The Opelousas courier., 1900-09-22
The Fate of Magruder.
BY or N PULLEN.


"All right; jaguar or lion, I'd like
fair shot at him. Il remarked, and set
tied myself again to my slumbers. Blu
before L went quite to sleep / heart
my partner moving restlessly in hi
blankets and mutterfng.
He was in good spirits the next morn
ing when we started out to make tn
round Of our traps. 1t was one o.
those exquisite autumn days which, il
the higher levels of Arizona, open Will
frost and are sunny and warm at noon
We separated at the forks of the creek
Magurder taking the south and l the
north branch.
L had the longer route, and I found
two minks and an otter to skin; SO
when 1 got back to the forks, near the
end of the day. Magurder had bent
some twigs In the direction Of the
camp to show me that he had gone on
down the creek toward the camp.
went on, following the route he had
taken.
Presently. In a place where the
ground was soft, l came upon Magru-
der's tracks and something more. A
line Of tracks followed Magruder's;
they resembled'the tracks of a noun
tain-lion. and the breadth and depth
of the imprints showed the creature
to be OF uncommon size. Step by step
1t had crept along, cat-fashion, until
it had crossed a marshy place in two
Or three enormous bounds, when it
had resumed its stealthy gait.
had got to hard ground, where the
track Were faint, when I caught
sight of a man in Mexican costume
crossing the valley a short distance
ahead of me. 1t was Jose Bonifacio,
q Mexican Indian who had served as
scout and trailer in Indian campaigns
with me, and he recognized me. / mo-
toned for him to come to me, and
showed him the tracks in the soft
ground. He examined them carefully,
This mar was not to be easily fright
ened, but there was something like
fear in his face as he spoke in his brok-
en- English.
You go way" he said. Go way
from Tonic. No leon make them
You know what?" His voice
lowered, and he put his hand on my
arm, looking around as if fearful of
being overheard. 81 know that fellow
heap in Sonora. He very bad. Ell
we call him. He follow that
man all day, never touch him. When
dark come, he kill him. That man
your partner? You hurry long find
him. Then You two stay together. Go
way" his voice sinking into a whis-
per. go way. quick!'
What do you mean, B~onifacio?' l
asked, impressed by the seriousness of
his manner. do you mean to tell me
hat these are not a mountainous
,racks?"
The half-breed had the savage's
superstition against pronoun-
ing the name of a creature that is
feared, lest it overhear and
the familiarity.
He no leon," he said. "Leon kill
leer, calf, sheeprbut the mar he run
rom. This fellow" here his voice fell |
gain to a whisper, .'he kill man. You
furry long, find Bill" Then warning
Y again, go way from Tonto!- Go
He started on his way over the hills.
Come down to the cabin and spend
he night" l said; but the half-breed
hook his head.
The shadows Of night were falling
s | hurried down the valley. After
THAT Bonifacio had said, I was natur-
lily anxious about Magruder, although
knew he had plenty of time to get
, the camp before dark. Moreover,
" partner was well-armed and little
kelly to be caught off his guard by an
neny, man or beast.
| came into the open space before
camp in the last light from the
'estern sky. Before me the syca-
lore, with half its leaves still uponit,
,wered above the shadow beneath it's
'ide-spreading branches. The cabin
DOR was open, SO Magruder had re-
lrned.Bu where was he? All! What
that under the sycamore, lying cut
retched and still in the deepest
ladow? Certainly the form of a man.
Id he lay as lie the dead.
! cooked my rife and looked around
e. Nothing threatened from the
'ound. | gazed into the tree, but
'uid detect there nothing unusual or
lspicious. Slowly I walked toward
e outstretched form until / came TO
e edge Of the shadow beneath the
'camore.
paused at a slight sound
at came from among the branches
soft, brushing fip-fip., fip-fip. 1t
me from a great forked branch that
.erhung the path. Now that my
tention was drawn to this limb, /
ought it looked unusual ne.r the
rk. There it seemed to be much
ECKER than elsewhere in its length;
i locking closely. I could see moth
9 that indicated danger.
1t is nothing" / said to myself, and !
ade another step forward. :
Then / saw it! The formlass thick
OF the bough all at once shaped :
eli 60 my eyes in its true appearance
he Dough and the thing upoa it. I
W two nhosphortscen spots, not
SLY to be discerned among the gel {
7 leaves. ] saw these were living I
IN 0 hinge, caslike head resting
On ~ f0gke af this n snnh Rshira 4