Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-11-14

4 tuihk Was sltsihg IN my usual place, and
then asked him what he was doing there
"'Let me cut, and viii tell you ha rs.
piled.
TELL ne what you are there fcf, ssidI
"'I got in here to sleep on your rsgs' be
answered.
Let me out, or I'll shoot you through tS.
head, he yelled.
Just at that moment my horse o feet struck
the hard road, AID knew that the res Fl
the route 70 Jackson would be good going
| The distance was twelve miles. / slipped
| oack on the footboard aud tosk the whip.
nad shs same horse then I've got nova tall.
| STOUT; powerful bay mare-and You may bs
leTs there some 60 in her At any rate she
struck gait that even sstonished me She
had received good meas Of oats the air was
cool and she tel, like going In nftssn min
| utes we cleared the woods, and way we vent
on Keen jump. The chap inside kept yell.
ing to be let out.
/ a' Finally he stopped, and In g few minutes
came the report Of a pistol-ops--two- three
four, one right after the other, and I heard
| the balls ~hr over ny head. IL I had been
| on my seat, one of these balls. IL not two Of
sheia, would have gone through me. Ipoppsd
| up my head sgain, and gave q yell, and then
deep grosn, and then said, "oh, God,
! save me, I'm dead man. Then made q
shufaing noise, as though we're falling "a,
and finally settled down on the footboard
again. L now urged up the old mare by Civ
ing he's an occasional poke with the butt OF
nv whip stock, and she peeled it faster than
ever.
The man called out to me twice more,
pretty soon after this, and ss he got 10 reply,
he m ade some tremendous eforts 20 break the
door open, and as this failed him, be made
several attempts upon the top. But had no
fear OF his doing anything there, for the top
Of the cart is framed in with dovetails, and
na e. hnlt ltn1 90 o. L. IL
bolts. / had made IL so I could carry heavy
loads there. By-and-bye, after all else had
failed, the scamp commenced to holler whoa
20 the horse, and kept il up until he becams
quite hOarse. All this time kept perfectly
quiet, holding the reins firmly, and kept pok-
ing the beast with the stock
We were not an hour in going that dci sn
miles-not bit of il. L hadn't much fear
perhaps might tell the truth, and cay that
had none, for had good pistol ard more
than that, my passenger was safe yet was
glad when l came to the old -four barrel fac
tory that stands at the head Of Jackson's vii.
lage; and in ten minutes more hauled up
in front of the tavern, and found a couple Of
men in the barn cleaning down some stage
horses
'Well, old feller," says I, az got down
and went around to the back Of the wagon,
you have had a good ride, bsve'n ye,'
GO; Who are your he cried He kind Of
swore little, too, az he asked the question.
g. I'm the man Jon tried to Shoot was my
reply:
- Where ami Let me out" be yelled
"' Look here, we've come 70 a safe stop
ping place, and mind ye, my revolver is ready
for ye the moment you show yourself. Now,
by this time the two hostlers had cone
/ up to see what was the matter; and I ex-
| planned l. all to them. After this got one Of
I -. 81
| what believed I'd got for him The FIRST
streaks Of daylight were just coming up, and
! in half an hour it would be broad daylight
In less than that time the sheriff came, and
two men with him told him the whole af-
fair in a few words-exhibited the handbills
l had for him, and then he made for the cart
He told the chap inside who he was, and IL no
made the least resistance, he'd be a dead
man. Then L slipped the iron wrenck out,
and as l let the door down, the fellow made
a spring. L caught him by the an kle, and no
came down On his face, and in a moment more
the officers had him. IL was now dsylight,
and the moment saw the chap recognized
him. He was marched of 70 the lock up, and
L told the sheriff should remain in town all
day.
After breakfast, the sheriff came down 10
the tavern and told me that had caught the
very bird, and that if L would remain until tbs
next morning should have the reward Of two
hundred dollars, which had been offered. L
found my goods all safe. paid the express
agent for bringing them from Indianapolis,
and then went to work TO stow them away in
ny cart. The bullet holes we're found in the
top VI my vehicle just as I expected. They
we're in a line, about FIVE inches apart and
b ad been where L usually sit, two Of them
would have hit me somewhere near the small
of the back, and passed upwards, for they
were sent with heavy charge of powder, ard
his pistol was a heavy one.
"on the next morning the sheriff called
upon NE, and paid me two hundred dollars
IN gold, for he made himself sure tb at he'd
got the villain. l afterwards found a letter
in the post ofice at Portsmouth for me, from
the sheriff Of Hancock county, and be inform
ed me that Mr. Dick Hardhead was in prison
for life
So ended the peddler's story. I'M the morn
ing had the curiosity 20 look at his cart,
and l found the four bullet-holes tl.t ss be
had told us, though they we're now plugged
up with vial corks.