The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-10-09


"'Mebbe,' was the equally low reply,
but. Pete, keep sha'p eye out for them
boys from Post Oak-they'n be like t
come out hyar.'
"Pete was the new guard
"'How many be tneyY
".l low ther's mon dozen. OF
OWNS boys s long n en-
"'How d yer git thetY
"'I herd 't-they lit out two nights
ago. They hain't fur off,
1.-The cry of the night hawk came
again.
"'What's thatT asked new voice
"'Thet-thet's a night hawk
Thought mebbe t mought be sig
nal. T suthin-they're burned thick
round hyar, seems t me-
"a boy, only, my heart came into my
mouth, to fill it completely. wondered
who had played the spy.
Nothing more was said. The ex-
change of sentries made, the guerrillas
recrossed the stream and rode up the
hill into the thick woods.
ga spell of weird silence followed. |
could see quite plainly the big timbers
here and there A bit away a square
shaft of light dropped through the open
ing in the floor where the saw frame
played up and down.
81 crept stealthily toward the old
frame, which was still in its place. |
heard the sentry just above. Then /
saw the shadow Of his broad felt hat on
the timbers in the wheelpit, as if its
owner were trying to solve the secret of
its darkness.
''If the fellow would only go to sleep,
thought; but, instead, he began mo-
notonous patrol up and down the floor or
the old mill. could easily locate him,
for his tread was heavy. He evidently
felt deal of curiosity in the old hume,
for once at that end of the mill he would
remain there quietly for minutes, doubt
less filled with that nameless sense that
betrays the nearness Of humanity often
times without revealing it. l have no
doubt he felt uneasy, and rightly, for
my every sense was so alert, and my
mental determination so complete, that
this particular individual must be dis
posed of in some way. So intense were
my feelings, and SO predominant my
mental action, found myself wondering
if had not made my thoughts audible
"The sentry again began passing,
slowly but steadily, across the plank
floor above His footsteps. with the
swash and ripple Of the stream against
the laurel bushes, were the only sounds,
unless now and then caught the cry of
the night hawk and always from the
same direction.
II kept note of the time by the moon,
and remember set it about two hours
after midnight
"In that time the untutored boy had
matured into the daring man. started
forward upon the narrow saw frame,
and just at that moment got the great
est fright of my life.
81 felt the touch of an invisible hand,
and just then feather blow would have
sent me into the water.
"'HankP
II knew the voice.
"'Hankp
"'Yes.
'Guerrillasr
"The sentry stopped just above. Look
ing across the opening saw him, and
with the moonlight at his back he
seemed huge fellow, He carried his
rifle on his shoulder, and | could see the
sheath of big knife in his belt along
with the butt of navy.
He started on his patrol.
"'Hank. we must kill that fellow
81 had not thought of that. | said,
briefly, Go back. Bring the boys over
here at once
"The sentry was returning. | waited
for him to get to the end Of his beat.
1.-THE slightest noise will betray US
they know we are in the woods-they
are watching for us
The sentry was again in the open
gable.
bring the boys across the ford, in
the shadow-there may be a scrimmage
Signal back across the ford.
After that waited for the signal.
''It came. The football of the sentry
stopped suddenly. as if he mad noted the
cry.
81 crept out upon the old saw frame
could see we'll enough. had been 50
long In obscurity. Feeling my way
along the timbers found one that was
notched, as if it had been some time used
as ladder. Climbing to the level Of the
floor above looked out under the low
ewes az the sky IL was clear. There
were 10 clo-5s 70 ,A-cw thssr shadows
about me.
The guard stin paced up and down.
AT last, hidden behind the huge post
| had ascended. / could survey at viii
the entire interior. The sentry kept TO
his patrolling. could have touched hiE
as he passed. half asleep, his shaggy
chin almost touching MS broad chest
Il had TO do everything SO slowly, bui
Isonehow felI the maa was N nv power.
My plans were complete. No trace
OF the seutry must be lett BIS comrades /
might think be had deserted them, but
10 more. 4