The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-12-26

arom, / said. enow's the time TO show
vour cuurare. A man has robbed the gig
| ar tried to do it--and has fired at me within
a yard of my face.
Tom grew perceptibly pale at this informa-
| ton. Twas there only one I
| "Only one.
| aThen the aceomplces are near. What's to be
sionei Shallw we arouse farmer Mullins, ana get his
.Nat Tor The world" / said. 81 would rather
,aee a dozen shots than have my carelessness
| known at the Bank. 1t would ruin me Tor life
Let us count the money In this bag, quietly deliver
| ii Il i, be correct, and then follow the ROBBERS
course"
II was only ahundred guinea bag. that one, but
the counting was nervoaa work We found three
eaineas wanting. We were luckily able to supply
them from cur pockets {hasing just received our
quarters salarieao and left Tons there delivered
the bag al It's destination very near at hand with
out word OF the robbery, aud went back to him.
',Nowl Which way diu he got said Tom, resum.
ing little OF his former air, clutchng his PISTOL
like the chief oil chorus OF banditti in a meio
drama
told him had been confused that had not
observed which way he had retreated. Tom was
an old hand at poaching-though lie was clergy
man son, aud ought 10 have set better exam.
Pile
IL have heard hare stir at hundred yards
he said ana laid his ear close TO the frosty ground
III he is within quarter OF mile shall hear him
move" also lay down en- the ground There
was silence for long time Weneard nothing
bur our breathing and the breathing OF the horse.
''Hush!" saiu Tom at last lie has come out of
his hiding. hear mans step lar away to the
iett; bring your pistol, and let US follow | took
the pistol and found the flint down on the pan The
nan had fired at me with my own weapon, and no
wonder he had fired so suddenly for Tom now &C.
knowiedged to his belief that he had forgotten to
uneock it.
Never mind" said Tom, 'fll blow his brains
.ss - -
butt end OF yours. Tell yc what Its OF no use to
spare those indicators. I'll fire, the moment see
him
"Nottill tell you whether It's the robber or
not"
should you know him, do you thinkl"
I'm the flash OF the powder / saw a pair of bag
gard and amazed eyes which shall never ior
get"
"On, them said Tom: "we'll have a three hun
dred pound reward, and see the rascal hung be-
Sides
We set off, slowly and noiselessly, in the direc
ton Tom had pointed out. Occasionally he applied
MS ear to the ground aud always nuttering, I'VE
nave hlnl we have him!' proceeded in the same
careful manner before. Suddenly Tom said
lies doubling. He has been leading us the
wrong scent all this time he has turned towards
| the village"
Then ourplan," said, ''should be to get there
before him /! we intercept him in that way, he
can't escape; and feel could identity him if
| saw him by candl eight
Tell ye what !-thats the plan,' replied my
companion. wen watch at the entrance OF the
| village and arrest him the moment he comes in.
we crep. through an opening OF the hedge, and
got more in the straight lane that led to the
village 1t was now very ate, and the cold was SO
Intense thatlt kept every person within doors; tor
we heard no sound In the whole hamlet, except
high up in the clear air, the ticking of the church
| clock and the loud jangie of the quarters that
seemed like peas Of artillery in the excited state
| OF our minds and senses. Close to the church--
which appeared to guard the entrance OF the VIII
lage with ls low buttressed walls, and its watch
| tower OF dsteeple-there a wretched ruined
| looking cottage which projected so far into the
lane thatthe space between it and the church was
not more than eight or nine feet Itstruck US both
at the same moment that if we could effect lodg-
Inent mere L would be impossible for the man 10
| slip into the village without our observation.
| After listening for while at the windows and
| doors OF the building, we concluded it was unin-
haUl.ea; gently pushing open the door, climbed
q narrow stone staircase, and were making for
| gable end window which we had observed from
the road, and which commanded the whole ap-
proach to the village when we heard a voice say
in a whisper, we attained the garnet we were IN
search Offs that you, Williamt'
We stopped for minute or two, and the speak
cr's expectation was disappointed. We now Dlaced
ourselves at the window, ana listened for the
slightest soQnd. We remained there listening, tor
Il long time Several quarters had died off into
the eternal melodies, Tar up in the church tower
anu were beginning TO despair Of seeing the 90
iect OF our search, when Tom nudged me noise
lessly with his elbow.
Tell ye what!' he whispered very softly there's
Z f. 3tstep round the corner See! There's man
Under the hedge locking up at the next window
Ihere--he moves! We must be after him Halo,
Stop-he crosses the lane. He's coming into this
very houser'
Icertainly did see figure silently steal across
the road and disappear under the doorway of the
building we wereln. But we had no light; and we
knew nothing OF the arrangement of the rooms
another quarter thrown off from the old church
clock, warned us that the night was rapidly passing
away. We had almost resolved to retrace our stems
II possible and get back to where we had left our
unfortunate horse, when was again nudred nv
my friends elbow.
Tel ye what!' he whispered. ''Somethinp's
going on" and he pointed to feeble glinmer on
the raifers Of the roof above u.s.
#ihe LIGHT proceeded from the next ROOM which
had not been built above thexheiaht OF the ceiling
josss, so that the root was common to both cham
bers-fhe adjoining one and that in which we
were--the partition wal! being only seven or eight
feet high. We could have heard anything that was
said but we listened in vain for the sill yhtest
sound The light, however, continued to burn;
saw pickering across the top of the habita;ion
and dimly playing far up among the dark Snatch of
the roof.
Tel We vpllat! !" said Tom. 'If we could Get ND
on these old ioiste, we could into the next
room Hold gay pistol till get up and-tell We
what then can shoot 'enl easy"
s'For Heavens sake, Tonl,' | said, '.be careful.
Let ME see whether il is the man"
"Come up, then" said Tom, who now bestrode
one OF the main beams and gave me hand TO aid
my ascent We we're both enthe level of the di.
viding wall and ~ placing our heads little for
ward, could see every porti0a of the neighboring
room. < miserable room it was. There was a
small round table, there were ac0Uple of old csairs:
but utter wrefchedness was the characteristic. OF
the cherries and tfre3ess apartment.
There Wac person. apparently regardless Of the
cold, seated atthe table and reading book The
little taper which had been lighted without any
noise, only sufficient to throw It's illumination
the features and figure OF the reader and on.the
table at which he sat. They were wasted and
psliid eaturcs--but shewas young, and very Inet-
~; the mystery and straneeness Of the incident
threw such an interest around her, that | thought
so. Her dress was very scanty,. and a shawl \
wrapped closely round her shoulders. perhaps
displayed, rather than concealed the defciencr of
her clothing In other respects Suddenly we saw
at the farther end of the room a Squire emerge
from the darkness; Tom grasped his pistol ,rare
arnly, aud put the cock back, pre- venting it from
making any noise with his thumb Fhe man stood
III the doorway, as ii uncertain whesaer enter or
net lie lookedior long time at the woman 'sho
sS1l continued hsr reading; and thsa silently ad.
vanced she heard his step and lifted up aer
head, and looked in his face without saying a
word; Sucn a lace so paisGso agitaSed, never in
nay life saw.
We shall go Tomorrow" he saidS1I have got
some raoney as expected And with these w-gds
HlgA Alf