The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-02-16

surveying and entering rich tracts of land. Houses along the road, if road it could be called, were very few, and we sometimes had to sleep in the open air would occasionally express fear of highwaymen. but Luke always laughed at me, and seemed, to my irritation, to desire an adventure with the lawless gen tlemen of the woods.
 "' Whats the use of being afraid ? he said, haven't we got good pistols
 "'Yes, but they might shoot us before we see 'em.'
 "'Have no fears on that account Nature did not give me good eyes for nothing. One of my ancles was killed somewhere along here
 "' You don't tell me so:
 "' Certainly tell you so, but you needn't be frightened, for he killed two of them before they got him.
 "'Very little consolation to him.
 "'O Oh, no, he seemed to enjoy it, for when found with bulle, hole through his head, he had one of the brightest smiles on his face you ever saw
 '' But am not of such a cheerful temperament. might kill thousand assalants and even then would not smile at death
 "' You wouldn' mind i, after getting used to IL.
 "' never saw man who treated grim matters as Joeosely as you do. don't believe you are afraid of anything
 "' To tell you the truth in confidence, old boy, I'm not. never saw anything that frightened me, and don't believe I ever will
 "' You might, alter a while, run across something on the supernatural order to bring up your hair
 "' Hope so, for think the sensations of fright would do me good
 Night, cloudy and without d star. came on and found us near large, old frame house. which, upon examination we found had long been deserted didn't like the looks of the place, bu, Luke insisted that it was d regular palace The weather was too warm to admit of fire, and after eating our lunch, we spread down our blankets and extn- guished the candle to proven, the attrac- tiop of the buzzing bugs with which the darkness without seemed to be alive. | had just stretched myself on the floor. when Luke. who had preceded me, ex. claimed
 "'Great Lord, what IS that"
 I looked up and saw two great red eyes staring at me in livid unear,hl,ness. l actually thought my scalp would rise up in company with my bris,ling hair. Luke crawled over to where sa, bol, upright, and clutched my arm with the tight grip of fear. What can il be 7 he whispered.
 "' Oh, Lord prayed-ior never be- held anything so terrible have mercy on me-
 On me, too. Don't leave me out and l could feel him ,remble. After awhile he became calmer, and said:
 "' I'm going to shoot
 "' did not reply. He took up his pis- tol and fired. The eyes didn't even wink. He fired again. The horrible orbs didn't move. covered up my head and lay for time in smothering dark ness. and, by the instinct of fear, knew that Luke had followed my example. X, last we threw of the blankets. The eyes still glared.
 - Luke. ventured to say, thought you would never be frightened
 :" No man can face the devil he re- piled. while his teeth ehattered fearful accompaniment to his words of terror. I've seen wild cats and partners, and almost every other kind of animal. bu, that thing is the devil. and I'll be, you anything that before day he'll have his pitchtork through both of us.'
 Are you sure it is not an animal? 2
 "Of course l am. An animal can't look always withou, wink;ng. It's the devil. l tell you
 It It IS not an animal. am no, afraid oi It, for the devil theory is TO, so finely spun with me as it is with you. am go- ing to see what i, is
 " Don't move. for the Lords sake. You may not believe that the devil visits