Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1882-01-04

better not Sleep-auyno" noI tiii ni'@'
moon up. Should anything happen jes
croak twice, an I'll be with ye. Tie
same for me. Watch out nov! !
.Aereedp said Tom.
And bis companion crept away IN the
shadows to hide himself close to where
The other pathway reached the top OF
the castle. This point laced the east,
while the one guarded BY Nutting was
approached only from the west.
Black night had now drawn its sable
curtains, and but for the rents through
Which peeped the winking stars en'lre
darkness shrouded the scene.
Yet to the watchers this made illtle
di ference. Educated by frontier lie,
and train, d in Indian warfare. their ears
were e, es to them when The light was
gone. aud the slightest sound was easily
understood in the absolute quietness OF
the night as though they plainly sa"
the thing which caused it. And so'
mot,onless, each 10 his place, thev Kept
their solitary guard.
Far away a lonely wind soughed
among the tall pines upon the ridge;
but it's breath swept not about the
Giants castle, and the ever-repeated
cry Of the wandering COY ote, now near
and apaiu far, was for a 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 10 the east there
came a brighttnlng glow, as OF grow
ing fire. and beyond the ragged noun.
tain tops the night blush, faint and
si,yery:' then Dick krew the moon was
rising.
This 'ere's hard bed ! mutierei
that worthy, and lie cautiously arose
from bis half reclining position and
stretched himself. It's high about
midnight, reckon, an l doubt the
reds comm after this. | wonder how
Tom stauds p
Leaning his rifle against jagged
boulder. the frontiersman stepped
lightly across the rough summlt oil the
castle q half dozen rods 10 the spot
where he had lett his companion.
To his surprise it was empty.
where tie dcuce'-he growleG when
he was suddenly interrupted by the cry
cf coyote near at hand.
He started aud listened intenIly.
FL that amt two legged woii,' lac
wbisn, red excitedly TO himself, then |
ne yer Learn one! Where is Tom"
He dropped on his hands aud knees
and crawIed toward ,he verge OF The
rock. AT this point there vas an al-
most perpendicular descent OF some
twenty feet TO ledge or shelf OF rock
rnon the face OF the cliff, whith shell
wss mart of the very pathway by Which
,hev had ascended and might be easily
reac he'd by o winding trail. AS he
neercd into the darkness beneath him
the CO, ote's howl again rang mourniuIiv
out from below, and Was answered from
a ridge half mile away,
That's queer?' The first cry was
human, or am no jedge. but tie other
was a genuine kiote. What kind o'
trickely i, this ? All! thar's Tom !
he ceuiinued. joyiully, asleep beIo"
thar. Jest like the careless cuss. The
reds might carry him off et he didn't
depend on my ears!'
The silver rim of the coming moon
appeared above the distant mountains.
Moore drew himself carefully into the
shadow. so that be might see but not
been seen.
sNow, I'll watch bit. Et that wolf
howls again, kin spot him certain, an
know whether he's coppei-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.
Tie queen of night climbed slowly
IN the eastern sky, hecking the plaiu
with moonlight aud shade. The soft
breezes that always travel in her tram
swept gently by, laden with flesh and
piney oders.
Toms figure, out.stretched 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 beet no repetition ofit,
.Tbar's somethin' wrong muttered
Dick. with bated notwithstanding
wrong. The more l think o. that call
the more sure am that ii war out OF a
human throat, I'll 90 down aud wake
Tom an talk a bit with him
He arose to his feet, still standing 10
the shadow. and was on the point oil
turniug toward the trail that led 10 the
ledge whereon Tom was, when he sud-
denly paused -motion'ess. as II cut
from stone
And this was what he saw
Close beneath him, at the very edge
Of the shelf where lay his friend, ap'
neared a wolf, nose in air, his ears up
lifted-a wolf with shaggy head aud
hide but with hands and feet for paws
It was an Indian F!
Horror-stricken, poor Moore couid
not move he was helpless. The saw.
AGE was almost within arms reach OF