The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1881-11-05

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"There's jes' two places where the reds
could get up eff they should try, and one
man armed as we are he patted his
Winchester and touched his knife
"kin keep an army down. You stay
here ahind this yer rock, an I'll take
keer O. the other place over yonder
after moonup. Should anything happen
jest croak twice, an I'll be with ye; the
same for me. Watch out now"
"Agreed p 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
approachable only from the west.
Black night had now drawn it's sable
curtains 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 as
easily understood in the resolute 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.
Far away a 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 intense silence.
The moments passed, slowly it is true,
and yet one by one, until the hours had
fled, and away to the east there came a
Frightening glow, as of O growing fire,
and beyond the ragged mountain tops
TIE night blush, "faint and silvery;"
then Dick knew the moon was rising.
"This 'ere's hard bed !" muttered
that worthy, as he cautiously arose from
his half-reclining position and stretched
himself. cts nigh about midnight, [
reckon, an doubt the reds comm after
this. l wonder how Tom stands it ?"
Leaning his rifle against a jagged boul-
der, the frontiersman stepped lightly
across the rough summit of the castle o
half dozen rods to the spot where he had
left his companion.
To his surprise it was empty
"Where the deuce"-he grovled,
when he was suddenly interrupted by the
cry of coyote near at hand.
He started and listened intently.
EFF that amt two legged wolf" he
whispered excitedly to himself, "then 1
never heard one 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 ledge or shelf of rock upon the
face of the cliff, which shelf was part of
the very pathway by which they had as
cended and might be easily reached by a
winding trail. AS he peered into the
darkness beneath him the coyotes howl
again rang mournfully out from below
and was answered from ridge half mile
away.
"That's queer The first cry was
human, or I'm no judge, but the other
was a genuine kiote. What kind O.
trickery is this? All, thar's Tom !'' he
continued, ioyfully "asleep below thar
Jest like the careless cuss. The reds
might carry him off eff he didn't depend
on my ears y
The silvery rim of the coming moon
appeared above the distant mountains.
Moore drew himself carefully into the
shadow, so that he might see but not be
seen.
"Now I'll watch bit. Eff that wolf
bowls ag'in, kin spot him certain an
know whether he's copper colored or
gray"
Motionless as the rock about him, he
waited.
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, fecking the plain with
moonlight and shade. The soft breezes
that always travel in her train swept
gently by, laden with fresh and piney
odors.
Toms figure, outstretched in deep
slumber upon the rock shelf beneath,
came more boldly into 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" muttered
Dick, with bated breath" somethin'
wrong. The more [ think O that call
| the more sure / am that it war out O. a
human throat. I'll go down an wake
Tom, an talk bit with him."
He rose to his feet, still standing in
the shadow, and was on the point OF
turning toward the trail that led to the
ledge wherein Tom was, when he sud
denly paused motionless as if cut from
stone.
And this was what he saw:
| Close beneath him at the very edge
of the shelf where lay his friend, appear,
ed wolf, his nose in the air, his ears
uplifted-a wolf with shaggy head and
hide, but with hands and feet for paws
1t was an Indianl
Horror-stricken, poor Moore could
not move; he was helpless. The savage
was almost within arms reach of his
still sleeping companions; an instant
more and the fatal blow would be STRUCK
by the long knife that glittered in one
hand, while he (Moore) was unable tC
prevent, for he had but his knife by
him, and single move to regain his
rifle would but discover all and haster
the horrible 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 terrible
Suddenly, however, gleam-a des
perate gleam-lit his bronzed features
He leaned little forward, and gazet
sharply down.
The murderer was at Nutting's side
already he had drawn his arm back foI
the fatal blow. Moore waited no longer
} Crouching a single breath's space, b,