The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1881-09-29

/ not sign or sound TO betray the pres
enoa OF any enemy. The sheep were
camping quietly round the hurdles. ST.
lence-the bright moon-tbe white
feeces miucling with the color of the
grass-the still shadows Of the trees-the
far black forest-tho spectral traoory of
/ the branches in the moonlight. The 81
! leEce was terrible. One Of TIE outside
wethers rose and walked forward few
yards, then commenced stamping quickly
on the ground.
"Darn my eyes, " said Mat, for The first
| time breaking silence, ''if de 'Oie Par
SON amt sighted one of the niggers!"
The cole Parson" was q patriarch
wether that was afflicted with the foot
rot, and usually fed on his knees.
so he has, and by gum there's a
| crowd; the whole tribe hev come to visit
Not enough in shade, boss" concluded
Mat, after another interval, and in a
hard, whispering tone.
The next moment the first report rang
cut into myriad echoes. A shrill death
shout followed, as the dark figure of a
man leaped with sudden force from his
ambush and fell prone, gurgling out
blood and broken words.
"Now, Boss" said Mat, looking out,
but still charging; "ffty yards to the
right of the hurdle
Boss (Mr. S. changed the position
of his gun and fred. The human figure
seemed to sink down so quickly, SO calm
", SO helplessIy, that l felt strange
thrill of pity.
"Hes fixed, as safe as houses; let's
physic another or two, and maybe they'll
make tracks," again muttered the shep-
herd, in a tone of suppressed glee.
Cook, why TIE devil don't you shoot?
Squint round that first block to the right
Of the waffle"
Looking in the direction indicated by
Mat, whose eyes seemed everywhere, I
saw the figure of man partially visible
against the ground. He was evidently
sheltering himself from the other two
guns, but, owing to lny silence hitherto,
he must have been Of the opinion that
the portion Of the hut where I stood was
un0ccupied. For an instant I could see
nothing through the smoke, but it clear
cd almost instantly. Just as the shep-
herd said, s'Don't shoot again-he's fix,
Ell. saw the poor wretch staggering
wildly towards the hut, and then falling
it'll Il uUii souud. God forgive me, it
was very ike murder. This was The first
life had ever taken. The next thing I
remember Was Mr.. s. asking me if I
had run eny bullets.
sNot one"
''Have you any IL the hat ?"
"Not one"
lint informed us that we were t.trae'd,"
much in the same way as lie would tell
the oversear that the rations were short.
He quietly pulled his gun from the loop
hole, saying, 1--WE only one more pill to
keep our skins whole. Wen have to
trust to Doctor"
Mats dog, Doctor, was partly a Smith
field and partly Newfoundland. BE had
been trained by him to all sorts Of tricks.
Amongst others, he repeatedly took writ
ten messages to the station when attached
to bis collar, and presume this was the
object Mat had in view when referring to
him as capable Of procuring relief.
"Mister, dye think you kin rite a mis-
sage IN the dark, or by the moonlight,
askin the hands of the Homestead to
come this way2 No time to lose; I see
the darkies dodging round the hut. Bill,
knock away the low part of the rotten
slab behind your back. Here, Doctor"
The message was scrawied aud fasten-
ed 10 the dogs collar in less than min
ute, and the noble brute, who seemed to
know the danger, stood anxiously trem-
bling till the preparations were complet-
ed.
As [ before stated, the Int stood close
OF the stream, and from the rear the bank
sloped abruptly towards the water. The
American for the first time seemed af-
fected. When the men fell under our
shots, there was not the slightest change
perceptibiein 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. Everything be-
ing at last prepared he spat upon the
dogs muzzle, held his head close to Lis
cheek for a moment, ana then pressed
him quickly out of the hole and away
down the shelving bank.
We listened anxiously for a time, and
then there arose q wild iabbaring for
minute; the next instant We detected
yelp of pain.
"dy God - said ], involuntarily, ''the
Doctors speared."
"No, he nrn't darn yel" snapped Ben
Hes iist touched, aud no more. He'll
DO Il"
"He mast be -quicE, then." said Mr
s.: ''tho black de7ils have struck
light somewhere, and they're going to
burn Us out. Look ~
Oar eyes were now intsntly seeming
the movements of the sayages through
the Little loopholes, and we saw a flaming
brand whizzing through the air and scat
teriaS sparks in all directions. It fell on
the strlngy bark roof above our heads.
Another ard another came, but it did not
appear to US that any OF them had taken
effect.
By this time the black fellows had
gathered courage, Believing that our
ammunition was expended, many of them
had left cover, and might be seen fitting
ABOUT Ike speoters. They had kindled