Crawfordsville Weekly Journal, Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, 13 July 1894 — Page 6

By CHARLES B, LEWIS QL QUAD).

[Copyright, 1892, by American Press Association.]

[CONTINUED. J|

The train had gone on. It was not like Americans—it would have been disgraceful to heathens to thus abandon one who had como with them so far and met with an accident to render him Helpless, it was avarice—the tnirst for gold—the fear that some one would bo ahead of them at the base bf yonder grim mountain.

The woman rocked and crooned and dozed all through the long afternoon. A wolf crept out of his lair in the irocka and approached the spot. "Has Lizzie come?" queried the watcher as a savage growl suddenly aroused her. "No, it is not Lizzie! Go away from us! You are one of the renegade gang! You helped to steal my child!"

The wolf drew back. It was only a woman watching the dead, but he feared her.

The deserted one resumed her lonely vigil, rocking weakly and muttering vaguely. As the sun sank in the western sky her voice grew fainter, and when its dying rays illumined the mournful sceno she fell forward beside her murdered husband and expired without a sigh.

CHAPTER XIV.

Harkins at first saw only the four renegades as he peered around the corner of the rock. Looking again, he discovered a female seated at the foot of a tree not far away. Her back was toward him and her head was held down, and he could not make out whether she was young or old, a white woman or a squaw. "I say, curse the luck!" exclaimed one of the men in a brutal voice. "It looks as if they might also have heard of the cave and gold, else why would they come so directly to this spot?" "How many did you count?" asked another. "Three wagons and ten or twelve men," replied the other. "I didn't dare go too clus, you know." "Too strong for us to wipe out, eh?" queried one of the men who was lying down. "But they've got to go somehow," growled the man who had first spoken. "We haven't come this fur and taken all these chances to be scooped out of that gold. With the redskins on the one side and these fools on the other we dasn't show hand or head." "What's all yer brains, Bob?" asked one of the men with a laugh. "Give us some head work and say how we are going to sarcumvent the wagon folks." "It's got to be head work, and I've got it all thought out. I'm going down among 'em tomorrer. Is that gal all right?"

He rose to his feet so that he could be sure she was still sitting at the foot of the tree, and one of the men growled: "She's right 'miff, blast her! I only wish we'd hev let the wolves pick her bones! I never knowed any such foolin arouud with wimmin folks to bring luck." "Then I'll give ye something hew," sneered Bob as he sat down. "I've got plans about that gal, and them as don't like my plans had better go further and work on their own hook!" "Oh, come off vvith yer quarrels!" called- the fourth man as he rolled off the bed of brush and sat up. "Is there any move by the party below?"

1'

"Nothing except they hev gone into camp for the summer, blocking our road out!" answered the leader. "And they are going to stay right thar, eh?" "Not after tomorrer—not if my name is Bob, and I reckon it ar," "They don't suspicion us?" "Not the least. None of 'em hev cum •up this fur yet, and so they hevn't seen the wagon tracks." "Hev we made any mistake about the canyon?" "N ary one. I'll stake my life on it. I went fur 'nuff up today to be sartain. All we want is a clear road for a day or two, and we'll load the wagon and be off."

Harkins had gathered enough to be certain that Bridger's cave and its treasures were known to the renegades as well as to himself and Taylor. The dying old hunter had said that he alone possessed the secret, but it was evident that it had been talked of to others. These four men, outlaws though they were, and probably as brave as that class of men usually are, would not have penetrated into the Indian country thus far with no stronger force had not a val-' uable stake dej)ended.

So the female was a girl and a prisoner? If a prisoner, then there must have been an act of violence to make her so. Perhaps it was Bess! The father shivered at the thought, and the thought would have led him to do some desperate thing had it not been put away almost immediately. The prisoner raised her head and looked around, and it was a face he had never seen before. It betrayed anxiety and suffering, and he instantly resolved that he would take any risk to help.

The sun was now hidden behind the mountain and it was twilight around the campfire. The men sat smoking or thinking for a quarter of an hour without a word, and then one of them rose and disappeared. Ten minutes later he returned with a bag of provisions and a bottle of whisky, and Bob said: "Yes, we might as well hev a bite BOW as any other time. Give the gal her share. If she's still too mulish to eat let her throw it away."

