Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-01-14

! were alone, far from camp, and who was
to deny any story he might tell when he
returned without his partner? With
| Harkins out Of the way he was the sole
possessor of the golden secret.
Taylor's change Of demeanor should
have put the Englishman on his guard,
but it had the opposite effect. The warn
ings uttered by Bess and Joe were for
| gotten, and the man reproached himself
with the thought that he had unjustly
/ accused one who was that very moment
| thirstiHg for his life.
Dinner being over, Taylor was ready
/ for action. His face was pale, his hands
trembled and he could not control his
voice as he said:
'FXOu examine that ledge over yonder,
lille I bear off here to the right a bit
/ won't go far"
! With an call right on his lips Harkins
shOuldered his rife and moved forward
without look behind him. Reaching
the ledge he leaned his gun against it
and began to investigate. He moved to
the left, and was at the corner of the
mass and on the edge Of gully or ravine
when he felt the ground giving way
under his feet. At the same instant he
| heard Taylor twice shouting "Indians"
and felt a hot flash across his shoulders.
He went down ten or twelve feet with
mass of dirt and rock, but was not in
jured by the fall. Believing that they
had been discovered by Indians, he wisely
decided to remain where he was at the
bottom Of the ravine until something
further was heard from the savages.
Not a sound reached him from above.
He was sure he had heard the report of
st least one rife as he was falling,
and others might have followed it with
out his hearing them above the noise of
his fall Had the Indians killed Taylor
at the first fire? Would they make
search for him? IF TaHlor had escaped,
wouldn't he return alter the coast was
clear?
For a full hour Harlzins lay quiet in
the ravine, half buried under the dirt
As nothing to alarm him had occurred,
he determined to crawl out and make a
survey. It was only after he was clear
of the dirt that he discovered that he
was bleeding from q flesh wound in the
shoulder. The bullet had scarcely cut
below the skin, and it was hurt to be
laughed at, but it settled Harkins'
doubt regarding the Indians. Both
men had been fred upon at the same
time. He had been wounded and Tay-
lor had been killed.
But if this was the case, the man
speedily reasoned, why had not the In
dams searched for him? If alive they
would want TO finish him or make him
prisoner. Ii dead they would want his
scalp. He could not make it out, and
after waiting a few minutes longer he
moved down the ravine to a spot where
he could ascend the bank He worked
his way up with great caution, and when
he had a clear view Of the ground above
tire was nothing in sight to increase
- anxiety. He had expected to behold
Taylor's dead and mutilated corpse, but |
nothing Of the man living or dead met
his view.
Harkins kept his place of observation
% quarter Of an hour, and then bold
ly climbed out of the ravine to make an
Investigation. The first thing he saw
YVES his gun, which had been tucked
ray under d cedar bush. He walked |
down TO where he believed Taylor stood
when he shouted his alarm, and there on
the ground was a cartridge shell. 1t
was proof that the man had fired from
- spot and stood right there to throw
the shell out Of his gun. If there had
been an attack he would have been on
the move. Harkins was slow in reach
ing o conclusion, but he had arrived at
the truth when he sat down and solilo-
ouized:
ut was Taylor who fired at me. He
wanted me out of the way SO that he
reed not share the gold with me. He
shot just as I was falling and he dared
not advance to see whether he had made
8 sire JOB or not. He hid my rifle be-
cause he means to go back to camp and
claim that [ was killed by Indians
It was now midafternoon and Harkins
was at least ten miles from the camp.
Having no skill as a woodsman, he had
trusted entirely to Taylor to observe
landmarks, and he now doubted if he
ever, knew the general direction in
which the camp was situated. He cast
about for the highest point of ground,
and when he had assembled it he discov-
cred that he could see a portion of the
valley rp which the train had come.
This gave him the general direction and
he set off with feelings much relieved.
Taylor had no doubt started for camp
at once, and as he would have to &C.
count for his appearing alone he would
tell story which would bring grief and
distraction to at least one heart.
Poor Bessie! What would she do?"
the father kept saying as he hurried
along, and the thought of her wild grief
ct loarniug Of his death made him hurry
the faster.