The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-05-12

any chance. Life was the stake to be
played for, and the game was to be
drawn out.
When Williams had crossed the basin
he turned and headed back south, but
not on the trail. He knew Johnson too
well to suppose that he would make his
way to the center of the basin on the
trail. He entered the woods on his
right and made his way along through
the tangle and over the powders with
the stealth of an Indian. As our leader
entered the basin he also entered the
woods to his right. The two men thus
made half circle and were as far away
from each other as the limit allowed.
The basin contained about 500 acres
of land and was walled in on every side.
The trees were not large, but the I'M
dergrowth was very thick, and there
were also great many powders lying
about
AS Williams circled to the south and
Johnson to the north, each made half
circle before finding the others trail.
The distance covered by this half circle
was about two miles, and such was the
caution with which the men moved that
it was afternoon before they came upon
signs" Each ones plan was now
plain to the other, anIh both at once
changed. That is, each returned over
his own trail, or within reaching dis
lance it. Thischange simply prevent
ed meeting. When one man reached
the north end of the trail the other was
back at the south end, and it was four
o'clock in the afternoon. Then each
took the trail and held it to a point
within 200 feet of the center, and Will
liams left it for the woods to his right.
Without suspecting each others pres
ence they crept carefully forward until
only so feet separated them. Then a
wolf dashing out from the space be-
tween them gave both men the cue, and
each man began working for a shot.
johnson had before him three or four
vine-covered powders, and he crept I'M
der the vines and was so well hidden
that even the eyes of fox could not
have made him out. Half an hour
passed, and it was growing dark in the
forest, when Williams rose up along
side tree and began peering about.
His uprising was like that of a shadow,
and for ten minutes he did not expose a
finger as a target. Then he either be-
came impatient or figured that Johnson
was not at hand, and his head left the
shelter of the tree to get better look
1t was too dark for Johnson to take ac-
curate aim, and the bullet meant fer
Williams eyes passed through and
knocked the cap off his head. In a
second Williams had fired in return,
taking a snap shot at the flash, and his
bullet tore through the cloth on John
sons shoulder.
These were the first and best shots
fired. Each man drew away after firing
and they were probably mile and
half apart as they made camp for the
night. Had they been Indians they
might have hunted each other in the
darkness, but each lay down to- sleep,
feeling as safe as in camp. As the sun
came up the hunt was again on. They
were now east and west of the trail and
more than a mile apart. They seemed
to locate each other by intuition, and
one moved to the right and the other
to the left to make rear approach At
nine o'clock in the morning they had
simply changed places. 1t was then
that each threw away portion of his
woodcraft and began bolder advance.
At II O'Clock as johnson crept forward
on hands and knees and started to lift
himself up beside tree he came face
to face with Williams, who was about
to do the same thing from the opposite
direction. Both sprang up and began
firing. The range was too close, and the
sudden encounter had also upset them.
Each man fired five or six bullets, each
had his clothing perforated and then
Zach retreated. Taking the tree as a
common center, they began circling
around it, and must have passed each
other at least twice. Then the circle
was broadened until the tree was half
mile from its outer edge, and it took in
mass of rock which both men had
marked for strong position.
AT about one o'clock in the afternoon
johnson was creeping toward the rocks
from one direction and Williams from
another, but Williams gained the shell
ter first. Johnson caught glimpse of
him as he crouched among the shadows
of the rocks, but waited to get better
view of him before firing He lay on
his stomach, his rifle over a stick on the
earth and his eye at the sights, and he
felt sure of his man. Let Williams move
but a foot one way or the other and a
bullet would find him. For ten minutes
stiffness reigned throughout the basin.
Then, as sudden as a thunderbolt, there
was an angry scream from a wild beast
and johnson saw some object cross his
line of vision and descend upon the
crouching man. 1t took him full half
minute to understand what was hap
pening and that it was not a trick of
his adversary. There were growls.
shouts and screams, with two bodies
rolling over and over in the under
growth, and johnson at length made
out that a mountain lion had sprung
upon the man who was watching and
waiting for him. AS soon as this be-
came clear he dashed forward, got in
two shots and then flung away his rifle
and attacked the lion with his l,p;fa