The man carried some bread and meat to the girl, but she gave him no heed. More wood was thrown on the fire, the bottle Dassed from hand to. hanL_and

by the time darkness bad settled down the four renegades were in good spirits and seemingly good natured.

Then Harkins could no longer see the girl, though perhaps those at the fire had her in view. .Here was a new ana a aouDie aanger, he reflected as he carefully crept away. It was not enough that the renegades had come for the gold, but they were plotting against the wagon train and would not stop at murder. It was clearly his duty to reach the train as soon as possible and warn his companions of the presence and designs of these intruders. Darkness had come on, but he knew the general direction of camp and hoped to be able to reach it some time during the night.

But what of the prisoner? Under the circumstances not more than one man in a thousand would have done more than to wish that he could help her. Harkins was that one man. He had been strangely drawn to her, and her situation aroused all his sympathies. He determined to attempt her rescue, even at the peril of his life. He drew away from the mass of rock, strapped his rifle to his back, and then crept over the rough ground on hands and knees, moving to flank the party on the right.

It was a rough and dangerous route, leading over great masses of rock, under thick pines and across seani3 or rifts, but he moved with care until well in the rear of the camp.

Then his route was down the side of the mountain until all at once he came upon the wagon. It had been pulled up out of the valley to be hidden by the trees. The horses he could not see, they having been lariated out at some spot where there was grazing.

Looking up at the campfire from the wagon the Englishman could see the four renegades playing cards by the blaze. Between him and them was the girl. He hesitated only long enough to get his bearings and then began creeping upward. He felt now that more depended on the girl than himself. If she was asleep she might scream out as he aroused her. If she saw him come creeping up she might take him for an Indian and alarm her captors. Even should all go right up to that moment, would she have the nerve and strength to creep away with him?

Half way to the fire the brave Englishman halted to canvass the chances with himself. He realized the hazards, but after a couplo of minutes he continued on his way. By and by, as he elevated his head above a bowlder, he saw the girl before him and not five feet away. She was sitting upright and had her face turned toward him.

Harkins lifted his right hand as a signal. The girl lifted a hand in answer.

Then he beckoned to her to come. She answered with a sweep of her hand, which told him that she was tied to the tree.

CHAPTER XV.

A man and a woman approached him.. Taylor entered the camp about midafternoon, hatless and apparently in great distress from having come at such a rapid pace. He reported that he and Harkins had been attacked by about a dozen Indians soon after eating their noonday meal, and that while Harkins had been shot down he had miraculously escaped the deadly bullets and dashed for the camp. He had been pursued up to within rifle shot of the wagons, and he pretended great fear lest the camp would be immediately attacked.

Two of the prospectors had returned, but two others were still out. Before waiting to question Taylor or hear his whole story the camp prepared for defense, and it was only after an hour had passed away that any one questioned the near presence of Indians.

Bess knew nothing of her bereavement until the captain and others began to question Taylor. About this time the other party came in, and it transpired that Taylor alone had seen Indians. None of the others had seen the slightest cause for alarm. In repeating his story Taylor got it badly mixed, and when he attempted to console the girl, who stood listening to every detail with tearless eyes, she answered: "It may be so, but 1 cannot believe it. I shall not believe it until I 6ee his dead body." "But are you doubting my words, miss?" "If the Indians killed him his body will be lying where it fell," she answered. "You can find the spot again— you must find it. We cannot go now, as night is coming on, but we 6hall go in the morning. If the wild beasts have spared his body, I want it for Christian burial. If they have not. I want what bones they may' leave." "What did you fire at today?" asked Joe as he reached for Taylor's gun and proved by the blacking on his finger thrust into the bore that it had been recently discharged. "I—I fired on the Injuns, of course," stammered Taylor. "Oh, you did! We thought you said you had your gun on your back and was climbing up a inass of rock to get a look around?" "I—I've got to lie down and think it over and quiet my nerves. I've had such a close call that I'm rattled and can't remember ju6t how it all was."

