The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-11-19

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and is perfe city valid now
1--WE retired for the night. A bed was mad
for me within the carriage, With its movaoi
cushions. and my father spread his blanket
between the wheels heard him speaking
! our companions after l had settled to repose
WHAT the matter? Don't you like th
tentr No. 10Th
~, 80, ga, sr vfyor answered. and they'V
tre y1 ~ SUI alor, and left 1t like ne
pjoWed feidI He u,.> we'd on 10 spread thei
joint pallet on the groun~- rosrth
Mr. Waite came and stoo~ heaL Lns car
| rage. There is something ol.. oseisS 10
that tent" he said; Il could not sle>o mere
possibly. 4 chill stuck me the moms Ut
the stores this afternoon. What can be the
cause"
ga band OF Apaches may have looked in
and left their blood curdling faint on the
atmosphere" my father jeered. They were
seen through here few weeks ago. Walter,
you grow more fantastic and metaphysical
every year. Well have you tipping tables
and materializiDg very soon."
"But / am not to blame" said Alfred
Walter, simply and without temper, that
am oversusceptlble to certain psychic inhu-
ences, any more than q man is culpsble who
gets bronchitis in a Texas norther; and now
think il, this is the first night have been
on the ground. On each of our three visits
here, Lewis found something to take Us
across the divide to Salvador, and we slept
there"
"Oh, DO doubt, Lewis has even more than
the average Eastern mans esteem for his
own scalp, and q mile above here, there used
to be favorite Indian trail. 1t is used yet,
at times-you may have remarked that We
kept no campfire Keep your guns handy
and you'll be all right unless you awaken
Ysador and her wrath at the same time.
The child is fond OF her nap. Good night"
Ny last waking consciousness was Of
Amusement at my fathers cavalier dealing
with Mr.. Walter, and g mild wonder at the
patience with which that gentleman sus-
tanned patent reflections against his courage.
Then an indefinite period of deep, dreamless
sleep before l awakened, starting, shudder-
ing with the horror of-what was it? The
lugubrious, long drawn howl of a pack of
wolves drawn hither by the scent of our
food? But in this section even the skulking
coyote was rare in the extreme. Was it,
then, the despairing cry OF q waYfarer, be-
lated, VINO had fallen upon SONS unknown
peril, or had band of marauding Apaches
slipped down upon US 10 make an unaccus-
toned night attack?
"Ysadolm my father softly called, as l
cooked my ready revolver = for o. the
frontier woman learns the duty OF self
defense.
In another moment we were grouped be-
for what might come. The long rifles rested
across the wheel spokes, and the reserve pis-
tolls lay close at hand. No sight, no further
sound. The night was opaqueiy dark. The
horses" l whispered, with a sudden recol-
lection, aud in another moment young
Handle was noiselessly gliding with snakes
sinuous movement TO the tree where his two
bays were tethered. He slipped among Us
again, calm and wary.
"Cub and Baby are there" be said, ''but
trembling to their hoofs. They scent mis-
"LOok at the minem cried Alfred Walter,
thrilling
From the mouth of the shaft streamed up
Ward-what? luminous mist, purely phos-
phorescent cloud, electric, glowing, vague
and dim, but unmistakable. 1t increased in
volume and 1t deepened in density, hanging
an anonymous body Of cold incandescence in
relief against the gloom. Then began dis
tiDct movement among its PARTICLES.
Gradually the mysterious substance densl-
fed about its center. With many q waver-
ing expression and contraction, an outline
sbsI ed itself within the cloud-shaped it
self, apparently materialized, and stood
forth, the head and shoulders of singularly
handsome man, whose mournful eyes looked
towsrd Us, over Us, through us to the tent of
the Fraternity" partners, on the edge Of the
draw.
GOOD Heavens" cried Harvey Handle, lit
Lon Rowardw
But look" said Alfred Walter; 'see how
the clouds are movingW
The central spparihon resolved itself
again into luminous mist and the nebula
swung forward, floating TREMENDOUSLY down
the hillside toward US and the tent 1t kept
its shspeless shape no briefest minute. Now
1t stTeamed up through the night, like the
mounting fame from some pyre; now ii
spread fatty, like great bird stopping with
pinions wide outspread; again 1t rolled,
globular in form and notion, or whiIled
fuTiously, as If driven be mighty gale.
The edges OF the erial mass swept so near us
in its passage, that We crouching there be.
fore the mystery, felt ourselves drawn for
ward with it, for through us, in its neigh
borhood, ran an electric thrill, acut to pain
fulness, yet with curious sense OF exalta-
ton and attraction.
ut is gone"
at is not gone" said Alfred Walter; "it
has entered the tent"
We had left the door flaps of the tent
thrown back, relying on the dIynegs OF the
season, and through the opening we could
zee the whole interior, illumined by that
strange, unearthly glow. And yet not the
faintest gleam pierced the thin canvass walls.
Save at its entrance the tent was not to be
distinguished from the night without. Gaz-
Ing into that narrow space, we four who
watched that night saw developed a drama
such as was never seen OF mortal eyes before.
We saw the heap of tools within, the bear
skin upon the clodded floor, the piled-up
pow der cans, the -four barrel aud its attend
ant stores. At one side the rude cot bed,
with its rough blanket and meager pillow,
and-could it be? The form of q man was
outstretched on the bed. He stirred, he
turned in his sleep and rose upon one arm
to lock about him and gaze out iEto the
night; and, seeming reassured, sank back
again to rest.
Then another tall shape appeared at the
tent door, rife in hand, as if keeping guard.
He bent 10 hear the slespers breathing.
Seemingly satisfied of the others uneon-
sciousness the newcomer went close beside
him. put the muzzle OF his gun against the
he d of the sleeping man and fired. On, the
chastity sight, in place of manly beauty.
when the curling smoke had cleared away
The murderer set aside his gun; he closely
rolled his dead comrsde in the blankets and
dragged aside the stiffenlng body. He car
Iied without all the etores and bed, and
where the cot had stood he dug a deep and
Narrow grave and laid the deand man in it,
packing and treading the cold earth over his
| senseiess clay. Then, with deliberate inge-
| nuity, he spaded over all the floor of the tent
until il presented uniform surface.
The stores, the barrels, the tools, were care.
| fully replaced, and, last of all, the assassin
| set up The bed again in its accustomed stand.
| Rrk tho contamination of brutal indiffer-