Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1892-11-30
CHAPTER XIV.

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He did It quickly and deftly.
1t was long past dark when supper
hsd been eaten. That the outlaws medi-
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 theft
plan to kill him they greeted him with q
hearty good will.
"They mean murderI" 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.
Hs, 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.
II 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 a
sentry, as usual. Say, Taylor, hope
ye ar feelin good natured"
"Oh, yes"
Didn't know but riled ye back thar
at the old camp. I wasn't feelin we'll
when ye 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
tacked, shall be satisfied with less
than that" replied Taylor.
"Well, you jest sot your own fggers
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 1t quickly and dettly.
Had the men been Watching him he
would not have been detected. he re-
moved the cork from the Jug, emptied
the poison from bis bottle therein, gave
the Jug q few shakes. and returned to
the fire hummine q jolly air and evi-
IDENTIFY in good spirits. The outlaw Be-
leoted to stand the first watch took his
station under the cottonwoods q 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 30 wide awake in his life. bis life
never before depended on it. 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 the sentry is changed
When he comes in to wake the other
man up be 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
eaced it can have but faint under
standing Of its weirdness-its awful
solemnity-the fear that creeps into the
heart of the wakeful listener and un-
nerves him.
Chee-wee! Chee-wee! Chee-wee!
It is only the voice Of the tree toad,
but it makes every nerve tingle and the
breath come shorter. The notes broke
in on silence as profound as the grave;
they cease and the silence which returns
Is appalling
Stepl Step! Step!
It 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 Rustic! Rustlel
The listener almost cries out as he
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-wich! He-wich! He-wich!
It is only the note of queer, wee bird
which fits at night over those vast soli-
tudes, but it has made hundreds of
brave men shiver with alarm.
An hour has gone by in the camp on
the Big Cheyenne. The sentinel does
not close his eyes, but feeling quite se-
cure from danger he leans against a
tree and gives himself up to his thoughts.
Taylor has thousand wild thoughts
a score of plans-a longing to have time
hurry up and bring the worst.
A wolf comes skulking over the earth
to sniff and smell and growl and Won
der, but the sentinel neither sees nor
hears.
The wee night bird ceases its notes
and alights on branch over the SEN
tinel's head and looks down upon him
with curious eyes.
A rattlesnake which has been in hid
ing under brush heap on the bank Of
the stream now comes forth and races
swiftly past the rear end Of the wagon
to another hiding place.
The awful solitude affects the horses
as much as the men. They have laid
themselves down to sleep, but they are
uneasy and wakeful. Their ears work
back and forth. Their eyes are strained
to pierce the gloom, and nothing keeps
them down but the fear of breaking in
on the solitude if they should get up.
They softly scent the air. One would
say they had feeling that some awful
tragedy was at hand.
Two hours passed away.
Time must be most up," whispered
the outlaw sentinel as he finally straight
ened up and looked about him.
"The trial must be close at handv'
whispered Taylor as he noted the action
of the sentinel.
Ten minutes later the outlaw walked
softly back to the sleepers. When he
reached the bodies Of his friends he laid
his rifle on the ground, drew his knife
and had made two steps toward Taylor
when the latter suddenly sat up,
yawned, looked about him in sleepy
way and then discovered the sentinel
and said:
"Oh, it's you, eh2 dreamed that one
Of tEe horses was walking over me. Ev-
erything quiet?
"Yesr' stammered tho would be MUIR
derer, who expected to strike his victim
as he slept.
"Well, l think I'll turn out and have
a smoke" said Taylor, and suiting the
action to the words he flung off 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 the
two others were awake. The one who
was to relieve the sentinel made ready
to go out, but before he left. the outlaw
leader said:
Some one deserves clubbing for
t11rninp us ont in the middle of the