The Home advocate. (Farmerville, La.) 1885-1???, 1885-05-01

you d three hours wriggle over a
slow fire. Well, take care OF your.
self; see YOU again some day.
AdiOs u
With these cheering farewell
words the cowboy threw himself
OH his horse, and giving the bride
Il shake, gailoped after his retreat
ing companion.
Jack turned after the flock, his
newly recovered spirits consi,lcra-
bly, damped by Luke Remington's
warning. But being of Il buOyant
disposition his fears soon vanished
and, as he traversed the familiar
paths, the terrors of the past night
seemed like Il dream. However,
evening came again, and by sun
down the memory OF the Indians
began to recur wildly, and made
him correSpcndingly uncomforta-
bic. Supper was over, the ashes
of the nocturnal pipe knocked out,
and the darkness and silence were
again supreme.
AS yet, however, he felt nothing
worse ;lian Il rather unpleasant
twinge Of the dumb sort of misery
experienced on the first night in
camp. Luke had assured him that
thorc was nothing to fear from the
Indians until the moon rose. That
would not be for at least three
hours, so Jack rolled himself in
his blankets and tried to compose
himself to sleep. He did not OK
pect to be able to do 50, for those
Orninous words, ''neyer be taken
alive" kept eternaily ringing in
his ears, as if spoken only a few
before.
But the loss of sleep the night
before had its effect. Aud, not
withstanding his fears, a great
drow siness crept upon him, and he
was soon as fast asleep asa dor
mouse. Some three or four hours
passed, the silence only broken by
the heavy breathing of the sleeper.
Suddenly Jack gave Il violent
start, and in u moment was wide |
awake. Why was it? He was
unconscious Of any cause for this |
agitation He could see nothing,
learnothing.
"Stay--what is that Woo-oo-
100. The prairie owl signal! O
God /! the Indians have come. But
Wait a minute; after all iJ may be
'eally the bird"
With cold perspiration of ter
or breaking out all over him Jack
leld his breath, listening for the
answering call.
An hour seemed to paSs-in
'eality few seconds-and the
;Oung heltlel Was just drawing a
'eep breath ofrelief, when cruelty
distinct and clear, from an opposite
IL reply came. For the
irSt and last time in his life the
10Y realized what the expression
nearly dying with fright" meant.
lie could not move hand or foot:
le seemed to hear his merci'ess
Oes creeping steadily from every
lilectiUn toward the hut; he gasped
Ohvulslvely for the breath that
you'd not come.
Every detail of the horrible tor.
ures practiced Ivy the Indians up
II their unfortunate captives-
roughly by Luke as
a three hours wriggle over u slow
rc"-came back with terrible viz
lness to his mt mory. If lie could | i
My have strength to kill himself!
Where was the knife:
He cOntrived to move his right
and feebly about, en.leavorlny to-
" hold of it. AT last the back of
is hand struck against something {
ard and smooth. The knife? No: .
he handle of his revolver. His ,
ngers mechanically closed round
, and with the touch of the f;lmil-
lr weapon returned the sense of
fe and pOwer-numbbcd for the t
me by the terror caused by the
roximity ola deadly, yet unseen
nemy.
With a defiant, desperate cry he
aped from his bed, and rushing ;
inside fired his pistol right and ::
1T. Every shot seemed to add to ;,
is excitement. He enp,ied the !.
lstol, reloaded it, and fired in
very direction.
By this time the reaction. after :
Re paralyzing fright was so strong :.
lat he might as we'll have been .
ken by any one for a mailman. :,
e stamped, fOamed at the mouth. :
I'd shrieked defiance at the In.
ans, who, discovering again that
e garrison was dangerously on
le watch, were probably creeping|
way as silently as they had come.
ut to Jacks Over-wrought fancy =
ey were still crOncbing around. !