AH Tavlor flnnar himself down the

men gathered in a group to discuss his story. There was something queer about it, but as no one knew of his feeling agaiiist Harkins there was no key to his actions. Bess sought to furnish one by saying: "I know this man hated father, and I could see it every time he looked at us. Why he did I do not know, but I know that he had an ill will. If father is dead he had something to do with it!" "Hush, child!" cautioned the captain »f the train. "Your father and Taylor were good friends as far as I could see.' It is an awful charge to bring against a man—that of betraying a comrade." "But he told two or three different stories about it," answered Joe, "and his actions are suspicious. If he has done this he shall" "I will shoot him with my own hand!" sternly replied the captain. "Let everything rest till he awakes. It may have been as he says—that fright and exhaustion may have upset him." "But he must guide us to the spot in the morning," persisted Joe. "I shall insist upon that, even if we have to leave the camp alone," added Bess. "It shall be so," replied the captain. "We shall know all in the morning."

Bess retreated to the wagon, rent with conflicting emotions and prostrated by grief and doubt, and the men went about their duties without a word to each other. All felt that there was something wrong about Taylor's story, but all hesitated to believe him guilty of the heinous crime of taking the life of a comrade.

Night came down. Taylor had hidden his face under his blanket, but he had not closed his eyes in sleep. He was not tortured by remorse. On the contrary, he was elated over the thought that he now alone possessed the secret of the cave of gold. But he was troubled that he had not told a better story. Before firing the shot he had planned just how he would act and what he would say. The fear which guilt always brings had upset him and caused him to halt and hesitate and tell a very lame story.

Many a man who has planned a crime has tlwuglit it all over and prepared himself at every point only to realize after its commissien that he left loopholes in his armor of defense.

It was long after dark before Taylor rose up. He had then settled on a story from which he would not vary. He told it to the men, and he told it with such apparent sincerity that some of them believed him, while none disputed. Bess had come forward to hear it, as was her right. When he had finished there was a long, painful silence, broken at last by the girl, who said: "If this story be true you have done only what another might do so situated. We shall know tomorrow. You can find the place again, and you will lead us there." "1—I was dreadfully turned around, and 1 might not be able to find the exact spot," replied Taylor. "You must!" answered Bess. "My father's bones must not lie unburied! His death shall not go unavenged!" "Well, I'll try, and if we all lose our scalps in the effort 1 cannot be held responsible. I'm sure there's an Indian camp not far from that spot, and it's a wonder to me we haven't been attacked since I came in. There were as many as seven right after me for two or three miles."

The men, and especially Joe, had looked to see the girl break down under the strain, but she did not. She fought against it and clung to the hope that her father still lived, though he might be wounded and a prisoner.

Midnight came and all was quiet. Joe went on guard at that hour, and an hour later, as all his senses were keenly alert, he heard a whistle. No Indian would make use of such a signal. There were no white men in the neighborhood. Was it the note of some bird of night?

There it came again—a whistle of inquiry—as if some one was seeking to locate the camp. Believing it to be some prospector or hunter who had 16st himself during the day, Joe answered the signal.

It came again and nearer. Now he heard footsteps and a moment later a man and a woman approached him from out of the darkness. "Halt! Who is it?" challenged the sentinel. "Harkins!" was the reply. "Great heavens!" whispered Joe as the pair came to a halt before him. "But this does beat me. And that is you, Harkins, and alive!" "Yes, it is Harkins, and here is a poor girl I rescued from a camp of white renegades up the valley. I've got lots to tell. Has Taylor come in?" "Yes, and he reported you killed by the Indians." "He sought my life himself, but be quiet. If he is asleep do not arouse him. Wake the captain, and after we have cared for this woman I have a story to tell."

CHAPTER XVL

The man'8 amazement and terror were pitiful. The captain was himself on guard on the other side of the camp, and he quickly came up to find out what the confusion meant. "This girl is suffering for food and rest," said Harkins, "and must be attended to first. Then you shall have the story."

He quietly awoke Bess, made a brief explanation, and after Lizzie been provided with food the tftro girls sought

tne wagon ana .tr&rmns sat aown with the captain and Joe to tell his story. While certain in his own mind that Taylor had fired upon him, there was no proof. Neither of his listeners doubted that assassination had been intended, but unless Taylor broke down and confessed it what could they do? Moral certainty is not proof. "And what makes the thing more strange to me is the fact that he must have had a strong motive," said the captain. "And we can't guess it," added Joe.

