, 1890-02-07
A TRAP FOR A WITNESS.

NS
Many years ago l took n trip through
what was then called the Far West
My course, for the most part, lay through
an unbroken forest. Though a settlers
cabin here and there broke the wild
monotony, many a day was passed with
out the sight Of = hSbitation or meeting
a human being.
One day / came up with two men who
had dismounted at the wayside, and were
seated on a log chatting, while their
horses browsed socially At . little dis
tance. One of the two, Like myself, va
evidently q traveller. while tho tow cloth
hunting shirt and coonskin cap of the
other-to say nothing OF his long rifs
and weather beaten face-betokened ths
genuine backwoodsman.
For some time l had been waiting an
opportunity Of inquiring the way TO a
distant settlement, at which / proposed
making a temporary stop, and here,
doubtless, was the very man to supply
the information.
Jest light an rest your critter y min
it" said the woodsman, when 1 had put
my question; men this gen1eman Il be
through presently"
Accepting the invitation / soon dis
covered that the business l had inter-
rupted was = horse trade, which, OF
course took precedence Of every other
matter.
The SWAP" which had already made
substantial progress, was speedily con-
cluded. Tho traveller, whose animal wss
somewhat jsded-his reason probably
for seeking the erchsnge-gave the from
tiersman SEQ boot" and, mounting his
new hackney, took a hasty leave, appar-
emily deairOus not to give tho other party
time to rue"
repeated my inquiry, and was told
there was no road, not even a bride
path, within many miles of where we
were, leading to the place l wished to
reach. loffered to pay the man literally
to guide mo to some point whence could
find my way alone. A bargain WAS at
once concluded, and in less than half an
hour we were jogging along like old
acquaintance.
That night we canped out, supping on
some jerked v~enison my guide had in his
pouch, and lettering our horses In the
eNSV . ohA@A WhNCh 6llOfuCu
good grazing; and the next afternoon
but one we struck = travelled track,
which, my companion assured mo, | had
only to follow straight ahead 10 reach
my destination.
Here we shook hands and parted: and
1t was = month afterwards at my own
home that my western journey was Wv
idly called to miud by the following
paragraph:
"A Traveller Murdcred.-By our last
adVices from - we earned that an I'M
known traveller was found murdered on
the LIST Of June last. The act was at first
attributed to some ~marauding bands Of
Indians who have lately shown them
selves troublesome. But later develop
ments fssten the crime on John Slower,
a white man, found in possession OF tho
dead mans horse and some money iden-
tihedb ~ atsvern keeper who had changed
a note for the traveller the day before his
body was discovered. The latter was
last seen alive in Stover's company, the
two having ridden away together from
the strangers last stopping place. The
criminal barely escaped lynching and
will have little to expect from = jury q
ths ~yicinage."
John Stover!7 1 exclaimed. why,
that's the name Of my late guide"
The recollection Of the horse trade
came back Like n flash. 1t had taken
place on the last day Of May, and from
that till tho I'd Of June Slower never left
my company. 1t was impossible he
could have committed the crime for
which his life stood in peril The swap"
explained his possession of the horso,
and the boot money" that VI tbs bills
found upon him.
There WAS no time to lose, II an limo
cent man was to be saved from the gal
lows. The mails were too tedious and
roundabout to be trusted, and the tels-
graph WAS yet uuinvented. There was
nothing for it but to stage 1t a. Tar as
practicable, aud make the rest of the
way on horseback. At any cost | felt
bound to prevent the wrongful taking Of
a fellow creatures life.
1t was nearly dark when l reached a
settlement twenty miles from where the
trial was to come of. It vas set down,
l learned, for the following day, and to
be in time l must proceed that night
The road Is hard enough to find by
daylight said the host Of the little inn
at which had ordered supper and a bait
for my horse. Besides, there are In.
dams prowling about, and they're ugly
customers TO meet with of = night"
II have no choice," 1 replied. "a man
is to be tried for his life tomorrow,
whose innocence l can prove; for be WA
in my company, miles from the scene OF
the crime ne Is charged with at thu TIME
Of its commission.
But il you miss your way" returned
tho other, you will loss instead Of o..
time"
Perhaps n Of these gsntlemsa," I