Black Arrow, the Avenger — page 88: what you’re looking at

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

92 BLACK ARROW, THE AVENGER. give an account of his recent adventures, and to explain’ how he became connected with the Comanches; but his questioners did not succeed in eliciting much information, except in rela- tion to the attack upon the caravan, which he described with more minuteness than was necessary. When he had finished his accc unt, shen was &@ new excite- ment in the house, caused by the arrival of a man from the settlement, who stated that Paul Roder was there with a large crowd of men, some of whom were wounded, ani all of whou were drinking and noisily declaring that they intended to“ cicun out ” Colonel Landry’s plantation and kill all who were con- nected with the vigilance committee... He had slipped away in the midst of the uproar, and had hastened to the house to give the occupants warning. _ Thankful for this timely notice, Whetstone and his friends Jost no time in making preparations to meet the desperate marauders, hoping to find an easy task in defeating them, af- ter their hard usage in the attack on the caravan and their hard drinking at thesettlement. Their hopes were still further raised by the arrival of the men from Ferguson's ranch and an adjoining plantation, who hastened to Colonel Landry's as soon as they were informed of the threatened attack. Captain Ferguson took command, as chairman of the vigi- cealment behind the fence in front of the house, with instruc- tions that they were to maintain perfect silence, and not to fire a gon until the enemy should be right upon them. After de- livering their fire, they would remain where they were, or re- treat to the house, as Whetstone should deem best The white men and the wegroes who had arms were stationed in the shrabbery, on each flank of their red allies ‘While these preparations were being made at Colonel Laa- dry's house, Roder and his men were advancing from —_ Settlement in a very disorderly manner. When they reached the settlement, on their return: tom their disastrous expedition, there were plenty to tell them of the grand attempt and failure of the vigilance committee. This intelligence, coming at a time when they were in a very bad humor, made them angry enough, although they laughed heartily at their foes, an vowed that the vigilants would never COnmmicooOoks.corn