Then Harkins told them of the deathbed revelation of the old hunter, and the motive was plain. Taylor was determined to possess the secret alone. He told them of the renegades and their errand—of the girl he had rescued and what had happened to her, and of the emissary who might, be expected to appear in camp next forenoon. It was daybreak before they were through talking, and yet only the two men and Bess knew of the arrivals. "The first thing is to dispose of Taylor," said the captain in response to an inquiry of what should be done. "The men will soon be astir, and Harkins had best lie low for a couple of hours. As soon as breakfast is over 1 shall ask Taylor to head a party to the place he described. Let us see what he will do."

Harkins sought one of the wagons, and when the men roused up, one after another, not one had a suspicion that anything unusual had occurred during the night. Breakfast was prepared and eaten, and the captain and Joe, who were watching Taylor very closely, saw by his demeanor that he was restless and ill at ease. He seemed to have lost his appetite, and he glanced around him as if expecting some sudden danger.

Bessie came from the wagon equipped as for an expedition, and, walking up to Taylor, she said: "1 am ready. We are to find and recover my father's body today." "Yes, 1 will send two men with you," added the captain. "1—1 can't go—not this morning!" stammered Taylor. "I'm sick. I'm almost too sick to sit up." "Do you still say that the Indians shot my father down?" demanded Bess. "Do I? Of course I do! You all seem to be agiu me. Do you think 1 killed him myself?" "How many Indians did you count?" •'All of ten." •'How did they attack you?" "Fired a volley at us and then began to yell." "You are sure they yelled?" "Sure! They kept it up half an hour." "It was odd that 1 heard no other sound but the single report of your rifle!" said a voice behind Taylor, and he wheeled about to find Harkins confronting him.

The man's amazement and terror were pitiful. He essayed to speak, but the words would not come. He looked helplessly from side to side and trembled as with a chill. "It is not the dead come back," said Harkins, "but the living. Your bullet only grazed my arm. I fell into a gulch just as you fired upon me. There were, no Indians there!"

Taylor looked from man to man. Each face was hard set and vengeful. "You are all agin me!" he finally shouted. "You've got mad at me and want to drive me away! Why should 1 want to take Harkins' life?" "But you fired upon me, and here is the empty shell to prove it," said Harkins. "If—1 did, then 1 was scared of—of the Indians," stammered Taylor. "You know the law of the plains!" said the captain to Taylor in a flinty voice. "The man who murders a comrade must die himself!" "1—i didn't murder him!" "No, you did not, but the man who attempts murder must be punished.

You must go! In one hour you must be out of camp, and should you return you will be fired upon!"

To turn a man out in that locality was giving him up to a hundred perils, if not to certain death, but Taylor eagerly caught at the opportunity. "I'll willingly go," he replied. "Indeed 1 don't want to stay. You are all agin me and 1 couldn't be easy here. 1 can take all my traps, 1 reckon?" "Certainly."

Taylor had a horse, blankets, spare ammunition, spade and pick and cooking uteuBils. These articles were packed up and strapped to his horse and he was given food enough to last him a week. His "truck" had been stored in the rear end of a wagon owned by another, and his going simply decreased the strength of the party one man. As he was ready to ride away the captain kindly said: "It's hard lines, Taylor, but its the law we all live by. Harkins had the right to shoot you the minute he entered the camp." "Yes, I reckon he had, though he made a big mistake in accusing me." "1 hope you'll keep clear of Indians and meet with good luck." "And I!" "And 1!" "And I!"

Even Harkins echoed the sentiment, and with a wave of his hand Taylor was off. He rode straight up the valley, and as he went he smiled grimly and chuckled to himself: "It's your turn this morning. Tomorrow it may be mine. Yesterday 1 thought 1 had to kill but one. Today I'm planning to wipe out the whole pack. Not one of you shall leave this valley alive!"

Half a mile to the east a bend in the valley hid him from view. He rode on for about a mile, and then discovering a small valley leading off at right angles he entered it, followed it up for forty rods and then dismounted and prepared to camp. "As for Indians," he mused, as he looked about him, "1 don't think there are any left in the hills. They have all gone forward to fight off the rush, and before summer is over the rush will have carried every redskin out of the locality."

