Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1893-08-05

peace and the principal land owner IL /
KnocEnullen lived il big house al
.1a southern side of the valley The j
c9i9nel vas full Of years and was
proud - be rcckoned the best shot
within a twenty mile radius He
would probably have ignored the nlys-
terlous poacher who was fattening OF
MS preserves, for he was a generous
5lt gentleman, only the colonel knew
II his heart that Deerfoot va, reckoned
t. be !. better shot than himself.
There was very little to do at nv
station. \ Petty Sessions Court had
u bs- attended f1rtn1ghtlv at town
TX miles distant, and IL tho interval
louaglng and smoking aid climbing
tn hills formed my chief occupations.
ILere was 10 one III the barracks but
NY Old sergeant and his wife, and the
Munster villagers would not, Of course.
44ake friend OF policeman.
Months went on, and though I kept
my eye9 open and nly mouth shut |
never chancel to light upon Deerfoot
III luy "and,rl,4-s Common reports
| assigned Ia the loacher home III some
mysterious cave ut the far side OF
BIacknock, and naturally Blacknoch
was Il Iayorltc rambling ground OF
u.ine | learned | should have no diff
ticolty i'll recognizing the wild man o.
the woods. He was of middle height.
very Slender, and wore no cap. His
| hair wa long and dark and fell over
| his shoulder. He was black bearded,
| His costume consisted Of gray pea
| 5ncktt and corduroy trousers.
One morning / took ont brand new
rifle, with which the Government had
| Just supplied me. ! had Colonel Brnnu-
| guns leave to shoot over his land d-as
. lslnd Of encouragement to me to bring
| Gown the bigger game-and | was
anxious IL have little quiet rifle prac
tice at some plover which dvelt ut the
far side of Blackjack.
| remember feeling particularly
hnoyant as trudged mp the hill my
cleaning weapon slnng over my
shoulder I got to the top OF the
| Knock, and then. unslineing my rifle,
| descended the other side to a favorlte
! perch of mne-a big rock juttinG out
from the mountain. Here I could re.
if could by any chance bag .Dcerfoot
] wouldn't mind missing the birds.
When | got to my rocky perch. |
was GLAD to sit 1own-morc from lnzi-
ness af mind than Of bodv-anl view
the de~olate valley at my feet and the
bleak, deserted hills beyond t. There
vas d strange. eNhilara'lng pleasure IL
sitting here out Of sound and sight 9
ANYBODY AMI everything save the by,s.
OF thn air And such air
/ was quietly ulmiring the view an
tlle clean run OF my shining rifle War
RI, when I heard u cracking 3oiln.
which warned me that some one WI
Inoviuet through the furzc underneati
lae. | strained rsv ears, vague hop
If D,.erfoot surglng III my breast, thel
lowered myself cautiously and silent /,
from my seat and hid myself ~ vell q
/ could under the iutring rock.
In few moments. right ont IN fro7
of me. about two OF three hundre'
Yards down the mountain side, stoo
the figure Of a slender, black haired
lareLe AIDED man He wore a fade
rrav jacket and corduroy hres ches
land he carried IN his hand III old
fashioned inusket-
Deerfoat 1T last
gra>pti my shot loaded rife. an
movln-, quickly ont u my kldinc
rla-e l stood bolt upright. displayln
nv black uniform to full advantage
aaJ With NY gun pointed straight q
the strange man / crlel Stand
The stranger turned quickly rouns
took swift ~urstv. II ms, and tie
bounded like deer down the s1oul
tam side
, Step or III Ere" I shouted !.