Western union. (City of Hannibal, Mo.) 1850-1851, 1851-08-21

stood upon the very verge of the rivule, al
ready adverted TO more than once, a little above
Ro'sgill Ford. From this shop, door opened
upon rude foot. bridge, thrown across from a
rock jutting out into tie bed Of the river, near.
ly halfway from the opposite side; il was
nothing more than the small trunk Of a tree,
ila,tened u little upon the upper side.
This bridge, although the only approach TO il,
in one direction at least, was through Dobson's
shop and although constructed osten,iby for
the benefit Of his business. and the conve nence
Of his employers, was freely open to all who
did not send their woof to his rivals. II how
ever, they were weavers by trade, they were
also mole -ca,chers by profession, and the reader
may easily guess what else they were by prac.
ltice.
When, as alway, happened at a particular
season OF the year, the weaving business was
slack, or failed them altogether, they had re-
coure' to lheir calling, and made frequent and
distant excursions into the manors and parishes
which they had engaged to rid Of these obnox.
ious vermin.
1t was always in the night that they return.
Ell from these excursions, laden with the do~ny
spoils OF their underground enemy; ei cntera,
Such, at least, was the account spontaneous
given sometimes by the old man himself, ofthe
contents Of their wsll.stuifed wallets. He seem.
ell anxiou, to impress upon the minds of his
auditors on such occasions, the idea that, with
the exception Of few necessaries, under the
omprehensive and underlined ct c9tera, these
said walters were filled with mole skins. Yet,
some Of Dobson's ::neighbours ill natured ones
no doubt, bt,-would still persist in the belief that
these ei cGteras, comprised other things besides
these necessaries, and Of much more value than
the mole-skiEs.
This rude and simple bridge was particularly
convenient on such occasions the more especi.
ally as the manors and parishes they were con.
cerned with, were all situate on the other side
Of the brook. And it was even hinted by
some thst il had been originally constructed
more for secrc'y than convenience.
On the evening already mentioned, when
their daylight task was done. Dobson's shop
was lighted up az usual, but the busy shuttle
was neglected, and at rest. And in its stead.
the scraping and occurring Of screw gune, of
such cunning und curious construction as to be
ca pable OF beiEg converted, in moment, on On
emery gency, into harmless walking cane. the
mending Of nets and gins, the filling OF shot.
bags and Do~der.horns, Sc, bu.ily and cheerily
occupied all hands.
The old man,-I call him SO, more to distin-
guish him from the rest, than from his age, for
Ut the time | ain now alluding 10, he was no,
old-at least, he would not have been SO es.
teemed by any one whore locks had been thin
ned and blanched by the SHOWS Of sixty Win,
tiers the old man, then, TO give an outline por
trait Of him, was rather il anything below III.
middle size, with arms and legs so di.propor-
tionately long as to give him an dir Of deformi.
'y; his face was deeply pi.ted with The small.
pox, his forehead prominent and lowering his
small, blue eyes, deeply sunk, with q slight
sinister squint in one OF them his eyebrows
long and shaggy, and Of sua- -brownsds white
and nearly mes,ing over his sharp and pointed;
nose (; the colour Of his hair, and shapeless
bushy whiskers, was frey red, slightly
sprinkled with gray,-ant altogether he was
about as perfect a pcrsonitication Of inordinate
concei., = deep, burning, depraved and remorso
less villany, as could we'll he imagined. Felor
was stamped upon bis forehead: and his son,
were 80 like him, that. with the exception o
a few wrinkles aid the slight mixture Of gray
with their carroty locks, the portrai, might vel
pass for theirs too. p.
The old man was still the mainspring of the
set, And it was his cunning, which in III,
own vain conceit he miscallsd wisdom, that d.
rected and managed the complicated affairs q
the establishment.
and fro with arms akiwJo. questioning one
commanding another, while laying down on th'
plan Of that nights Operations to all: no,
however, in the order l have mentioned, MOI
in any other, but in desultory and di'jointet
manner. But must give specimen, PARTIAL!
divestsd of the broad patois, unintelligible cx
cep; in the locality which we have been desert
bling.
| tNef did thou hear a,,ght about the bI1ck
smith when thou took Hogshead's web hom
; this morning, oh ?" and he winked knowingl!
with one eye as he saw that this sllusion to th'
keepers name, ingenious As he thought it,
was understood.
"Ay, ay! l ! just overheard whisper
meant for they own ear a trap!-atrap
"No9 thou .Einks they'll go, sh ?"
"Does that new scraper work well 7"
Hell hardly risk the ford to night anyhow
Aud dsaf.lug. mind the light, when we're a
way" This was the endesring sobr'qnet b.
which his poor wife was usually designated i
consequence Of laboring under tho infrmi'
implied.
"Sss that Muzzy's well finled and bright in
side O. her! !" This was his own favorite fowl
ing -Pecs. .,,, H., l.,
with the blacksmith p-well Yes, Is detor
r mined! Never mind he shall have q lea
supper IL he does Gene !-Yes, will !"
These were soto voce ejacnlatioEs, address
. ed more to his own musings than to those q
round him.
/, (To be Continued
II A horse in Franklin, c., seeing III
. elephants Of a menagsrie go by, was frs htsn