THE WICKED SHALL HOT eo TTirruniSHBD. *41 



ftdly. In tho ooureo of twelve or fifteen days, however, he improved the 

 opportunity of stealing a rifle and ammunition, with wiiich he absconded 

 and set his face for the mountains. 



All tliat he now lacked to complete his equipment was a good horse, which 

 deficiency seemed luckily made up by the discovery of one recently strayed 

 from the Indians. "I must have him," said Bob. So, carelessly droppmg 

 his rifle and pack, he commenced a fruitless effort to capture the erratic 

 steed. 



For a while his success seemed almost certain ; but, after a tedious trial 

 for several hours, he was finally obliged to relinquish the attempt, and turn- 

 ed to recover his rifle and pack. Alas, for Old Bob ! here an unlooked-for 

 calamity presented itself — tliey were not to be found ! 



Vainly it was that he searched diligently for four successive days, en- 

 during in the mean time all tlie pangs of hunger and the goadings of a 

 guilty conscience — his scrutiny gave not the slightest indication of their 

 whereabouts. " Truly, ' the way of transgressors is hard !' " tliought Bob, 

 as with reluctance he abandoned all,* and despairingly set his face to go — 

 ne knew not whither ! — half-starved and hall-naked, wilJi neither pistol, gun, 

 nor butcher-knife, for his defence in a dangerous country ; nor one morsel 

 to renew his strength by day, nor even a solitary rag to screen him from 

 the chill air of night ! 



Tlie next place at which Old Bob showed himself was- at an Indian 

 lodge, thither driven by the impulse of hunger — having starved for more 

 than five successive days. Here he procured a temporary supply from the 

 compassionate inmates, who also kindly gave him a robe. 



Nothing further Avas hoard of him for eight or ten days, and the gener- 

 ally conceded opinion was, that he had either starved to death or had been 

 killed by savages, when an express from the Arkansas brought intelligence 

 of having encountered him by the way. 



The lucklos-; wight, after being without eating for five or six more days, 

 had been robbed by the Apache Indians of everything about him except a 

 pair of ragged pantak)on8, and barely escaped from them with his Ufe ! 

 The express furnished him with a quantity of provisions, a pistol, robe, and 

 ammunition, when, bidding him farewell, the two resumed tlieir respective 

 courses. 



From this date, his story is briefly told. Pursuing his way toward the 

 Arkansas, he soon after met a small party of Mexican tiaders, and, creep- 

 ing upon tlieir encampm.ont at night, helped himself to a couple of horses. 

 * It's a straight road tijat has no turns," muttered Old Bob, as he mounted 

 one of them and returned to tiic Platte, where he bartered the other for a 

 rifle and ammunition. 



For a brief interval he seemed to prosper in his iniquity, but erelong 

 the tables were again turned upon him, and he experienced the literal ful- 

 filment of that other declaration of holy writ which says, " The wicked 

 shall not go unpunished.^' 



Elated by his recent success, he agam started for the Arkansas, with 



• Two wseks subsequently, while on a hunting excursion, the person to whom tha 

 Ktolen rifle belonged found it, with all tha property of the thief; — a most remarkable 

 •ircHmBtance, as tlie country had been filled with strolling Indians during the iiitenral 

 29* 