He tnrew the spade and pick aside in disgust as he unpacked and growled: "I shan't want ve—leastwise for dig­

ging out gold—I'll get it easier. Five miles the other side of camp is the ravine, and up that ravine is the cave of gold. I'll have my hands on the stuff before tomorrow night if it is there, and then let the wagon train look out! It's death to all!"

Meanwhile the camp had a visitor.

CHAPTER XVIL

From the same direction taken by Taylor, but evidently coming out of a narrow valley bearing off to the left, appeared a white man with a gun on his shoulder. He was in view when half a mile from camp, and long before he reached it all the men were watching his approach.

He was one of the four renegades, and this was the visit Harkins had heard them plotting to make. The captain, Harkins and Joe knew this, but none of the others knew that the girl Lizzie was in camp, she having kept herself secreted in the wagon.

The man continued to advance at a leisurely pace, and by and by he was near enough to the group to call out:

Who are you?"

"Howdy, strangers! I reckon I kin come in, being as 1 ain't a hostile Indian."

The captain returned his salutation, and the renegade came to a halt in the camp, looked keenly around him and continued: "Come after gold, I reckon, and from the looks o' things you've been fooling away your time fur a hull week. In course you was green and didn't know or you wouldn't hev stopped here two hours." "What's the matter of this place?" queried the captain. "Nuthin, so fur's grass and water goes, but if you want gold you must go whar it is. Leastwise, the rest of us hev had to." "And where is that?" "A matter of twelve miles up the valley. Thar's plenty up thar to be had fur the digging, and only u, b^all party has got onto it yet. Never saw such richness afore. I believe ye kin almost load one o' them wagons in a month."

There were murmurs of admiration and exclamations of astonishment from the men. "1 belong to the party up thar," continued the stranger, "but 1 don't go much on digging out the stuff. Rather be moving around, you know. 1 kin guarantee that the boys will welcome ye if ye want to come. Thar's enough fur all." "It is very generous indeed of yon," replied the captain. "We came for gold, and of course we must take advantage of your offer." "Aye! that we must," shouted the men. "What brought me out this morning, at least this way," observed the man as he carefully noted everything in camp, "was a calamity. One of the boys up thar brought his gal out with him. The Injuns got arter us and skeart her clean crazy. Since that time she's bin tryin to run away, imagining that the reds were arter her scalp. She got off last night and might hev cum this way." "That's awful!" sighed Harkins. "I've got a gal of my own down in the wagon there, and I'd rather see her dead than crazy." "The wolves would be likely to pull her down last night," mused Joe. "Two or three big fellows were around camp just before daylight." "So ye've got a gal o' your own?" queried the man of Harkins in tones which betrayed doubt. "Oh, Bess!" called the latter in reply, and the girl put her head out of the wagon and asked what was wanted. "Waal, I'll hev to look further," said the renegade as he turned away. "Poor gal! How 1 pity her! And when will ye be ready to move up the valley to the gold fields?" "Today perhaps," answered the captain. "Better not lose any time, as thar will be a rush in yere from all directions. So long to ye."

When he had cleared tlje camp Harkins told his story and the man's object was made plain. Harkins did not keep back the secret of the cave, but told it just as he had received it and suggested that in case the contents could be found there should be an equal division. "They want us to move up the valley in order to let them out," explained the captain. "Therefore our plan will be to remain where we are until we know what there is in the story. The)' haven't found the cave yet and there is a chance of our coming in first. We shall certainly do some looking for it. We'll let that chap get well out of sight and then go on a still hunt."

Two hours later the captain, Harkins and a man named Andrews set out in company under the guidance of the second to seek the canyon and the cave. While they are searching let us see what befell Taylor, who had made a temporary camp in the small valley.

