The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1881-01-18

,l,k..,,.L bn had "a ha viuors,us Iv
ahal"n h.fas. Ia so,ld h. Awakened
II cs,sv wL;sLv Man something 10
do with bis profSund siuiabers; stste.l
INV business, and presented 4 written
miss;y. / obtained the rifle, a
-hreacbloadkr Of magnificent construc.
t;op yalusd al $500. / secu, ed, as
we'll some refreshtirnt for myself and
horse and after an hout's aclag start
cd an n,y return trip.
Nv mustang appesteii ia think he
had done hisdu,y 'lof the night. and /
found i, difflcult 70 arse HIM from the
camu Az HE exu.ration Of two railes
indeed when nv hand relaxed It'd
pull on tho rei,i--his head would
slowly return to the camp, and but iot
watchihlncss on iny part | would
have found myself there again. | was
now in a quite af6wsy condition, and
would easily have iailed asleep ON my
pouy's back, By-aidiby, as / bp
came convinced that the anims! wo.,d
proceed as | wished, l yieldc., 10 a
feeling Of extreme lassitu,,,e and slept.
How long | slept i could not tell
| | awoke with start. and st once
placed nv hand behind me TO assure
mvselt that the rifle was still 8, ,curely
fastened to my ,sddlc. 1 ielt nothingl
| | looked: il was gone. The thrill Of
horror that at once ran through mp
again gave me energy. | pulled the
uouy still. aud meditatcd Thoughts
81 lynch law flashed through my
u,ind Had / indeed lost the gun?
IL would be said that l had stolen it
sold it. Iwould certainly be ar
| rested il | returned without it. and
held until news would be received
from the camp Il would be known
that the gun had been given me.
Apart from It's nccuniary value, 4,
WINS highly prizsd by the owner. To
WIN, might his extreme rage incit.
| lis rompsnions against me. a stranger
and lriendless.
| As we'll he hung for 4 sheen n, a
Ismh Was a ,bonsb,.,h.t ior mo.
ment Allied tfrouvb INV brain
SLould no, se;zo tle none and A.,
~ ana, ,h.r nI.css Fs,;gusd a. I.wss
and cons uha, w.nld / must re,racs
Inv steps and find the gun. The
prairie grass tranplrd BY my pony's
iect, indicated to me the course | had
taken. | turned him back upon that
path. Again and sgain | was obliged
10 dis,nount and drag my sore and
wearied limbs over the greud, whicl,
| | care ully serutinized to be sure
| could make no mistake. All the
twhileI was tormented BY the though,
that my agonixing painstsking nigh,
be entirely useless, that the gnn nigh,
have been stolen from behind me b,
some wandeler - . rlcpt. How could
know? l was bat a drowning man man
snatching at a straw as stun olcd on
ward. ltScemed ages as 4 searched
what time was passing h'eh II
ionnd tue owner ~itn ~ .. 'no prom.s
ed hour! Only oy giving u 10 MN
at that hour OF entry 10. tho mater
could It prove as desired oy him. or
receive the Siv so ioaYed ior.
With fevercd brain and straining
blood-sio. eyes | continued the sesrcl
impatient aud patient at once. Cloud
we're gathering in the sky; into one 0
them the moon now passed, and tn
light so necessary to me was obscur
ed. Iremained motionless. Woul,
III 20 mad? My power for collrcte,
thought seemed vanished. Again tn
moon came out clear and bright, and
there, close to my icet, made shin
something metallic. 1t was the rife
| had found i'll
/ must place it before me as l rod
this time. With fragments of til
broken twine dangling from tho sad
die. | fastened the lreech to my ie
wrist and. remountinx nv horse, al
lowed the gun to rest on my legs as
advanced. The jounce, jsunoe o, tn
weapon added to my discomfort; bu
at last. Il WAS secure. and | was ker
awake. But now, where was !?
|, rec ,gn,zed no LANDMARK. The aspe'
i generally was strange to me; seen
4 ed 10 nave nesrea the limit oil -
prairie; hne q mus 'ay against y
nor'zon' anu, oeyohu, tHe aay we
breaking WIN victory Ieaay 70 m
: grasp. was .ioSt! oadoeniy ae
/; cried IN Tue distance what seemea
d human haoitaticn' ,rave'ea towal
u IT. ana was'reJolced 10 nave IL prove
" ranch. ! reached H. ana nalooe
When ! was within q few PAGES Of u
# house. . window III tne second s'ol
a suddenly opened ana rine oarr
d was pro'fooed ana aimed direcsiy
,r mo. was thunderStruck a. this pr
/. ceeding. had l come to Inc iair Of
desperate! But instantly Q
IS thought me OF the suspicious apFea