Year: 1877

searching after those very Vlllains.


" DO you really think so ?" he asked.


told him thought so from the first.


zounds !" he muttered with a smile,
must be more careful, or / shall ex-
pose myself too much"


Then he ack cknowledged that he was an
officer, and as we rode on l told him all
had heard concerning the outlaws.


In the course of half an hour we left
the timber, and soon afterward we came
in sight of the cane brake. 1t was a GU
rious sight, that maze of canes stretch
ing away almost as far as the eye could
reach and as i came nearer wonder
ed not that even experienced hunters
sometimes lost their way and starved to
death in the trackless depth of such
labyrinth. For the distance of some
two miles we rode along close by the
edge of the brake, and then we were
forced to bear to the right on account of
the softness of the soil, and pretty soon
we came to where body of water lay
between us and the canes. This water
seemed to be sort of bayou, fed by
some stream beyond my sight, and it
certainly had swampy, dismal look,
suggestive of snakes and alligators. We
had passed point of wood that made
close down to the water, when fancied
that heard the sound of horses feet
behind me, and upon turning beheld
four horsemen just emerging from the
wood. My companion certainly en-
deavored to make some sign to them,
but they did not see him. They kept
straight on to the edge of the bayou;
went into the water as though it were a
continuation of the road, the horses
moving with perfect assurance, and
finally disappeared within the depths of
the cane-brake.


1 looked at my companion, and he
looked at me.


"That's rather curious, isn't it?" he
said. And he looked into my face very
sharply.


"Curious enough" replied.


"What dye spose it means 7" he
queried.


1t had naturally occurred to me that
within the cane-brake might be the hid
den retreat of the robbers, and that the
place of passage across the bayou was
known only to themselves, but did not
speak my mind to my companion, / in
timated to him that had no idea of its
meaning.


1t isn't impossible" he pursued,
with his eyes still fixed sharply upon me
that the rascals we've been speaking
of have haunt in there somewhere"


told him thought it quite likely.


We rode on a short distance further,
and close by spur Of the timber he told
me that he must leave me.


should like to keep on with you, "
he said, "but must take the rest of my
way alone. Here is my path"


He bade me goodbye; hoped we should
meet again, gave me some directions
touching my route, and then turned to-
ward the timber. Dear reader, did you
ever, either while standing in the street,
or in some crowded assembly, grow ner-
vous and uneasy under the impression
that some one was gazing upon you
and have you not, under such circum-
stances, looked around and found pair
of bright, electric eyes fixed upon you I
Something so felt as rode away from
that stranger.


AT length the feeling became oppres-
sive and stopped and turned. In an
other instant 1 should have been dead
man The seeming hunter had dis
mounted, and his keen black eye was
glancing along over the barrel of his
rifle directly at my heart. Quick as
thought slipped from my saddle, and
on the same second a bullet came whiz-
zing over my shoulder close by my ear
think the tenth part of a second lost
by me at that time would have been
fatal. The villain supposed, of course,
that he had shot me, and leaving his
horse behind he hurried toward me. Un
der such circumstances could have nC
hesitation. 1 waited until he had arriv
ed within a few PAGES, and then / level
ed my pistol and shot him through th,
heart. He kept on toward me, and
fired second time but the first sho
had been sufficient.


YOU'RE fine travelling companion
aren't YEP" said 1, as bent over him