The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-10-10

under the mill. heard the cry OF the
night hawk again. could not an.
swer. The night was perfect one
could distinguish the low tones Of
their conversation which was carried
on in the mill above. IL was concern.
ing the noise In the old flume. There
was general dismount. The tramp
OF feet and the rattle OF spurs toward
the open gable were easily distin.
guished. One got down upon the
rotten timbers and crept out into the
moonlight.
Thurs nobuddy out hyar, Iheard
him say in low voice.
"'Must hev been some so't uv'r crit
ter-couldn't hev been man
'Mebbe, was the equally low re-
ply: but, Pete, keep sha'p eye for
them boys from Post Oak-they'll be
likely to come out hyar.'
"Pete was the new guard.
elbow many be they?''
al low there's mon dozen-Ol'
Owns boys's long n EN-
How ID yer git their"
al herd 't-they lit out two nights
ago. They hain't fur off,
The cry OF the night hawk Came
again.
What's theft" asked q new voice
"rhet-thet's night hawk
Thought mebbe t might be sig
nal r 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.
"a spell OF weird silence followed.
Icould sec quite plainly the big timbcrs,
here and there. A bit away, a square
shaft OF light dropped through the
opening in the floor where the saw
frame played up and down.
81 crept stealthily toward the old
frame, which was still place. heard
the sentry just above. Then saw the
shadow OF his broad, felt hat on the
tinibers in the wheel-pit, asifits owner
were trying to solve the secret OF its
darkness.
"If the fellow would only 90 10 sleep,
thought; but, instead, he began mo-
notonous patrol up and down the
floor OF the old mill Icould easily To-
cate him for his tread was heavy. lie
evidently felt deal of curiosity in the
old flume, for once Mt that end OF the
mill he would remain there quietly for
minutes, doubtless filed with that
nameless sense that betrays the near
ness OF humanity without revealing it,
have no doubt he felt uneasy, and
rightly, for my every sense was 50 alert
and my mental determination so com
plete, that this particular individual
must be disposed OF in some way. So
intense were my feelings, and SO pre-
dominant my mental action, found
myself wondering il l had not made
my thought 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.
81 kept note OF the time by the
moon. and i remember that set it at
about two 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 greatest fright OF my life.
IL felt the touch OF an invisible
hand and just then n featber-blow
would have sent ME into the water.
"'Hank!"
ayes,
"Guerrillas?"
"The sentry stopped just above.
Looking 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 a
navy,
He started on his patrol.
Hank, we must kill that fellow"
81 had not thought of that. 1 said
briefly. Go back. Bring the boys |
over here ut ONCE
1.-THE sentry was returning. waited |
for him to get to the end OF his beat. |
""rhe slightest noise will betray us
they know we are in the woods
they are watching for us
"rhe sentry was again in the open
gable.
bring the boys across the ford in
The shadows-there may be scrim-
mage. Signal back across the ford
after that / waited for the sig
nal.
at came. The football Of the SEN
try stopped suddenly, as il he had
noted the cry.
81 crept out upon the old saw frame.
| could see well enough, had been so
ong in the obscurity. Feeling my way
along the timbers found one that
was notched, as il it had been some
times used ms ladder. Climbing to
The level OF the floor above l looked
put upon the low ewes of the sky. It
was clear. There were no clouds to
throw their shadows about me-
"The guard still paced up and
down.
"At last, hidden behind the huge
post, had assembled, could survey
at will the entire interior. The sentry
kept to his patroling. / could have
him as he passed, half asleep,
his shaggy chin almost touching his
broad chest.
II had to do everything so slowly, |
but somehow felt the man was in
my power.