The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1890-02-06

wranslc as to ways and means, much
drinking at old man Sigsby's bar, and
then the gang departed for the great
boarding shanty, to prepare for the
nights work, up the "draw."
After they had gone Sigsby tight
cned his revolver belt. Then he looked
at the qucerly addressed letter and NUT
teredi
"Wonder why the cuss don't come to
git his letter. Never missed bein' on
time before. B'licvc I'll jest sorter take
it up to HIM Might be handy for me to
git the lay Nv things in the shanty. Git
the edge on the boys by KNOWN whar
the valuables is"
He extinguished the light and locked
the door with the utmost caution.
"Jest as we'll fer me, I reckon" he
muttered, ''if these boys think Pm sick
and gone to bed o. sumpin'. If any
thing was to happen-cuss was to plug
one or two Nv 'em, they mought low. I'd
sorter warned him if they knowed I'd
ben thar"
He reflected grimly that in such an
event he was very liable to receive the
same sort of treatment that was meted
out to the last man suspected of spying.
Loud words, plentifully interlarded
with oaths, reached his ears as he passed
the big boarding shanty, keeping we'll in
the shadow of the trees. His progress
over the ''rise" and up the "draw" was
almost noiseless, and rapid in spite of
the dense darkness beneath the great
trees.
Presently Sigsby knocked at the door
of the log and slab shanty. AS there
came no reply, he knocked again and
fancied he heard faint response.
"Some trap to ketch me, like as not, ="
he muttered, suspiciously, ''but I'll
risk it."
His revolver was ready for instant
action as he raised the latch and entered
the room which was wrapped in dark
ness.
ssHello, thar" Sigsby saluted eau
tiously. Don't be quick with no guns.
Letter for YOU"
A faint moan replied from somewhere
in the darkness. Sigsby's suspicion of a
trap was strengthened, and he meditated
whether it was better to fire his revolver
in the direction of the sound or to run
the risk of having the trap sprung on
him. The moan was repeated.
"What's the matter, pardaer?" he
asked, moving silently to one side as he
did so.
"Wall, I'll resk it'll" he muttered, as
another moan answered him.
He scratched match and held his
half closed hand in such way that a
single ray of light was flashed in the
direction from which the moan had
sounded. The moments light revealed
a face aglow with fever, lit with eyes
bright with delirium's glare.
There was no need for caution now,
and SigsbY speedily had light burning.
He examined the sick man more closely.
"Purt' bad off, he muttered. "Hain't
eaten fer days, like as not. It's tough,
shore"
"Wall," he added, presently, Zone is
bout as shore as the other. If the boys
don't down him, the fever will. Mount
ain fevcr's first cousin to the grave
yard"
The sufferer moaned and tossed feebly
in his delirium, and, when Sigsby held
tin of water to his lips, he drank with
almost frenzied eagerness.
"Dryer'n a bonel" remarked Sigsby.
''Wal, the boys II soon ease his misery, I
reckon. Pore cuss! He's in hard row
o stumps, but now he's come out here to
hunt the boys; he ortnt to kick if they
hunt him."
The sufferer rolled his head slowly from
side to side and moaned.
"Do your groanin' now. ;" remarked the
visitor grimly, "fer the boys'll deprive
you Nv that privilege soon. Thar'll be
detective on tree for breakfast, I reckon.
Wal, must be a-gettin'. Don't seem to
be nuth'n' worth packin' off. BY George!
I mighty nigh fergot his letter. I'll jest
see what orders his bosses has sent him.
Mought do lie some good and they never
will him"
He opened the oddly addressed en-
velope, and slowly spelled out the epistle
it contained When it was done, he
spelled it clear through second time.
"Wall, Pm blabbergasted!" he ejacu-
lated, as he laid the letter face upward
on the table 1t was short message and
was printed in the same eccentric fashion
as the address.
"Wal, I'm blabbergasted!" old man
Sigsby repeated. Plumb blabbergasted
Some how, that minds me Wv"
He paused.
Presently, he said, slowly:
''Prays fer him every night an
Names Bessie. Minds me Nv
never mindn' He shook himself
iercely.
observes all he gits," he said,
hoarsely. "Didn't he come yere to hunt
the boys2 Yer bet yer life he did"
He answered himself with fierce
energy, shaking dhis fist at the moaning
figure on the bed. Then he turned to
leave the shanty, but paused, with his
hand on the rude latch.
"Prays fer him every night an morn
in" he muttered. Somebody ort to
write an tell her when he's downed.
l."
He took step toward the letter that
lay face upward on the table. The
quaint characters seemed staring him in
tbo faco