Hefound，however，afaintledgemadebycaughtdriftwoodfromthecurrentandthedebrisoftheoverhangingcliffs。Againthenarrowfootprintontheoozewashisguide。Atlast，emergingfromthecanyon，astrangeviewburstuponhissight。Theriverturnedabruptlytotheright，and，followingthemountainside，leftasmallhollowcompletelywalledinbythesurroundingheights。Tohisleftwastheridgehehaddescendedfromontheotherside，andhenowunderstoodthesingulardetourhehadmade。Hewasontheothersideofthestageroadalso，whichranalongthemountainshelfathousandfeetabovehim。Thewall，asheercliff，madethehollowinaccessiblefromthatside。Littlehillscoveredwithbuckeyeencompassedit。Itlookedlikeasylvanretreat，andyetwasassecureinitsisolationandapproachesastheoutlaw’sdenthatitwas。
Hewasgazingatthesingularprospectwhenashotrangintheair。
Itseemedtocomefromadistance，andheinterpreteditasasignal。Butitwasfollowedpresentlybyanother；andputtinghishandtohishattokeepitfromfalling，hefoundthattheupturnedbrimhadbeenpiercedbyabullet。Hestoppedatthisevidenthint，and，takinghisdispatchbagfromhisshoulder，placeditsignificantlyuponaboulder，andlookedaroundasiftoawaittheappearanceoftheunseenmarksman。Therifleshotrangoutagain，thebagquivered，andturnedoverwithabulletholethroughit！
Hetookouthiswhitehandkerchiefandwavedit。Anothershotfollowed，andthehandkerchiefwassnappedfromhisfingers，tornfromcornertocorner。Afeelingofdesperationandfuryseizedhim；hewasbeingplayedwithbyamaskedandskillfulassassin，whoonlywaiteduntilitpleasedhimtofirethedeadlyshot！Butthistimehecouldseetheriflesmokedriftingfromunderasycamorenotahundredyardsaway。Hesethiswhitelipstogether，butwithadeterminedfaceandunfalteringstepwalkeddirectlytowardsit。Inanothermomenthebelievedandalmosthopedthatallwouldbeover。Withsuchamarksmanhewouldnotbemaimed，butkilledoutright。
Hehadnotcoveredhalfthedistancebeforeamanloungedoutfrombehindthetreecarelesslyshoulderinghisrifle。Hewastallbutslightlybuilt，withanamused，criticalmanner，andnothingabouthimtosuggestthebloodthirstyassassin。HemetBricehalfway，droppinghisrifleslantinglyacrosshisbreastwithhishandslightlygraspingthelock，andgazedattheyoungmancuriously。