Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1892-12-16

tated some evil was clear to Taylor from
their demeanor. He had been repeatedly
snubbed and insulted during the day,
but now that they had arranged their
plan to kill him they greeted him with
hearty good will.
They mean murder.!' he said to him
self as he looked from one to another,
and it occurred to him that they must
have planned to kill him while he slept.
He. however. returned joke for joke and
laugh for laugh, and to have seen the
five sitting about the campfire one
would have thought them the truest
friends.
Il don't calkerlate we shall even see
an Injun on this trip" said the outlaw
leader. As he finally knocked the ashes
from his pipe, but in course we can't
be sure of it. We must tharfore post
sentry, as usual. Say, Taylor, l hope
We ar feelin good natured:"
"Oh, yes"
Didn't know but riled We back thar
at the old camp. | wasn't feelin well
when We jumped on me about the gold.
/ We sheer and sheer alike, in course.
You get fifth"
But as You have the team, and as
You are four to one in case we are at
tackled, l shall be satisfied with less
than that" replied Taylor.
We'll, you jest sot your own figgers
and it will be all right" continued Bob
Now. then. let's get to sleep"
Taylor went to the wagon after his
blankets. He had planned just what to
do. and he did it quickly and deity.
Had the men been watching him he
would not have been detected. He re-
moved the cork from the jug, emptied
the poison from his bottle therein, gave
the jug few shakes, and returned to
the fire humming jolly air and evil
IDENTIFY in good spirits The outlaw Sc
lected to stand the first watch took his
station under the cottonwoods hun
dred feet away. the blazing brands were
scattered and in fifteen minutes the
four men wrapped in their blankets ap-
peared to be buried In slumber. Three
Of them perhaps were. but Taylor was
never so wide awake in his life. His life
never before depended on 1t. He noticed
that the three outlaws lay down close
together. leaving him alone and several
feet away. and he figured it out:
They have arranged to kill me, and
it will be when tho sentry is changed
When he comes In to wake the other
man up he is to do the deed. must be
wide awake and prepared for him."
And now came night and solitude ON
the plain Men who have not expert
enced it can have but faint under
standing of it's weirdness-its awful
solemnity-the fear that creeps into the
heart Of the wakeful listener and I'M
nerves him.
Chee-wee! Chee-weeI Chee-wee!
1t is only the voice Of the tree toad.
but 1t makes every nerve tingle and the
breath come shorter. The notes broke
in on a silence as profound as the grave;
is appalling
Step! Step! Step!
1t Is only the footballs Of timid rab-
bit yards away. but they reach the
| strained ears with terrible distinctness
and make the perspiration start from
every pore.
Rustlel Rustlel Rustle!
The listener almost cries out as no
starts up. 1t is harmless snake max
ing his way through the dry grass, but
the sound might have signaled an In
dian creeping into camp to do bloody
work.
He-wichl He-wich! Hewlett
1t is only the note of queer. wee bird
which fits at night over those vast aoli-
tudes, but It has made hundreds Of
brave men shiver with alarm.
An hour has gone by In tho camp on
the Big Cheyenne. The sentinel does
not close his eyes. but feeling quite So
cure from danger he leans against q
! tree and gives himself up to his thoughts.
Taylor has Thousand wild thoughts
. score Of plans-a longing to have time
hurry up and bring the worst.
A wolf comes skulking over tho earth
TO sniff and smell and growl and won
der. but the sentinel neither sees nor
hearA
The wee night bird ceases its notes
and alights on branch over the SEN
tinel's head and loo,.s down upon him
with curious eyes.
A rattlesnake which has been In hid
ing under a brush heap on the bank Of
the stream now comes forth and races
swiftly past tho rear end Of the wagon
to another hiding place.
The awful solitude affects the horses
a. much As the men. They have laid
themselves down to sleep, but they are
uneasy and wakefoL Their ears work
back and forth. Their eyes are strained
to pierce the gloom. and nothing keeps
them down but the feat Of breaking in
on the solitude II they should get up.
They softly scent tho air. Ono would
| say they had feeling that some awful
| tragedy was at hand
Two hours passed away.
"Time must DO most up" whispered
the outlaw sentinel as he finally straight
ened up and looked about him.
Tho trial must DO close at hand!"
whispered Taylor Is he noted the action
Of the sentinel
Ten minutes later tho outlaw walked
| softly back to the sleepers. When he
reached the bodies of his friends he laid
his rife on the ground, drew his knife
and had made two steps toward Taylor
when the latter Suddenly sat up,
yawned. looked about him In q sleepy
| way and then discovered the sentinel
| and said:
"Oh, it's you. chr dreamed that one
Of the horses was walking overme Ev.
erything quiet?'
"Yesr stammered the would DO muir
derer, who expected to strike his victim
a. he slept.
well. think I'll turn out and have
. smoke" said Taylor, and suiting the
action to the words no flung Of his blan-
ket. arose and began to fill his pipe.
In retreating from him the outlaw
kicked against Bob. who sprang up in
alarm with curse. and in minute tho
two others were awake. The ono who
was to relieve the sentinel made ready
to go out. but before he left, the outlaw
leader said:
Some one deserves q clubbing for
turning us out In the middle Of tho
night One Of you bring out that jug
Of whisky
All know that Taylor was to be killed
- he slept All saw that he was alive
and unframed. and that some blunder
had occurred. But there was no oppor-
tunity for explanations. One Of tho
men quickly brought the jug and o cup.
Il