St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-12-28
time with my cap in my hand, to al
IL To-

ing breeze TO play on my 1Oreneau
when Landon, who had never once re.
moved his SLOUGH hat, or in any way
| altered its position on his head since
the first moment saw him, suddenly
took it off. An instant afterwards
the sergeant struck match, ostensi.
bly, to light his pipe, and turned, SC
that the light fell full on Landon's
face.
1t was but for moment; but in
that time was enabled to notice
deep. ivid scar on the mans fore.
head. 1t was evidently the result of a
serious wound; but the next instant
Landon had put ON his hat, and drawn
it tightly down over his forehead,
while the sergeant was quietly light
ing his pipe. I had strong desire to
ask Landon how he came by such
mark, but refrained from doing so,
and as he Volunteered no information
on the subject, although he must have
known that we both saw it, we let
the matter rest.
For some time we walked on in 81
lence, but it wasn't Landon's nature
to remain quiet long, and he was pres
emily talking again in his old CHEEKY
manner until we reached the top of
the mountain, where we awaited the
arrival of the coach, and soon after
wards were once again in. our seats.
It was about an hour after midnight
when we reached our first stopping
place. This was nothing more than q
long, low weather-board hut, con-
tanning roughly-furnished sitting
room and few tiny bedrooms for the
convenience of any passenger who
cared to break the journey. At the
back were stables.
The accommodation house," AZ it
was called, stood almost on the road,
and behind the stables the ground
sloped away to deep gully, whilst in
front on the other side of the road
the side of the mountain, with its
densely-growing scrub, rose precipi-
tously.
A few minutes later we four coach
passengers were seated in the sitting
room whilst the sleepy proprietress
of the establishment busted herself in
leisurely way in preparing for us
hot tea and bacon and eggs.
It was, as have said, a warm night,
and the door of the room was wide
open. Outside the darkness was in
tense owing to the black wall of scrub
that fringed the road and rose like
a wall above us.
Coming into the room after our
four hours drive, we all began to
realize that we were hungry and had
had long, tedious journey. Conver-
sation entirely ceased and a sense
of drowsiness began to creep over all
except the sergeant, who sat facing
the door, his beloved rifle across his
knees. Jones, the ACCOUNTANT, had
placed the bag of gold on the small
table in the center of the room, and
sat with his eyes closed. Landon,
who was nearest the door, had made
no effort to overcome his sleepiness,
and was the first one to close his
eyes. After a time drowsiness began
to steal over me, and just before
finally dropping off to sleep I noticed
that even the sergeant was begin
ming to blink suspiciously, whilst the
tired Landon, now fast asleep, had
Topped across the table, his left arm
extended SO that it almost touched
the bag of gold. In another I was
unconscious.
Crash! With . bound leapt to my
feet, to find the room half filled with
smoke. Jones. too started up with
gasp as the deafening roar fell on his
ears.
"What, in heavens name, is the
matter?'' I shouted hoarsely to the
sergeant, whom I could dimly see
standing erect with his smoking rife
in his hands.
"Look. there at your feet, and youl]
see," he answered quietly.
Jones and I quickly looked down.
and there we saw a figure lying at
full length, face downward.
''Why, it's Landon," cried Jones, in
awe-stricken tones.
"Landon!" echoed the sergeant.
with grim laugh. cts Noon
beam!"
"Moonbeam!" was the startled cry
from half a dozen Threats, as the
coach driver and some Of the stable
men, attracted by the rifle shot, gath.
cred round the door.
"Look here" said the sergeant, as
he stopped and turned the body over.
do you see this scar? I gave him
that with my stirrup-iron about three
years ago. He only just escaped me
that day, but I've got him now.
Dick, old man, you're avenged" and
the sergeant raised his hat as he ut
tered the solemn words. We also
stood silently by, awed by the trag-
edJ that had so suddenly happened in
our midst, till at last Jones spoke.
.'When did you first recognize him,
sergeant?'
81 had my suspicious of him the
first moment that I saw him, and
there was something familiar in the
ring of his voice, but it was walking
up the mountain when lit that
match I made sure of him.
"What happened to make you shoot
him." asked.
II meant to let him come quietly
into Aralven with us and then ar
rest him, but he was not going to wait
for that. l believe he saw that 1 rec
ognized him. just as you all went
off to sleep, was watching him. He
was fox sleeping from the first-any
fool could see that-and the gradually
edged nearer to the bag of gold, till
he could almost touch it. Then I pre-