Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-04-30

brought on. Their looks and actions
proved this. They maintained their
places directly in front of me, and their
eyes never left me for second. They
held their knives as il they expected an
attempt to escape, and meant to cut
and thrust if / tried it. f. -
While the boat was moving there was
no show for me. A score of aligators,
some OF lnonstrotls size, followed us III
procession, and had but too look upon
the lake to realize that it was full of
these fierce reptiles. One who jumped
or fell overheard would be seized as
soon as he struck the water. Fl
Not word was addressed to me I'M
til the boat was tied up Then the man
came in. took single-barreled rifle
from under the other bed, and after
few hurried words with the woman out
side, jumped ashore and disappeared.
When he had gone the woman entered,
lighted pipe, sending the boy outside
to watch, she sat down in his place.
with the revolver on her lap. She had
a face which betrayed the mind of
beast.
'Well, what are you going to do with
me?' | asked after awhile.
Feed you to the alligators,'' she re-
piled.
where has your husband gone?''
80 kill the other two men,"
''What do you want to murder us for?
We have in no way injured YOU
eve was whipped and druv out of
the settlements, and we want revenge"
she growled.
but we had nothing to do with it,
protested in firm tone.
Cant help that. You came poach-
ing on our claim" she answered.
But we'u go away
II guess you won't. We never let
any get away to tell on u.s.
said nothing further, but I by no
means looked upon myself as dead
man. II worst came to worst I would
give them fight. l could not move
then, with knife and bullet ready for
me, and deemed it wiser to settle back
apd bide my time.
The man had been gone about half an
hour when the faint report of rifle
came to us through the trees. The
woman had been listening for it, and
as it came she gave a start and cried
out:
There goes one of EN-
"Who?' asked.
"One of your partners. Dan has
dropped him for surc''
There was such a fiendish, blood
thirsty look on her face that / was ap-
palled, and the same expression, to
certain degree, rested on the faces of
the children. Like dogs, they licked
their chops in anticipation of a bloody
feast. In about half an hour the man
appeared. He had bundle of clothing
! in one hand and two rifles and revolt
YER in the other
Cit one?' the woman asked, as he
came aboard the ugly craft.
Eyes"
"Didn't git them both?'
mo. The other got away: III git
the other tomorrow, he replied.
''Git much?''
"Lots."
He had in his hand the suit of clothes,
rifle and revolver belonging to one of
my men-George Sheen, of Mobile.
There were blood-stains on the clothing,
and as he unrolled the bundle saw a
bullet hole through the vest. He had
killed the man and then stripped him
stark naked. Yes, he had boots, socks,
hat, collar, every thing. The other man
was Robert Jackson, of Chicago, who
had worked with me for years. He had
not 'got'' him. Why? Jackson was
we'll armed and brave man. If he
had been present at the shooting Of
Sheen he would not have ruu away.
Sheen had IN old-fashioned rife; Jack
son had q winchester. He would in
turn have killed the outlaw. The two
men must have been separated, and the
outlaw must have mmbushed Sheen.
Leaving the children to watch me,
the man and woman now cast the scow
loose and poled her about 500 feet from
shore. The sun was getting we'll down;
and our side of the lake was in q deep
shadow. When the scow had been an
chored by stone, the par inspected
the personal property and counted the
money taken from the victim. The
outlaw then washed the blood from his
hands.
When they entered the cabin, or
meat and noecake, and threw hunks to
each one, including myself. 1t was only
after the provisions had disappeared, ]
eating mine with the rest, that the man
addressed me.
''Sce yere stranger" he said; "what
brought you up here?'
Looking over lands" l replied.
| "Um! Who be you?''
told him:
"Didn't count on seein' Black Dan.
reckon?' he sneered.
"No."
(Which is unfortunit fur you. I've
killed every land hunter who ever sol
fut on my claim, and I'll keep KILN
sure"
1--WE didn't come here to, disturb OF
annoy you," I said.
ats just the same thing: I'm down
on all the human race fur the way I've
been used, and I'll kill whenever I can
get the chance. I've. dropped one oil
your fellers. Tomorrow IN drop the
other, and then take keer of you. Gi,
over thar and lay down."
"Over thar" was the far corner, and
| entirely out of the reach of my Win.
chester. When I bunked down in my
corner the gun was removed entirely
! and the family lay down in such a nan
ner as to hem me in. For the frs
three or four hours they were like cats
:. starting up at the slightest move, bu
= toward midnight / was satisfied that al
+ were asleep. I could not reach the fire
arms without stepping over their bodies
and they knew that any effort on my
part toloosen a log would arouse them
About midnight, after a long ane
cautious effort / sat up. It was star
light night. and as there was no doo1
!, Ito the cabin, ! could see out. I wa.