Hannibal journal and western union. (Hannibal, Mo.) 1851-1852, 1852-01-15

!. lcoiiaf OK withies and broom twigs, and bouQll
an Old beggerly cart, and a great cask, AZ
c Ter that he said TO an old beggar woman, tha
ne would give her ten dollars IL she would ge
, Iin'o the cask, and keep her mouth aeape owe
d the tap-hoe, into which he was going 10 sticl
ms hnger. No harm should happen to her
sue s,onid only De driven about little; and II h,
y look ms finger out more than once, she was I,
have ten dollars more. Then he threw /, fs,'
rags and ta:sefs over fffifaseifs and stuffed nm
Ise!f out, and put on a wig, and a great beard o
goats hair, SO that no one could know him again
ah9 SCI ~ {2r tgs sSa5R5l, v{SSss slt- scss.se
/ Inal ma, already been riding about a good BIT
when Ire reached the place he went along 81
sot'iy and slowly that he scarce made an inch
. o. way. Gee up! gee up! and so he went along
mules then he stood stock STILL and 30 on again.
and altogether the pace was so miserable I'm
AZ never once came into the squire's head that
this could be the Master Thief.
AZ last the squire rode right up to him. and
asked ii lie had seen any one lurking about in
tne woods thereabouts.
mo, sud the man, | haven't seen soul.r
"Harkye, now" said the Squire, aifyou have
mind TO ride into the wood, and hunt about and
see u you can fall upon any one lurking about
ithere, you shall have the loan OF my horse, and
sniling lnlo The bargain, to drink my health
81 don't see how l can co. said the man.
Tor am going to wedding with this cask Of
mead, which have been TO town TO fetch. and
here the tap has fallen out by the way, and SO
lnoie.r 0tr P
"R de of, said tie Squire, "Il look after your
horse and cask." :t
Wen, on these terms the man was willing to
go; but he begged the Squire to be quick in put
,lhg MS hnger into the taphole when he took
MS own out, and to mind and keep il there un-
he came back. Yes, the Squire would do
lHe best he could; and so the Master Thief
mounted the horse and rome off. But time went
by, and hour after hour passed, and sill no one
came back. At last the Squire grew weary of
standing there with his finger in the tap-hole, SO
he took 1t out m qnq
Now shall have ten dollars more!" scream
ed the old woman inside the cask; and then the |
squire saw al once how the land lay, and took |
himself oil nome, but he had moi gone iai before !
they met him with fresh horse, for the Master |
Thief had already been TO his house and told |
theia 90 send one, ,
The day after, ne came TO the Squire and |
would have his daughter, as he had gwen his /
word; but the Squire put him off again with fine /
sSS %Ufds, r., and n gave him tw" hHR9esffp Ii he
could do that he should have her. Well, well,
the Master Thief thought he could do 1t, il he
only knew what it was TO be.
"Do YOU think, now,' said the Squire, ''you
can steal the theot off our bed and tic shit of
my wife's bedP Do you think you can do thaty''
at shall be done" said the Master Thief. IL
only wish was as sure of getting your daugh- /
ter"
,vSSR when night began TO fall, the Master ThieT
gaIIows and cut down thief who hung on the
and carried him of. him across his shoulders,
and set it up against the Ss a.. l0 ,Suuer
window, and SO climbed up, and kept 6o,, :,,,,
the dead man up and down, just for all the world
like one who was pceping in at the window.
That's the Master Thief old lass, - SAID the
Squire, giving his wife nudge EN- the side
I"Now see ii don't shoot him. that's all.
So saying he took up rifle which he had
laid at his bedside.
No! no. pray don't shoot him after tellin CHIN
he might come and try" said his wife.
"Dtn't talk 10 me, FOR shoot him will, saia
he, so he lay there and aimed and aimed; but as
soon as the head me before the window, and
he saw little of it, so soon was il down again
Al last he thought he had good aim; "bang'
went the gun, down fell the dead body TO the
ground with heavy thump, and down went the
Master Thief too, as fast as he could.
We'll, said the Squire, III quite true that
am the chief magistrate in these parts; but peo-
pie are fond Of talking and it would be a bore
If they came to see this dead mans body. 1
think the best thing TO be done is ;hs. should
20 down and bury him."
"You must do as you think best, dear" said
his wife. So the Squire got out OF bed and
went down stairs, and he had scarce put his
foot out of the door before the Master Thief
stole in, and went straight upstairs to bis
wife.
why, dear, back already" said she, for she
thought i, was her husband. t
"Oh yes, only just put him into a hole, and
threw little earth over him. Ii is enough that
he IS ont of sight, for il is such a bad night out
OF doors; by-and.by I'll do it better. But Just
let me have the sheet TO wipe myself with--he
was so bleody have made myself in such
"a mess with him"
So he got the sheet.
After while he said
ado you know am afraid you must let mo
have your night shift too, for the sheet won't do
by ITSELF that can see." m
4 So she gave him the shift also. Bnt just then
Il came across his mind that he had forgotten 10
lock the house door, so he mast step down and
look TO that before he came back 10 bed, and a.
way he went with both shift and sheet.
I A little while after came the right Squire.
t'Why, whats u time you have taken to lock
the door, dear" said his wife, ''and what have
YOU done with the sheet and shiftg"
'.What do you sayy" said the Squire.
stWhy am asking what yOu have done With
the sheet and shift that you had 10 wipe on the
blood" said she.
"WhOt, in the DEVILS narnel has he taken me
In tlds time toos' said the Squire. 3e7
I NJa.t da,. cayrc th. Af..tas Frl,.se. IL -