Year: 1870

murderous assailant beyond the hedge


"The victim of my shot lay writhinl
among the cruel thorns, no longer able
to do me injury, The other heard and
comprehended the result. He turned
and fed before / could so far release my
self as to send bullet after him.


my rascally servants still held them
selves aloof intent, no doubt, on devising
specious subterfuge to screen them
from suspicion. | stood in momeptary
fear of simultaneous attack from them,
and undoubtedly should have been thus
beset in another instant, had it not been
for the fatal rashness of the leader and
chief actor in the brief but terrible
affray.


But his destruction, and the flight OF
his companion, put different feature
upon the case. And perceiving this,
Luis crafty brain was quick to seize
upon the possibilities of the changed
condition Of affairs The unprincipled
wretch hesitated not to resort to any
course of action that promised to ad-
vance his selfish interests.


While yet crouched along the hedge,
in momentary expectation of murder
GUS onslaught from the rear, yet, for ap-
pearance sake, calling upon Luis, in a
most reassuring tone, for cooperation In
our mutual defense, that cowardly traitor
came stealthily cropping past me, and in
curing in hushed, halfaudible tone, as
If afraid that the dying wretch beyond
would hear him, Where is the bad one
He want to kill me sometime.


II moved not az he passed within o few
feet of me, but still kept my eye fixed
upon his movements, and my finger rest
ing on the trigger of my trusty revolver.
The woman did not follow him. This
gave me some reinsurance, though did
not cease to watch for her.


Luis was now some distance beyond
me. He had reached the side of the
fallen man. / heard low muttered i'm
precation, mingled with the groans OF
the writhing sufferer, and saw the fash
of a glittering blade in the hand of the
chincarero A sickening chill of horror
swept over me as ! saw the weapon
buried to the haft in the breast Of the
expiring man, and heard his dying
shrek. Luis feared the fellow might
live TO tell unpleasant taleS.


The bloody drama was ended. Con-
trary to my expectation there was no
offer of violence on the part of my un-
faithful attendants To silence their
suspicious fears, and thus the better Sc
cure my own safety, ! explained that
CHANGING to awake during the night, !
had happily discovered the advance OF
the enemy in the moonlight, and noise
lessly retreated to cover, to observe their
movements. They appeared to be sat
isfed with this explanation, and to be-
lieve that they were nowise under sus-
picion. An examination of the body OF
the wretch who had so determinedly
rushed on to his own destruction, con-
firmed my first suspicious regarding his
identity. He was none other than my
old enemy of the Albert King, - Stom-
bard. This discovery explained sew
eral things that had been enveloped in
mystery before, ] found, among other
results of the examination, that Luis had
most certainly robbed the body after de-
priving it of life, as there was nothing,
valuable or otherwise on his person, and
pocket of his pea7j jacket was found
turned wrong side out But / men
toned not hint of this to Luis, nor
even appeared to have noticed anything
of it.


THAT terrible night passed, followed
by long, weary day Of toll. stretched
the distance that day, and far overwent
our average daily accomplishment |
was anxious, feverishly anxious, to reach
our destination now, or the settlements
at least. / think my attendants must
have observed this new anxiety. Be that
as it may, never once, for so much as
an instant, lost sight Of either Of them,
or failed 10 narrowly observe their move
ments. did not close my eyes that
night. The feeling of mistrust, which |
could not shake of, drove sleep from my
eyelids. have little idea that the others
slept much, unless it was by turns, while
one kept watch. No doubt they were
afraid would shoot them to protect my
self


"The next day, at an early hour, we
reached good water, and found some
food for our animals. The camp at sun
set was twelve miles in advance of the
point we had two days before laid out to
reach at this time, and on the western
slope Of the last mountain range. Late
that night my cowardly attendants de-
serted me. knew when they left, but
did not move nor utter sound. was
glad to be finally rid Of them. They
took one Of my mules, well knowing !
would not pursue them, now that they
had brought me wholly past the noun
tains. The wretches were afraid Of being
delivered up to punishment, in the set
tlement below | made very lengthy
march the next day, and at evening
reached q quief little hamlet. where, for


-.f L. I -o.toI - oaonr,fx- "