The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-08-24


kept steadily on his way.
1t was about half hour before
sunrise when he came near to Ram
apo pass. MY time has come. +" he
said to himself. IF can once get
safely through this place, / have no
fear Of the rest Of the way" Blu.
he was more excited than he knew.
and he was breathing rapidly as he
entered the pass He grasped his
heavy walking stick more tightly
and glanced about him. The passage
between the hills was becoming very
narrow. Beside the roadway there
were only narrow little strip of
land and the swift flowing stream
that ran noisily on its way. The
steep hillsides rose abrupt and
rocky. The damp, cool air of the
early morning, the noise Of the
stream, the threatening cliffs and
powders, which might conceal some
Ut his enemies. all increased the
nervous dread of the messenger, and
he quickened his steps Once
through, his greatest danger would
be passed.
This will never do" thought
Montagnie. IF any one is watch
ing me, shall arouse his suspicious
If run" +" And he began to walk lei
surely, although his fear increased
each moment. Up to this time he
terruption on his journey. Perhaps
his fear was unreasonable, but he
had thought go much and so long Of
this place and was so familiar with
the stories of the deeds of the MUIR
dering cowboys there that every
sense was alert. Several times he
thought he saw faces peering out
from behind the bowlders, but he
had not stopped and now he was al
most through the pass. Yes. he
could see where the valley became
wide before him, and soon he would
be out from under these terrible
cliffs, with their long shadows and
dark hiding places. He began to
breathe more freely now and again
Quickened his pace.
Harkl What was that9 He
stopped and listened, and in mo-
ment he knew he had not been de-
ceived. He could hear the sound Of
approaching horsemen, and they
were coming rapidly down the road
before him.
He glanced behind for a hiding
pla ce, and already had started to
climb the cliffs when he caught
sight of the approaching men and
realized that he could not gain q
place of concealment before they
would be near enough to see him.
Perhaps they had already discovered
him. There was nothing left but to
resume his place in the road. walk
on as though he neither feared nor
suspected anything and keep On as
bold a face as possible. But if his
face was bold, it was the only bold
thing about him, for his heart sank
when he saw the six men enter the
pass and bring their horses to walk
when they noticed the stranger.
He could see their faces now, and
his alarm ino1 eased when he recog-
nized the leader as Richard Smith.
He had been at Goshen when his fa-
theI, Claudius Smith, along with
Gordon and De la Mar, had been
hanged. Montagnie knew what q
desperado Claudius Smith had been.
and what terror his gang cf cow
boys had been in Orange county and
along the borders Of New Jersey.
Many rewards had been offered for
his arrest, and about a year and a
half before this tiu,e he had been
captured at Oyster Bay and taken to
Goshen, where he was chained to
the floor of the Jail and strong
guard placed ovsr him.
All his efforts to escape had been
in vain,' and with his two compan-
IONS &c had been hanged, as Mon
tagnie himself knew, for he had
been in Goahan on that very day.
But Smiths son, Richard, had been
avenging the death of his father,
and the poor Wings in that region
had been suffering more at his hands
than they had from his father.
These were the thoughts that were
passing rapidly through the mind Of
the messenger, and there was this
desperate, Richard Smith, ap-
preaching and with him FIVE men
as desperate as he at his back. What
villainous looking men they werei
He grasped his walking stick moro
firmly ana tried to appear calm.
Good morrow. gentlemen. ''aaid
Montagnie.
A gruH word was the only reply,
but each man was glancing sharply
at him. Evidently they were suspi-
cious. but, as they passed on, Mon
tagnie breathed more easily. The
danger was almost passed and in a
moment he would be beyond their