The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-12-15

from civilization.
As he went down the bank he fancieo
he heard a prculiar sound behind him
It was peculiar because of its regular
ity. He stopped and listened.
He had heard something.
The sound was that Of splashine
waters.
Splash, splash, splash!
The sound seemed to be coming
nearer, as he listened.
'It can't be a cow, thought Dick
'It's too rapid for that. It can't be {
deer, for he'd 60 faster,and stiller.
He hid himself in clump of willows
and waited.
Splash, splash, splash.
Nearer and nearer came the sounds
and presently he saw shadowy figures
in the dim light which sifted through
the branches of the trees overhangine
the stream, which was here about fif'
teen feet wide and perhaps knee-deep.
"Horses, by all that's goodp' ex.
claimed Dick. Young fellow, there's
mischiefin the wind. I wonder if I've
got on the track of the horse-thieves
at last?"
By this time the horses were opposite
the place where he was hidden.
he gave great start of surprise, and
could hardly repress the cry which
rose to his lips.
For he recognized Nell and Dolly.
He could not distinguish the features
of the men who were riding the horses,
the light through the branches being
80 dim. ...
He waited until they passed few
rods beyond his hiding place. Then
he left it and followed them cautiously
down the bank of the stream. .
The Big Swamp's borders were four
or five miles from the road. As the
land became lower the creek widened
and deepened, and the banks gradu-
ally merged themselves into boggy
flats. Thus, at the, junction of the
swamp with the hardwood land on
either side of the creek, there was moth
ing but miry soil, with water standing
in every hole, and it was almost i'm
possible for man to make his way
through the tangled growth of bushes
over this treacherous semblance of terra
firma. -
The men stopped when the water
deepened so that the horses legs were
hidden in it. ....-.. ... >
From behind q clump of immense
willows growing in the bend of the
stream one of them showed out raft
constructed of light cedar logs. .-
With some trouble they succeeded
in getting the horses upon it. 4"
This done, they proceeded to pole it
off down stream toward the heart of
the Big Swamp. .,. ."
'There isn't any use of my going
any farther" thought Dick. ''I know
where the gang keeps itself, now, and
I've found out how it gets there. It's
a little strange that no one has ever
thought of their wading down the
creek till they reached deep water.
But it isn't so very strange, after all,
for nobody supposed it possible for
them to get a horse into the Big
Swamp in any manner. ...
He sat down on fallen cypress and
thought over what it was best to do.
81 think the best plan is to go di-
rectly to Mr.! Boone's, he decided. ct
guess I can get there without stretch
ing hemp. 1t won't take long to get
q squad of men on the trail. I see how
it all is, now. Wayne is leader of the
gang. He hunts up jobs, and lays the
plans, and keeps the other fellows
posted. What I found on the old cot
tonwood was his instruction to them
after the stealing of Deacon Snyder's
horses had been settled on. It's all as
clear as daylight to me now. hope
we can catch them, horses and all. If
we can, won't it be proud day for me
when can stand up before all Browns
vile and say: I'm the man you
wanted to hang for a horse-thief.
Now, what have you got to say about
it?'"
About mile from the road, q bluff
jutted out from the south, forcing the
creek to make an abrupt turn. Dick
followed it around this point; and as
he came to the open space on the other
side of it, he found himself face to
face in the dull gray light of breaking
day with half dozen men with Bill
Green at their head.
There had been q difference of
opinion on reaching the place where
the creek crossed the road, and part of
the men had gone up the creek as the
horse-stealers had planned for them to
do, and Bills party had started toward
the Big Swamp, on the correct sup
position that the upstream trail was a
dodge to throw them off the scent.
'"Fhey went up there a ways, an
then come back in the water, an a
mile or two lords the swamp they'll
strike high lam an put for down blow.
They want tn keep us a-dodgin' round
so 8 they can gain time an git good
start of u.s.
That was Bills argument, and in
part he reasoned correctly. On the
strength of this belief he had come
down the stream, inspecting the banks
closely on either side, hoping to find
where the horses had been out of the
water and driven on toward some OF
the roads leading out of the settle
ment.
"That s him-that g Dick Bray
toni" shouted Bill Green, who had
been the first to recognize the man
who appeared so suddenly before them.
eve re close on to the gang, now!