Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1881-12-08
toward the section where were rowing
the bloodthirsty Apaches.

toward the section where were rowing
the bloodthirsty Apaches.
Thoroughly acquainted with the i'm.
minent danger of their position, fol
their visitor was in league with all the
Indian bands for 100 miles about, the
two miners at once packed their gold
dust in their belts, seized their arms
and pursued the scoundrel -only to
lose him, however, in the windings Of
the mountains and the shadows of the
coming night. Then, dreading the fate
that might overtake them in their cabin
should Black Jim return, they decided
to remain in the mountains until morn.
ing, when, protected by the daylight,
they might gather their few effects and
escape ever the range.
They had chosen Giants castle-a
massive pile of ragged rock some 200
feet in height, with two points where
it could possibly be scaled, for their
refuge on account of it's inaccessibility,
and as well for the guard which they
might maintain therefrom upon all the
Indian country and the trail into Hidden
valley.
A brisk walk of twenty minutes
brought the miners to the foot of the
castle struggle of ten minutes placed
them at its summit.
Night had now fairly fallen, and the
stars were beginning to shine. The
howl Of distant coyote calling to his
faithless mate was the only sound that
broke upon the quiet air. The men
seated themselves.
"Tom," said Moore, in half-whisper,
''There's jes' two places where the reds
could get up ef they should try, and
one man armed as we are"-he patted
his Winchester and touched his knife
skin keep an army down. You stay here
shind this yer rock, an I'll take keer OF
the other places over yonder. We'd
better not sleep anyhow lot till after
moon-up. Should anything happen jes'
croak twice, an I'll be with ye. The
same for me-. Watch out now |.
"Agreed u said Tom.
And his companion crept away in the
shadows to hide himself close to where
the other pathway reached the top Of
the castle. This point faced the east,
while the one guarded by Nutting was
approached only from the west.
Black night had now drawn its sable
cul tains, and but for the rents through
which peeped the winking stars entire
darkness shrouded the scene. '
Yet to the watchers this made little
difference. Educated by frontier life,
and trained in Indian warfare, their
ears were eyes to them when the light
was gone, and the slightest sound was
easily understood in the absolute quiet
ness of the night as though they plainly
saw the thing which caused it. And SO,
motionless, each in his place, they kept
their solitary guard. "a
Far away q lonely wind soughed
among the tall pines upon the ridge
but its breath swept not about the
Giants castle, and the ever-repeated cry
of the wandering coyote, now near and
again far, was for long time the only
animate sound that broke the hushed
silence.
The moments passed, slowly it is
true, and yet one by one until hours had
fed, and away to the east there came a
Frightening glow, as of growing fire,
and beyond the ragged mountain tops
the night blush, ''faint and silyery =
then Dick knew the moon was rising.
"This 'ere's hard bed! muttered
that worthy, as he cautiously arosefr from
his half reclining position and stretched
himself. "It's high about midnight, I
reckon, an I donbt the reds comm
after this, Iwonder how Tom stands it ~
Leaning his rife against a Jagged
boulder the frontiersman stepped
lightly across the rough summit of the
castle half dozen rods to the spot
where be had left his companion.
To his surprise it was empty.
where the deuce"- he, growled,
when he was suddenly interrupted by
the cry of coyote near at hand.
He started and listened intently.
''Ef that amt two-legged wolf," he
whispered excitedly to himself, ssthen I
never hearn oneI Where is Tom ~
He dropped on his hands and knees
and crawled toward the verge Of the
rock. At this point there was an
almost perpendicular descent Of some
twenty feet to a ledge or shelf Of rock
upon the face of the cliff, which shelf
was part Of the very pathway by which
they had assembled and might be easily
veached by winding trail. As he
peered into the darkness beneath him
the coyotes howl again rang mourn
fully out from below, an was answered
from ridge half mile away.
ssThat's qneerG" The first cry was
human, or ! am no jedge, but The other
was genuine kiote. What kind o
trickery is this ? All shar's Toml' he
continued, joyfully, ''asleep below thar.
Jest ike the careless cuss. The reds
might carry him off eff he didn't de-
pend on my ears p
The silver rim Of the coming moon
appeared above the distant nonntains.
Moore drew hinseIf earefuIly into the