Evening journal., 1892-10-12

lJ was long past udrk Wnen supper
had 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 their
plan to kill him they greeted him with
hearty good will.
"They mean murderw 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 10 have seen the
five sitting about the campfire one
would have thought them the truest
friends
i don't calkerlate we shall even see
an lnJun 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, hope
ye ar feelin good natured|
"Oh, yes"
Didn't know but riled ye back thar
at the old camp. | wasn't feelin well
when ye jumped on me about the gold.
We sheer aad sheer alike, in course.
You get a 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.
.. "Well, you jest sot your own fgger5
M and i. win be all right" continued Bob
ssite stel ..Now, then, let's get to sleep"
tne 'lD,,' Oe' ylor went to the wagon after his
"a i.l'S ma, cts. He had planned just what to
Nd he did it quickly and deftly.
Marshal \ the men been watching him he
Sou, W. "a not have been detected. He re-
moved the cork from the jug, emptied
the poison from his bottle therein, gave
-, the jug a few shakes, and returned to
the fire humming a jolly air and evil
on, IDENTIFY in good spirits. The outlaw Sc
chler acted TO stand the first watch took his
moved Lion under the cottonwoods hun
rested on feet away, the blazing brands were
'eF "el' cred and in fifteen minutes the
lou 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 it, He noticed
that the three outlaws lay down close
together, leaving him alone and several
feet away, and he figured it out;
A.. They have arranged to kill me, and
st it will be when the sentry is changed
WasbNhen he comes in to wake the other
brigade up he is to do the deed must be
gathered awake and prepared for him"
south of ! d now came night and solitude on
'e Pc ain. Men who have not expert
ence9 it can have but a faint under
standing of its weirdness-its awful
solen,nity-the fear that creeps into the
heart of the wakeful listener and un-
nerves him.
Chee-weel Chee-weel Chee-wee!
1t is only the voice of the tree toad,
but it makes every nerve tingle and the
breath come shorter. The notes broke
in on a silence as profound as the grave;
they cease and the silence which returns
is appalling.
Stepl Stepl 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 he
starts up. 1t is a 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
Hewlett Hewlett He-wichl
1t is only the note Of aqueer, 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 OF
the Big Cheyenne The sentinel doe.
not close his eyes. but feeling quite Sc
cure from danger he leans against q
tree and gives himself up to his thoughts
Taylor has thousand wild thoughts