Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-04-06
WHOLE NO 20l3

came, the villain lilo made believe
to have beea drinking, and put that
forward a'a ple' f'r asking shelter
until morning, The Instant he was
inside made tho gate fast, driving
tho big wooden pins home with an
axe, | caught CLEAN from his eyes
as was doing this which,
But why not make the gate fast
before he entertdf
because no was safer inside Than
out a conviction had come over mo
that this man was some most desper-
ate character, Ills comrades were no
doubt waiting near, aud his plan had
been 10 quietly open the gate to
them,
Had you no arms but your rlilef
| Il wanted none, for We understood
each other, my ride and !. This
villain understood ~ too. ! don't
think, either that he liked TO see
Edwards sleeping In the ,ent. The
lad was not good for much, but still,
he wos somebody. II would now be
O contest Of skill between the fellow
AID me. lie was waiting his oppor-
,uni,y, and so va, I. OF all villain
ous looking men, he was the worst
looking. Tall, swarlhy, blackboard
cd, and with Il hard face that must
have been handsome once, and fierce
black eyes cleaning with evil. lie
sat on one side of the hearth, on the
other, our eyes fixed on one another.
You guess, dare say, that | have
a quick ear, for you know what my
Temperament is--all sensiti We con-
sciousness. My good hearing had
been cultivated. too, by listening Tor
the indians. by and by detected
very s,ealthy movement outside the
fort, and then a faint chirrup, such as
a young squirrel might make. Up
sprang the man, but covered him
with my rifle, cooked. He saw the
movement, showed his teeth and drew
out pistol, but not before had
ordered him to throw down his arms
or die! lie hesitated he saw that
in my eye and aspect which made him
quail. While I held the life leveled
and my finger on the trigger he threw
down his arms pistol and knife
with dreadful oath. I had thl hest
of him and he knew it, for before he
could have put his pistol into form or
rushed on me with his knife the ball
from my rifle would have been IN him.
His language was awful-and we are
not nice in that respect, you know, iu
Califcrnia-lbe foam lay on his lips.
He demanded to be let out Of the
house, denouncing me as a robber and
murderer. To all his rawlings had
but one answer-to be quiet, to obey
me and he should live; dare to dis
obey me and he should die. He sat
there, cowe1, on the opposite side of
the fire, not daring to make even a
doubtful motion, Then | told him
what l knew that l had heard what
he was and what he meant to do.
With that he broke down utterly, or
pretended to do So cried like child,
declaring that now he knew my pluck
and l had been the first man ever to
get the better of him, he loved me
like brother, All the same love or,
no love, he had to sit where he was
and in front of him with my rifle On
my knees. There was long night
before us he could have no liberty in
it, and the restraint was horrible to
him. One moment he laughed uneasi-
ly, the next cursed, the next cned.
1t was a strange experience, was it
nots To pass away the time, asked
him to relate the history of his life.
Hs said he would, but would first of
all just shake hands for the respect he
bore me. Touching my rifle .signif-
cantly, pointed TO the stick lying
across the hearth place between us.
That's your boundary line, my man.,
said /; don't go stretching your
hand over that This sent him into a
6t of sullenness.' ''e '-''-
what came of it,
'We must have remained in this
position till midnight. Several times
I heard slight sounds outside the fort,
but though he listened, he dared not
respond to them; he could do nothing.
After while these sounds ceased;
his associates, rightly judging that
something or other had gone wrong
and spoilt the scheme, had no doubt
made of, tired Of waiting. The fel-
lows head was bent, bis chin rested
on his breast, his shaggy beard spread
ing over it like mantle. e He suffered
Nv and nv we cot in