The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1886-07-10


the man and woman now cast the scow
loose and poled her about 300 feet from
shore. The sun was getting well down /;
and our side of the lake was In deep
shadow. When the scow had been ar
chored by q stone, the pair 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
house, the woman produced some cold
meat and hoecake, 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.
"See yere stranger" he said; "what
brought you up hereP"
Looking over lands" replied.
"Uml Who be you2"
I told him.
Didn't count on seein' Black Dan,
reckonp" he sneered.
"No."
(Which Is unfortunit fur you. I've
killed every land hunter who ever sot
fut on my claim, and I'll keep KILN
sure"
"We didn't come here to disturb or
annoy you,"
Its just the same thing. Pm down
on all the human race fur the way Eve
been used, and I'll kill whenever can
get the chance. I've dropped one of
your fellers. Tomorrow III drop the
other, and then take keer of you. Git
oyer thar and lay down"
"Over thar was the far corner. and
entirely out of the reach of my Win
chester. When l bunked down in my
corner the gun was removed entirely,
asd the,family lay down in such man
ner rs to hem me in. Forthe first three
or four hours they were like cats, start
ing up at the slightest move, but toward
midnight | was satisfied that all were
asleep. could not reach the firearms
without stepping over their bodies, and
they knew that any effort on my part to
loosen log would arouse them.
About midnight, after long and
cautious effort | sat w. 1t was a star
light night, AMI as there was no door
to the cabin, could see out. / was
fully determined to make an effort to
escape, but when l came to canvass the
chances, l had to abandon the idea.
The alligators were constantly about
us. often rearing up to paw at the logs,
and unless l could get hold of the fire
arms and begin the fight, should be
wiped out in any effort made. Think
l slept for an hour or two, and what
aroused me / cannot tell. l was still
sitting, aud as / looked out upon the
night | saw human figure draw itself
up on the bows of the boat. at first
supposed 1t was one of the family. but
a moments observation convinced me
TO the contrary. This figure moved
cautiously, as If desiring its presence
unknown, and was long time in reach
ing the door. II then leaned against
the logs and made long survey of the
interior, and finally sank out of sight.
My heart was beating like a trip-ha.n-
mer, and | could not fathom the mys-
terry. Was II an Indian or another out
law? Moving SO cautiously, what OBJ
ject had he in view? Had l once
thought of Jackson, l should not have
dared TO hope he had come to my res
cue through that water; and, too, /
could not have believed he knew of my
whereabouts.
From the time first caught sight of
the figure to daylight was probably an
hour and half, but it seemed to me as
If l lived five years. l had no hopes
that the man was friend, and yet
could not look for new enemy. Per
haps, after all, 1t was only one of the
refugee negroes, of whom scores were
hiding in the swamps, who had made
his way to the scow in hopes to lay
hands on provisions or clothing. l
kept my eyes on the spot where had
last seen him, and, as he did not reap
pear, l began to feel that he had slipped
back into the water, and returned to
the shore.
Did you ever watch the coming Of
daylight when you felt that with il
might come some life or death transac-
tien9 The first signs came from the
birds. Then altar up the lake came the
cries of water fowl. A fox or some
other animal stood on the shore near
where we had tied up the night before
and barked in an angry voice. The
stars paled and drifted out Of sight, and
the interior of the cabin began to light
up until / could distinguish the forms of
the sleepers.
Where was the strange man-friend
or enemyP As if in response to my
query he suddenly rose up, stepped
noiselessly inside the door and next in
stant a revolver began TO crack and
voice shouted Al me:
Keep down, Colonel; hug the hoor'
rolled over on my face and ! heard
yells, screams and grosns II was all
over IN thirty seconds, ana some one
callSa IAN right, colonel-rys Eipod
tas varniats oute'