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

the ca, and boary mountains. casllDg
last bright glance behind him, ere he
sank TO rest beyond the lar away IA
clfic; Il G purple shadows Of the ridges
creeping slowly downward over blum
and precipice waved silent greeting 10
their rrayer sisters, as slowly uprising
from the capons and the gorges, the
distant cry ola lonely bird foated soft
" downward through the listening air
and as it passed u mighty stiffness fell
over all, while along the eastern horizon
black night began 10 frown.
Two solitary travelers-nor yet
travellers. for both were frontier men
and m.ners-who we're slowly climbing
the rugged face Of the ridge, paused as
they reached lis verge, and Without
speaklpg looked sharply about them
for seyeral moments, examining all the
ground carefully, then one uttered a
low grcWl OF satisfaction, and, pointing
through the cleaning toward the SOUTH
be ,u,ned 10 lis waiting companion
aud said:
Here's the lrail, Tom, an the reds
III pass the Giants castle over there
afore moon-up tonight, if they're after
us. THIS yere war The way Black Jim
vent. an he war q p'ntin' for the
Apache country fast enough. FL the
blood, cut-throat can git the 1nguns to
Lelp bim they'll 90 for our ranch sure
but eff they don't come we're SAFE Tor
TO. morrer We'll light over the range for
good. The minin's good, but the
country's gettin' 100 hot Tor US. IPs a
shame ye missed that dog to-day, iur
o,herwlse we'd been safe under cover
now. an the world rid Of q rascal, IN
stead of dodglng about byar In the
sbadders to save our scalps. Howsom'
ever We missed him an now my
nlan,s to climb the Giants castle, an
wait fnr morniu'. Ef the reds come,
thev won't find us at home, an Ell they
don II come 10 great harm done; an'
Of they smell us out on The castle we
would kill the entire party afore they
could get at u.s.
The speaker paused and drew long
breath, fairly astonishcd and "earied al
his own unusual loquacity, and his COM
papiop, changing his Winchester from
one shoulder to The other, replied;
.Ye're right, Dick! 1t war pity
that I missed the outlaw, but 1t war
onl, snap slot. won't do so ag'in,
Yer plan fur the night is good one.
Lead oDv
With rapid and almost silent steps
the Two passed over the ridge into tie
blackness of the gulph beyond.
And as they disappeared. there arose
close TO the very ground whereon they
had been standing, from behind
onsrled and slunted cedar thicket. the
figure of "a man. Carefully he peered
about him, gazing sharply into the
darknes. that had swollen up the Others
listening with waiting ear tor any sound
that might indicate their return, and at
last rising to his full height he stepped
ou,etly forth and dropping his rifle
stock TO the earth, he chuckled softly
and with a wicked meaning to himself.
so veil hide from Black jim an the
,poches in Giant castle? Good! Ye
thought Black Jim wonld be simple
enough when he failed yer swag once
10 ron away. Fools had a chance
at YER gold to-day an lost 1t; We had a
crack at me an missed. We're even
but it's nv turn next; an the shloin' .
duet that you fellers have in yer waist
belts shall be nine afore sun-up, or LIN
a half. breed. don't want no lnguns
% helm. nor no cabins 10 burn neither
what Pm after Is the gold, my pards'
an, ef ye stay on Castle rock its mlne.'
AS he ceased his soliloqsy, the out
law, STOPPING almost to the earth, crep'
rapidly away into the Darkness iollow'
ing the course taken by the Others
Tom Nutting and Dick Moore had
been for month prospecting and min
ING in Hidden valley without moleS'a
tion. Fortune had smiled upon them'
acd their buckskin bags were almost
fnll. when. returning unexpectedly to
tbeir rude cabin that very afternoa1'
Tom had surprised Black Jim, the
most noted desperate Of the mountains
aod a man who had often been driven
from mining camps as a thief, prowllng
near had shot at and missed him, and
had seen him speed away to the west
word toward the section where were
rowing the bloodthirsty Apaches.
Tboroughly acquainted with the inn
minent danger of their position Tor
their visitor was IN league with all the
Indian hands Tor 100 miles about, the
tro miners at once packed their gold
a,.t N their belts, seized their arms
and pursued the scoundred-only 10
lose him. however, in the windlngs oil
The mountains and the shadows oil .he
coming night. Then, dreadlng the late
that might overtake them in their cao'n
sbould Black Jim return, they decided
a. ramain in the mountains until morn
inc when, protected by the daylight
they might gather their few effects an'
escape over the range.
They had chosen Giants CASTLE
mass,ye pile of ragged rock some 2Ot
feat in height, with but two points
where 1t could possibly be scaled ior
their refuge on account Of its inaccessi'