The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1892-07-08
opportunity 20 KIN two pnos,

dove down into my canoe, and soon
dragged up the two bundles of crack.
ers.
They were of the very largest sire, biz
red fellows, and thick as ones wrist.
Mark tore them open.
'Tll bet they will do the work, The
whispered excitedly. ellie fat on the
rocks now, aud il they Gre of fifty shots
they can't hit us. I'm going to make IL
hot for them"
He crept to the edge again, holding
the one pack and boz of matches in
his hand. Soon I heard the boat
scraping ON the rocks, and then CARSON
said, harshly:
"I'm comm up there now, an II
thar's any monkeyin' with firearms, not
one of you'll see daylight agfn. Jake"
he added to his son, ''if they pull on
me, shoot ter kill"
An interval of perfect calm followed,
during which, in spite of my deadly fear.
L crawled nearer the brink, which had a
slight upward ascent. Mark suddenly
turned.
"Look sharp now," he whispered, and
rubbing match, he touched off a big
cracker close to the head and dropped It
over the ledge.
A fearful report followed Instantly, a
deafening explosion that seemed to shake
the mountain, and echoed fearfully up
and down the river, while a streak OF
flame split the darkness, sparks and
burning wads of paper flared up every
~ ,uh oks lha L.,
echoed, there came heavy splash and
cry of agony.
"I'm killed. Pm killed. I'm dead
mani Shoot, Jake, shoot, do you hearf,'-
"Bangi" Jake blazed into the dark.
ness, and the charge Of buckshot hisscl
about our ears, and elected howl OF
fright from Dale.
Jake mistook this for cry Of pain,
and uttered triumphant shout, but
second cracker directed by Marks unerr.
ing hand blew up fearfully close to his
head, and, without breaking the conuec.
ton, he changed the tune to perfect
shrek of terror and fell backward Then
we heard Carson clambering out of the
water into the boat.
"The gun! quick" he cried with
fearful oath.
Jake made no response.
"Do you hear me7 Jakc-Bill2" the
old man howlcd.
ats in the river" cried Bill, ,sullenly.
"Jake let it slip when he fell over"
"In the river2" criei old Carson.
"The blamed fool. Give me your knife,
Bill, and l swar I'll 60 up thar an slit
ther throats."
"Will you, thought" heard Mark
mutter to himself, and then he touched
off the fuse that joined the balance Of
the pack, and, guided by the burning
scraps that rested on the boat, he tossei
the bunch directly into their midst.
Bang! bing-bing! bang! bangl-
bang-biug! bang-bang. Like can
uonade the crackers exploded in thuu.
derous succession, and loud above the
din rose angry cries aud execrations.
Carson dove from the bow of the boat,
Bill plunged headlong from the stern,
and Jake, after falling stupidity into the
blaze, danced over the sides with an
agility that was truly remarkable.
For a short interval all was quiet, and
the burning fragments lit up the night
with weird, ghastly light, and began
to ignite the woodwork of the boat.
Then an arm grasped the chain aud the
boat shot out from shore. The flames
vanished aud dark figures climbed into
the craft.
"Yure lives amt worth a cent" Car
son Kissed at us. you'll hev half an
hour ter say your prayers" aud with this
gentle farewell the boat moved off, aud
the creak of the oars grew fainter and
fainter.
"Unless we get out Of this at once"
said Mark, solomnly, eve are lost. Car
son thinks we won't dare to leave here IN
the dark, but he'll soon change his mind
when he comes back with another gun.
Grab the canoes quick, now; we daren't
lose a minute. We must WORK in the
dark, for it won't do to strike light"
For the next ten minutes we worked
as we had never worke1 j in our lives. One
after another we lowered, or rather
dropped the heavy canoes down to the
water, Mark standing below and casting
loose the ropes. Then we climbed down
over the rocks, and in frantic haste took
our seats and grabbed up our paddles.
"Just second" said Mark; aud
STOPPING clear under water-he was al.
ready wet all over-he rose, holding IN
one hand Carson's missing gun.
He pulled himself into his canoe, aud
off we shot in the darkness.
AS the current swept us down, shou 5
rang out from shore, and a responsive
hail came from far up the river.
"Tnat was close shave" said Mark.
"They must have landed Que Of the fell
lows up above to watch until they came
back. Won't old Carson bn mad,
thought"
We padded long aud swiftly, steering
our course by the stars aud recSlessly
plunging through half a dozen rapids,
and toward dawn we landed a. the little
hamlet of Black Walnut, in Wyoming
| County.
The inhabitants listened in wonder to
our tale and shook their heads slowly.
"We were lucky" they said, "to
escape so easily. Lutte Carson was a
bad man, and even the sheriff, who had
half dozen warrants for his arrest, had