Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 41: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

32 “ Wal, it’s so, and it shows that them branches and bushes ain’t as natur’ made ’em; they’ve been moved from somewhere else, and they’ve been where they are and where they don’t b’long till the leaves begin to droop.” “And what does all this mean?” I asked with a suspicion of the truth. “Umph! it means that them leaves and branches is a blind; there’s a man laying behind ’em with a loaded Win- chester waiting for some one to pass in front, so he can draw bead on him.” “Ts he waiting for us? ” Jake humped his shoulders and chuckled. “T reckon we'll do as well as any one.” “Then we must turn back and give it up.” “| rayther guess not; that ain’t Jake Auckland’s style.” What will you do? ” “ Flank him.” “But he may have seen us.” “Not much; he ain’t keeping as sharp a lookout as that; he’s waiting for his man to come in fair range, and he’s had too much watching to do to strain his eyes more’n he has to. Now, sneak back till we can’t see the blind.” - Bending low, and moving slowly and softly, I led the way for fifty paces, when Jake said in an undertone: “ That'll do.” I straightened up, and, looking back over the trail, found we were well be- yond sight of the blind. “ Now, we'll turn into the wood and move round behind that devil; he ain't. looking for anybody from ftkat p’int of the compass, and we'll have him foul.” “What do you intend to do, Jake?” I asked with an involuntary shudder. He humped his shoulders in his pe- culiar fashion and chuckled. “That depends; but, I say, pardner, if there’s any shooting to be done on our side, [’ll-do it.” “T hope, Jake,” I interrupted, “ that you don’t intend to steal up behind that man and shoot him without warn- THH ARGOSY. ing. It would be a crime, and besides there may be two or three of them.” He had brought his Winchester from his shoulder and now tapped it signifi- cantly. ‘ She’s a repeater ; come on, and step mighty light.” He turned into the wood on the right, and began picking his way over a course that would lead him a number of rods to the rear of the blind, while with a strange mixture of emotions, I did my best to imitate him. Though I had resolved to take no part in the impending tragedy, I felt as guilty as if I were the principal. If there was any way by which to avert it, I should have eagerly seized it, but I could see none. If through a pretended slip I warned the man, I should only precipitate the fight between the two, with the cer- tainty that it would be pushed to a finish. At any rate I was getting a vivid taste of this mountain feud busi- ness, and I recall that it occurred to me { should have another good story to forward to The Pioneer, provided the issue of the encounter was what was to be hoped. Meanwhile, we were pushing through the wood with the deliberation and caution of veteran scouts. Jake maintained his place a dozen paces in advance, his body crouching and his attention fixed upon the blind which he was steadily approaching. But no one could advance without giving attention to his footsteps. There was a good deal of undergrowth and bushes, and now and then a detour had to be made to pass a boulder or mass of obtruding rocks. At the end of ten or fifteen minutes I was able to locate the deadly ambush, where one man or more was waiting to shoot down in cold blood some other man against whom he had not the slightest cause for personal enmity. ‘However, I could not discern any- thing that resembled a person. I saw that a pole or sapling had. been. eco