The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1881-12-28

boulder, the .frontiersmen Stepped
lightly across the rough summit Of
the castle a half dozen reds to the
spot where he had left his compan.
ion. M
Tohis surprise it was enptS,
q SWhere the deucep- -he groNled,
when hewas suddenly interFuptesby
ithe'cryof a coyote near at hand.
He started and listened intentl&
EFF that amt twolegged wolff
he whispered excitedly to himself,
sthen | never hearn onel Where is
Tom2n
He droppedon hishahds and knees
and dcrawled toward tls, verge ofithe
rock, AT this point there was anal!
most peSpepdicular descent Of sotaa
twenty feet V q fedgs;or shelf Of rock
upon the face 81 the cliff, which shell
was part Of the very pathway by
which they had assembled and might
be easily reached by a winding trail.
AS he peered into the darkness be-
meath him the coyotes howl again
rang mournfully out from below, and
was answered from ridge. half a
mile away.
"That's queerl The first cry was
human, or | am no jedge, but the
other was a genuine kiote. What
kind of trickery is this2 ALL thar's
Toni" he continued, ioyfully, Fasleep
below thar. Jest like the careless
cuss. The reds might carry him off
ef he didn't depend on my earsl"
The silver rim of the coming moon
appeared above the distan. noun
tains, Moore drew himself careful
ly into the shadow, 50 that he might
see but not be seen.
snow, I'll watch a bit. Ef that
wolf howls,again, | kin spot him Ger.
tain, an know whether he's copper.
colored or gray" 1ft
Motionless as the rock about him
he waited! .-es,.s,
Once or twice the distant, genuine
whine reached his listening ears, but
there came no response from below.
The queen of night climbed slowly
up the eastern sky, aecking the plain
with moonlight and shade. The soft
breezes that always travel in her
train swept gently by, laden with
fresh and piney oders.
Toms figure, out.stretcbed in deep
slpmber upenthe.rAek.ehAlfl".,, ,>r.i,.
came more boldly smto. view, but
the suspicious wolf bark did not
sound again.
A full half hour passed and there
had been no repetition of it.
"Thar's somethin' wrong" mutter-
ed Dick, with bated breath-"sone-
thin wrong. The more think O.
that call the more sure am that it
war out OF a human throat. I'll go
down an wake Tom an talk a bit
with him."
He arose to his feet, still standing
in the shadow, and was on the point
of turning toward the trail that led
to the ledge whereon Tom was, when
he suddenly paused-motionless, as
if cut from stonef
And this was what he saw: f
Close beneath him, at the very
edge OF the shelf where lay his friend,
appeared wolf, nose 10 air, his ears
uplifted-wolf with shaggy head and
hide, but with hands and feet for
paws! 1t was an Indian! af
Horror-stricken, poor Moore could
not move; he was helpless. The saw
age was almost within arms reach
of his still sleeping companion; an
instant more and the fatal blow
would be struck with the long knife
that glittered in one hand, while he
(Moore) was unable TO prevent, for
he had but his knife by him, and a
single move to regain his rife would
but discover all and hasten the hor-
rible tragedy.
Knowing the bloody deed that was
about to take place before his very
eyes, while he stood helpless, the
hunter fairly sickened. 1t was ter
rible!
Suddenly, however, gleam-a
desperate gleam-lit Ills bronzed fea-
lures. He leaned a little forward
and gazed sharply down. n.
The murderer was at Nutting's
side. Already he hod drawn bis ,r,,,