Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-11-19

brother, or sister either, for thai
matter
! The preachers face flushed, but
he laughed pleasantly.
DOUBTLESS, l am mixed mp hs
said you know i travel so much
and make so many acquaintance
that | get things all tumbled to-
gether in my memory. Now, l wai
snre that your father had little
boy that used to run like q turkey.
Hugh somehow began presently
TO suspect that this alert, facile,
dark-faced man was not just what
he pretended to be. Something in
his nir and in the way he Looked
ont Of the corner of his narrow,
straight-cut eyes limited of the
devil-may-care and the lawless.
You may trust q bright, wide
awake boy to catch quickly enough
the note Of incincerity in a mans
nature, give him half q chance.
Hugh felt that this young preach
er had some ulterior object in his
familiarity that was not quite hon
orable.
Suddenly, just before nightfall,
it became plain that Foster desired
to decoy him away from the right
road to Bay st. Louis. In his ear
lier boyhood Hugh had been over
the road with his father, and now,
when they came to a place where it
divided he recollected the spot well
and knew that the left-hand trail
was the direct way but Foster in
sisted that they should take the
other. This Hugh kindly but per-
emptorily refused to do, inwardly
hoping that his companion would,
on this account, take leave of him
on the spot. Foster, however, after
some discussion, said u:
Well, We'll go your way, and
when we find that you're wrong
we'll come back here and take the
right road
For some reason conversation
nearly ceased between them, and
they rode along listening to the bel
lowing of the alligators in the dis
mai swamPs- Denser aud druscr
grew the forests. Night began to
fall over the wilderness, and there
was not sight or sound that sug-
gested human habitation within
miles of the silent, thoughtful
travellers.
At last it grew so dark that they
could scarcely follow the road which
was here mere trail. Foster was
in front, and when he reached a
spot where a fine spring flowed out
at the foot of a hugh gum tree, he
halted and proposed that they stop
for the night.
By this time Hugh had made up
his mind that he was to be robbed,
and that this so-called parson Fos-
ter was no other in reality, than
John A. Murrell, the famous rob-
ber. This conjecture was the very
truth. Murrell, only three days
before this had held up a man
who had just sold ten negroes.
Now, he was on his way to Honey
Island, and it was his purpose to
rob Hugh of his horse and money
and leave him to finish his journey
to Bay st. Louis on foot.
Oar young friends watchful eyes
had detected q brace of heavy and
superbly mounted pistols in the
saddle-bags Of Foster. Of course,
in those wild days preacher might
bear arms for self-defence /; but
Hugh thought these pistols in some
way looked as if they had been used
8 good deal. 1t was a disturbing
thought for mere boy to more
than suspect that he was far away
in the woods with the boldest and
most unscrupulous outlaw that ever
lived in America : but boys were
reared to danger in those times,
and Hugh was as brave as a lion.
John A. Murrell never killed any
one if he could avoid it and at the
same time accomplish his purpose.
Not that he had any scruples of
conscience but to avoid murder
he considered the safest plan, as
there would not be so much excite
ment over his deeds if they we're
bloodless.
When they had stopped and tied
their horses, Murrell 1--WE may as
we'll call him SO now) did not take
of his saddle. but with his saddle.