Year: 1866




II will be remembered by our readers that VI
left the heroes of this narrative ploddng their
ry way along in the dead hour of night. All ma
ture, animated and inanimate, was husned in dread
repose. Not a sound could be heard except the
stirring OF the leaves, as the cool night breez,
sighed among the twisted branches of the loft,
oaks, or playfuliy caroed through the thick under
growth of shrubbery. Occasionally it would com,
moaning in fitfu starts through the dense chappar
al and impenetrable eopses of underbrush, appear
ing to the ardent imaginations Of our adventures
like the voice of some forest phantom chanting in
mournful cadence a solemn dirge. Though far
from being superstitious, it not without an in
ward trennlousness, which each endeavored to con.
cea from the other. that they listened to the un-
earthly tones, now dying away to almost inaudbe
sounds, then gradually increasing in strength and
volume until the woods fairly groaned, as it were.
before the presence otto them-some invisible
supernatural agency At length the awful still.
ness of ALL only rendered more gloomy by contrast
with the comparatively real and spiritful existence
OF the wind caused degree of mental torture that
became insupportable. and anything to break the
iltolerable silence an absolute relief As they
had now been travelling without intermission for
some hours, it agreed to camp till morning
They themselves required rest and refreshment
and their jaded animals stood sadly in need of the
same. Having selected a suitable place they dis
mounted, unsaddled their horses and staked them
out to browse on the vegetation which here -four
ished in rich luxuriance. They gathered some
brush, made small fre-an imprudent measure as
they might possibly be in an enemy's county,
IL


while one remained to prepare a generous repast
the other shouldered his repeater and started out to
reconnoiter and take items. Perhaps the reader
may remark on the singularity of this proceeding
at such an hour. and may be inclined on that ac
count TO oscredt the trnth Of the entire story; but
if any declines to as suck" the narrative, can t
help it. If necessary can produce the proper
vouchers for the veracity OF what affirm.


The moon reflected sufficient light 10 enable our
heroes to dist nguish objects at a considerable dis
tance and not knowing but that even now at this
stage of their journey, they might be in the midst
Of those dangers they anticipated on setting out it
OF course behcoyed them to take all the required
precautionary steps to insure their safety. After
Il half hours absence, the with the l6shot-per
suadsr returned to report. He nothing, an d
heard nothing but the whirr of fugitive chippes
as they flew affighted from their roosts by the in
truding stranger, or the onlinus hooting of the
night owl as that sage of the feathered tribe found
his domain invaded by nocturnal providers Ike
himself Sill as is customary with all Generals
and military men, they posted pickets, that is,
drove sharp-pointed stakes into the ground all
round the camp, and while one spread himself out
beneath ohapParal bush, with his saddle for
pillow, and his munitions of war stacked in close
proximity to be ready at a moments warning, the
other mounted guard The tield-piece dis
mounted, loaded with grape and canister, and sta
toned at that point which seemed to be the weak
est and est liable to capture in of assault.
round in circle, their muzzles pointing outward
and their triggers attached by strings to the large
toe of the one, whose turn il might be to enjoy a
few minutes repose that IN the event of an alarm,
the weapons would he discharged with deadly eff
feet on any approaching hostile party by the sud-
den force applied consequent upon impromptu
awakening of the sleeper. It may be supposed that
these measures were entirely useless, and only oc
casioned additional trouble, but it will be seen in
the sequel That had not these precautions been
taken our narrtiye would have been cut short Just
at this particular juncture, and would have
been obliged TO conclude it merely with abbre-
waited account of the surprise, capture and lgno-
minous deaths of our heroes.


ITO be continGed.1