The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-01-12

Vietpie from the house. or this stump
tnf PORTION next to the slope had Sc
fiillerl away as to leave large cavity
capanle of containing man.
ne gobble indicated the turkeys
whfreabouts pretty definitely.
Iie'ssomewhere near that stump"
SAID Arthur; perhaps inside of it, sit
tiuK upon the rotten wood toward
the top. I'm afraid he'll get high
enNngb to see me. But I'll make a
circuit, and creep around where the
gfennd is lower"
He went out at the back door, so as
to make sure of not being seen. The
laiW On our right. few rods from
the house, was very low, the depres-
sion Stretching off in crescent shape
bnti it reached the gully, which
::.,,GS.s,sad It At fair rifle shot distance
rom the stump.
Arthur, young as he was had al
ready became an excellent marks
man, having two years possessed a
rifle of his own. which father had
bought him, and which was almost
always in his hands. We had no
doubt that, with anything like an
ordinary chance. he would put ball
through the turkeys head, and re-
turn in triumph.
But somehow, after he went out,
sudden thought seemed to strike
mother. Wasn't it strange that a
turkey should come so far out of the
woods. and keep up such a gobbling
in the hollow? No, not strange, per-
haps. nor very unusual and she won.
dered at her own uneasiness. But
her nerves had been shaken by poor
Jason's incident
The house had a half-story in front,
with two small windows above the
ground rooms, and mothers feelings
impelled her to run up there for a
better view. She wished to see where
father was. and perhaps might dis
cover something of the wild turkey.
/ was close at her side. We saw
father with his rifle away off across
the fields. and the negroes at dis
tance from him engaged in their
work. The stump, too, was visible
nearly to its foot, and at intervals we
caught sightof Arthur carefully work.
ing his way in half circuit toward
the gully.
Father had evidently heard the
turkey, and was warily approaching
the spot where it seemed to be. His
half STOPPING posture showed that he
feared the bird might get upon the
stump and see him.
Suddenly mother started, and her
face had a look of ghostly terror.
Someting which certainly was no
turkey, rose little above the stump.
between its shattered rim and the
grass of the bank. l saw it too, and
my blood ran cold.
1t was something that greatly re-
sembled the head of an Indian. We
felt that the face must be peering
through the grass toward my father,
while we saw the black, cleaning
hair behind.
Without doubt it was a Seminole
warrior in ambush, watching fathers
approach.
Mother gave an agonized cry.
"What shalt 1 do ?" she exclaimed.
Would not any outcry she could
make be misunderstood at such dis
tance, and only hasten the catas.
trophe, since father was still thirty
rods beyond the Indian, and eighty
from the house? Then there was
Arthur, who had now disappeared ?
And should she by sudden alarm
cause him to show himself might
not the Seminole rise up and shoot
him on the spot q? She was dizzy with
her sense of the situation.
But in a moment l called out to
her, "There is Arthur, mother there
is Arthur" for saw him among the
rank grass, lying fiatupon the ground,
within rifle shot of the stump, which
he seemed to be watching intently.
Once again the Indians head was
shown slightly, and we got an in
stant's glimpse of Arthur's rifle. But
the black hair disappeared and the
weapon was lowered.
"Father was now so near the scene
of danger that we had no alternative
but to watch. Terrible as was heI
anxiety, mother now felt that Arthur
had discovered what kind of game
the old stump contained. She knew
that the Indian could not fire a
father without exposing his owl
head, aud that the moment it ap
peared it would be covered by he
brave boys rifle.
How our hearts beat for the timt
that intervenedl Another gobbl'
came from the stump. Father wa
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