Connecticut western news., 1889-06-19

or close to it. While he probably trusted the colored man as much as he trusted any human being, his outlaw life would render him suspicious of everybody, and he would take no chances. I reasoned that he would quit the cabin as soon as he had obtained bite to eat, and that he would go into hiding at some point from which he could com mand view. Therefore, when within mile of the spot, l made circuit to the right and came out mile or more to the south of the little clearing. l found that a ravine led down from the mountain in the direction of the cabin, and after an hours search up and down 1 discovered evidences that some one had traversed it but recently. Weeds were broken down, stones displaced, and at certain moist spot I found plain footprints. The outlaw had come down from his lair by this gloomy trail, and he would doubtless return by it.
 met the colored man about 9 O clock in the morning. He would have time to do his trading and return by or 5 in the afternoon. Gibbs might go off on an expedition after receiving his sup plies, but the chances were that he would at once return to his lair. fol- lowed the ravine back to point where it narrowed to width of six or eight feet, and where the path was in semi darkness even at high noon, and there I prepared my trap. Had I met him face to face could have shot him, but I could not lie in ambush and do it, out law though he was. It was too much like murder. Inside of an hour I had my rife set as spring gun, to be dis charged as the mans legs pressed a small cord running across the path, and then retired to thick clump of pines about forty rods away, and went into camp to await results. If my action seems cold -blooded let the reader con- demn. had in my pocket a list of five men whom Gibbs had killed in cold blood, and the names of dozen whom he had slashed and maimed out of pure malignity.
 While was arranging the gun, two land lockers were approaching the cab in. They were strangers to the neigh borhood and un armed. Gibbs was just leaving the cabin to go into hiding, and although the men neither displayed weapons, nor called upon him to halt, he fired upon them with revolver, wounding one in the shoulder and the other in the side. He then started up the ravinc and had not been ten min utes in hiding before heard the spring gun discharged. I waited few min utes and then carefully approached the spot, and it was to find Gibbs dead across the string. He had been instant ly killed by the bullet. When we came to get the body out to have it identified we found the facial expression to be as savage as that of an enraged tiger. He had been living the life of 8 wild beast until he resembled one.
 My second adventure with an outlaw lasted much longer. A half breed Choctaw named John Flint, who was a resident of Doaksville, Indian Territory, and who had killed several men in the year after the close of the war, was run out of the neighborhood by vigilance committee, and he to ok up his lair in the mountain spur to the south, and | swore that he would never be taken | alive nor make friends with human being. He was represented as a quick shot, fighter to the death, and a man of such vigilance that he could not be surprised. He was outlawed and a price set upon his head, but it was hoped he might bc taken alive and hanged. Our agency was offered $1, 900 more to capture him alive than to fur nish proofs of his death, but it was at the same timo admitted that over a dozen men had spent weeks in vain in trying to either kill or capture him. Three of the number had been killed while pursuing the enterprise. The out look for me was therefore very dubious, but determined to see what could be done.
 As is the case with every outlaw, Flint had his friends and admirers in the country about him. I reached Doaksvile to learn that he was around with Winchester and two revolvers, and that people for twenty miles around were intimidated by him. He levied toll on the farmers with high hand, obliging one to furnish meat, another flour, third cartridges, and such was the terror his presen ce inspired that no one dared betray him, though all lyearned to hear of his death or capture. He was put on his guard against me on my ar rival, and he sent me word that if did not at once leave the country he would have my life. When I finally got ready to begin my hunt for him he was hunt ing me as well. When I had secured such particulars as desired, bundled up what necessity demanded and cut loose from civilization. That is, headed for the mountain, determined tc