Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-09-14

denly death had come.
As the young man threw the body
to one side from the fire, and sank un,
der the cover Of bowlder, he glanced
in the direction from which the shots
had come, but could see nothing. AS
he watched, there would occasionally
rise puffs of white smoke, followed by
the report of q rifle, and he would fire
in return. Through the whole after.
noon never once did he see an Indian
face or form. After the first surprise,
the three had called to see one an.
other. and were rejoiced to know that
none was hit. The oldest had taken
the direction Of affairs.
"Hold your ammunition, and wait
until to night, and then we will break
back for the canon and try to reach
the settlements. There are too many
of them for us to stand off," he said,
and so through helong afternoon they
waited. The fire they had kindled
burned out, and the body Of the dead
man beside it grew cold and rigid
The blood no longer flowed from the
wound. When the wind would blow
the ashes from the Goals left by the
fire, they would still glow, as ii il
mockery of the quick death that had
overtaken the outstretched form be-
sido him.
When darkness had come. the three
men gradually crept i1ack-keeping as
closely together as possible-in the
direction OF the canon behind them.
Occasionlly, out of tho darkness, would
come flash of light from rife fired
in their direction. TO these, at frsS,
they replied; but when they had got
some distance from the camp where
the dead man lay, they rose to their
feet, and as rapidly and noiselessly as
possible rctreated to the canon. Nc
one spoke, but each knew that the
faces of his comrade were, like his own,
glowing with that feeling of gratitude
that comes only when man has es,
capped almost certain death. They
would never see the man they had left
behind again; but, after all, he was
old and alone in the world, while they
well, with them life was sweetssa apd
dearer tthnr-itt-eould< po5si's,ss5y have
been TO- him.
The three men kept closely together.
as if relying on one another for assist
ance. AS they climbed down through
the canon they remained on its dark.
est side, in order to avoid any pos
sible discovery, although it made theil
narrow footway still more dangerous.
Far behind them they could see Oh
the mountain side a blaze of light, and
they knew that it was signal of theil
escape. 1t made them push forward
with still greater cxcrtion, for now
they knew that the pursuit was close
behind, and that it would be ouly with
the greatest effort they could escape,
as the indians had probably discov'
cred the direction in which they were
going, and would endeavor to inter
cept them. As they pushed forward
with renewed haste vhe man in the
rear suddenly slipped and fell, carry
ing with him his two comrades. Tho
fall was but slight one. The little
pebbles it had started had hardly
ceased rolling before two OF the men
wcrc again on their feet, picking NJ
their arms. Harry tried to join them
and rose to his feet, but only to fal
again.
"What's the matter?" asked one o
lis comrades.
II think I have sprained my lee
some way" he ercplied.
The two men assisted him to arise,
but when he was on his feet, his lef
leg seemed to be without life, SO far a:
any control of the muscles OF it was
concerned, He tried to step for
ward, but it drtgged as if it were
paralyzed. A cold sweat broke GU
all over him, and when one of the mel
who supported him said, ''This is
tough!" it sounded like sentence o.
death.
sCan't you move it at all?" asked
one of his comrades, his voice betray
ing his desire to be once more on hi!
way toward the settlements. They
were still standing where they hat
fallen in the moonlight, and one O
them noticing it, led the way back in
to the shadow.
"No, I am afraid it is broken" an
swered the disabled man. His voice
sounded strange and changed. He
could hardly recognize it. The dead
man whom they had left lying back
by the campfire seemed very near tc
him, and in his fear and pain he Won
derel if the Indians had mutilatet
him much.
The two men laid Kim down, ant
one, taking the disabled limb i'll hi:
hand, moved it gently back and forth.
and in an instant moved his hand fal
up on the thigh.
eyes, it's broken there. You car
feel the ends of the bones" AS he
said it, he glanced from the face o.
the wounded man into that of his
other comrade. Even in thes shadow
the wounded man caught the express
sion on the faces of the two men, ant
knew that they were thinking how
long it would be before the Apache:
would ovcrtake them if they remained
there. Both had seated themselves
by his side in the shadow, so that i
their pursuers were near they would
offer poorer target.
Don't yon think you can limI
along with our holp?" asked one.
"No, it's no use, boys, I could never
get through the canon. You will have
to leave me. Ii I tried, they would
attack us before daybreak. AS he
said this, lie unbuckled the belt from
around his waist, with its cleaning
row of cartridges, and handed it tt
one OF the men, after taking the re
volver from its holster.
"Wcll. we amt going to leave you,
said one Of his comrades.
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