others, he repeatedly
took messages to the station when at
tached to his collar, and presume this
was the object Mat had in view when
referring to him as capable of relief.
" Mister, dye think you kin write a
missage in the dark, or by the moon
light, askin' the hands at the Homestead
to come this wayY No time to lose;
1 see the blacks lodging round the hut.
Bill, knock away the low part of the
rotten slab behind your back. Here,
Doctor"
The message was scrawled and fasten-
ed to Doctors collar in little less than
minute, and the noble brute, who
seemed to know the danger, stood anx-
iously trembling till the preparations
were completed.
AS before stated, the hut stood close to
the stream, and from the rear the bank
sloped abruptly toward the water. The
American for the first time seemed
affected. When the men fell under our
shots there was not the slightest change
perceptible in his voice; but the few
words he spoke to his dog were broken
and singularly soft. I'll be sworn there
were tears in the mans eyes. Every
thing being at last prepared, he spat
upon the dogs muzzle, held his head