Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 45: what you’re looking at

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

36 contrive in some way to warn them, though it would inevitably precipitate a fight between Hawkins and myself that would be to the finish. Fortunately my interference was not needed, for Zach Peters and his follow- ers were yet several rods distant from the “dead line,” when presto! in a twinkling they vanished, with the same amazing dexterity shown a few minutes before by Hawkins himself. The three who were approaching were as skilled in woodcraft as those lying in wait for them. They had dis- covered the blind, and in a flash leaped behind the shelter of the tree trunks, thus making the relative advantage of the two parties the same, for every man was screened, and each knew not only the intention, but the locality of the other. [ happened to be looking toward the party when this lightning change was effected, and my eyes were directly up- on Zach Peters, who at a single bound placed himself behind the trunk of what seemed to be an ash, fully two feet in diameter. I had hardly recovered from the thrill of the sight, when Zach fired right into the blind on the chances of hitting some of those who he knew were crouching behind it. And, by heavens! he came mighty near doing execution. A peculiar jar of my hat led me to snatch it off and look at it, as a man will sometimes turn .- aside in the moment of extreme peril to gratify a childish curiosity. The bullet had clipped its way through the crown of my derby, and a half inch lower in its course would have perfor- ated my skull. : The next moment a Winchester flashed from another quarter of the wood, followed almost instantly by a third shot from an opposite point, and it looked to me as if the three had caught us foul; but Vic Hawkins was not so forgetful as to overlook such a possible turning of the tables. Across the base of the blind and par- THE ARGOSY. allel to it he had rolled a log. It wasa foot in diameter, and we had only to hitch forward until close against it, when we were protected by an impene- trable shield from our enemies in front. The urgency of such need was proven within the following five minutes by the perceptible thud of two bullets against the log. Zach Peters and his companions were doing some mighty good shooting, and making matters interesting for us. And the mischief of it was there was no way of our turnmg the tables on them. In truth, they were as securely protected by the trees as we were be- hind the screen. Like trained Indian fighters, they knew how to use their ad- vantage to the utmost, and it was im- possible for us to gain a shot at the fellows. Jake Auckland tried it, and it was a curious commentary on our previous night’s conversation, that he aimed at Zach Peters, who, to say the most, was no more exposed than either of his companions. The bullet chipped off the bark beside the mountaineer’s face, but did not harm him. He called back tantalizingly : “Try it agin! We've got you fellers dead to rights!” “By heavens! do you see that? ” It was Vic Hawkins who uttered the excited exclamation, and Jake and I knew the cause of it. Peters, who was the furthest to the right, suddenly ran twenty paces in that direction before he leaped behind a second tree. Almost at the same moment, his companion, who was far to the left, did the same in that direction, though he sped only half the distance before avail- ing himself of one of the screens all about him. The third man held his position, though it was impossible ex- actly to locate him. The alarming meaning of this action was apparent to us all: our enemies were aiming to get behind the screen, just as it had been approached by Jake Auckland and myself, and the worst ot S eco