When he came to think it over he condemned himself for having acted so rashly. He was now alone and outlawed. Should he succeed in finding the gold how was he to bring it away? He was and would be in constant danger from the Indians, and if given a team

and the gold loaaea up ror nim tnero was not one chance in a hundred of his driving safely back to civilization. While he coveted all he realized that lie must be content with a share in order to get any at all. "If 1 should go back and tell 'em of the cave it would make 'em feel all right," he soliloquized as ho looked up at the rugged sides of the valley. "Fool! fool!" he exclaimed after af moment "hasn't Harkins already told them of it as the reason why I sought his life? All know it and all will divide and leave me out in the cold! I'm the biggest fool on earth!" "I quite agree with ye!" said a voice not five feet away, and Taylor sprang up to find the renegade who had visited' the camp below standing almost over him. "Saw yer hosses' tracks leadinin yere, ye know," said the renegade in explanation. "Rather curus to find a white man prowling around alone in this kentry. Yer scalp must be nailed on or ye wouldn't chance it this way." "Who are you?" asked Taylor as soon as he had recovered from his surprise. "The same question to ye, and what is it about a cave of gold and dividing up?"

Here was help. If the man belonged to a party the gold might yet be secured. He was a hard looking customer —one who would not scruple at any-' thing. "Sit down," said Taylor as he made himself comfortable. "I came here with a party camped two or three miles below. They came to prospect for gold, but I came to look for a cave already filled with it. They sort o' suspected me, and because I wouldn't divide they drove me out of camp this morning." "Whar did ye hear of that cave?" "From an old hunter named Saunders." "Who used to chum with a pard named Bridgers?" "Exactly." "Waal, I'm yere fur the same purpose. What I got was secondhand from old Bridgers, but it looks straight 'nuff. There's four of us in the party and we've got ridin horses and a team." "That's the checker!" exclaimed Taylor as he brought his fist down on the grass. "1 want to join you." "And ye know just whar that cave is?" "I believe I can walk to it in the night." "Suppose wo should hev a row with the people camped below?" "I'll do my share of shooting. There's two or three of 'em who will get a bullet the first time 1 have a chance to cover'em." "Come on. I guess the boys will take ye in under the sarcumstances. Haven't seen nuthin of a gal wanderin around yere, 1 suppose?" "No." "Waal, saddle up."

An hour later Taylor was in the camp of the outlaws. When the men learned that he had been driven out of the camp below and that he had received minute particulars regarding the locality of the cave of gold they extended him a warm welcome. "Whar do ye make it out to be?" asked Bob, the leader. "Fivo miles the other sido of tho wagon train."

Tl tit's what the hunter said—five miles to the left of the peak." "And this isn't the canyon?" "It can't be. It's below that camp. I'll stake my life on it." "Then, doggone it, we've bin wrong all the time. We located this as the place. If it's below the camp then we don't keer a button whether they move or not, though they'll likely be going up the valley today. We'd better hitch up andbegointr."

[TO HK CONTINUED.]

Severe Earthquake snock.

CONSTANTINOPLE. July 11.—Two severe shocks of earthquake were felt here yesterday. The shocks did much damage to the city and several people are reported to have been killed. All the public offices, the banks and the bourse have been closed. The population is so terrified that many thousands of people are camping out in the open air. Two disastrous fires have already occurred and telegraph communication is interrupted.

INDIANA NOTES.

Vaccination was upheld by a decision of Judge White at Terre Haute. Thomas Dwyer of Greenville fell down stairs and died from his injuries.

Charles Swift, 14 years old, was drowned while bathing in the Patoka river. William Gochel, a merchant of Patriot, fell and broke several ribs and injured his spinal column.

Joseph Hanneberry of Chicago, a Monon fireman, was drowned at Lafayette win It* boating on the canal.

The Indianapolis light artillery, which won first prize at Little Rock, was given arousing send-off on its return home.

Four-year-old John Vanstan of Indianapolis was severely bitten by a bulldog thought to have hydrophobia. The animal was killed.

During a dance at the house of Harrison Mitchell in Boone county Francis Mitchell was dangerously hurt by a razor in the hands of Harvey Perkins.

POSSUM KIDGK!

The farmers are busy putting up timothy hay. The crop is as good and probably better than the average.

We need rain. Grant Bayless and Grace Thomas took dinner at Wm. Servies' Sunday.

We believe Mr. Pick, of New Market,1' will have a few thistle seed for sale when they get ripe.

Robert Shambles threshed wheat "Wednesday. S. G. Whittington and W. J. Miles each lost a horse this week.

Wm. 'Davis, a former resident of Waveland, after an absence of twenty years in North Carolina and Alabama, has returned on a visit.

W. T. Whittington, Bob Davis and William Davis visited at Wm, W. Whittington's Tuesday.