White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1857-07-30

them the terror Of die carly settlers. This fra
ternity, which wore the appellation Of the Pony
Club probably because they confined them
selves to the stealing of horses and cattle, con,
sisted of seven meslbers, whose names were SC
scrupulOusly eoncesssd. whose meetings so Sc.
cret, and whose robbsries so skilfnliy conducted
that the borderers csuld never discover by whom
they had been deprived of their property Pos
sessed of large and fertile tracts of land, Quot
ly located in the midst of their neighbOrs, they
seemed to be wholly absorbed BY their agricul.
tural pursuit. At distance rumor reported them
ss rich; and in their immediate neighborhood
in spiteof the rudeness of their houses and at.
tire, they bore the character of respectable and
! thriving farmers; and not unfrequently were
they solrited to aid in searching fer the horses
which they themselves had stolen, and the cattle
they had driven away and sold.
1t is tyse, however, that in spite of their pre-
cautions from time to time, suspicion fell, now
on this aid now on that member of the club;
and occasionally it was whispered that Mr.. This
or Squire That, had sold ten times as many hor-
ses, or twenty timos as many cattle as he could
! possibly hive reared. But It invariably happen
ed also, that within week after the circulation
of any such scandal, the suspected party him
self became victim of the Pony Club. His
fences were pulled down, his domain entered,
his cattle missing, and his good names to the
confusion Of the malicious, was instantly re-
stored
Lest, however, it may occasion surprise that
men Of property should be engaged in such trans
actions, it may be remarked, that these exploits
not only suited the wild dispositions of the Dor
derers, but that, having no market for the sale
Of their maize, and other products of the soil,
these animals, which they drove to distance
and sold cheaply, supplied them with money
With this brief explanation will proceed with
nay narrative.
1t was near midnight. A huge wood fire roared
and cracked in the chimney. in front of which
were seated some half, dozen men and the boy
Frank. DAILY, who was the acknowledged lea
der of the gang, and told his tale-for the first
time false ore-unfolded his plans, and issued
his orders, and the party were only waiting for
the appointed time to start Within reach of
most of the men was pine table, on which
stood sundFy drinking cups, jug of peach bran
ny, 'arge oh % MaTylznd tobacco, and 90 IN
snufed candle, that was making vain efforts to
force It's way through clouds Of smoke which
issued increasingly from seven pipes in full ope-
ration.
The silence which had for some time been dis
turbed only by the whifis and pufs of the smo-
kers, was at length broken by the Squire, who
suddenly exclaimed, in allusion probably to
something that had been said before
No, Dove, the Pony Club, as it is carried on
now, dent suit me. 1t brings us in neither fun
or money
Whose faults that9' asked Dove. 'Why,
Squire, it takes more time and trouble to git you
out than to collect all the resi- of the gang
At this remark, which accorded so much with
his own opinions, Frank laughed bOisterOusly,
and said.
That's a mortal fact, Dove, if the devil spoke
it.
With the euickness of thought the Squire
aimed a blow at the boy, which luckily for him,
he evaded; for Cooley's arm was none of the
lightest.
Darn you, you long-legged, wiry saplin,' cried
the enraged Squire, as he sprang to his feet
I'll put stop to your talking this very night
Il amt afraid of you, Squire said the boy,
sneeringly. you are stronger than me, that's
a fact, but there's many things will equal boy
to man, if he's only got the pluck to use
them.'
Thus insOlently defed, the angry Squire was
moving toH ards the boy with the full purpose
of chastising him, when DAILY seized him by the
arm and said.
You shan't strike him, Tom. He's but a
child yet, and no match for you
why the -, then, don't you thrash bis
impudenee out Of himP asked the Squire, as he
turned furiOusly to DAILY, from whose powerful
grasp he had vainly attempted to free himself
This is the third time to-day that he has insult
ed me to my face. Let me go, Isay; IN thrash
him in spite Of you
you WON'T said Daily, firmly. IF he's to
be struck, IN dot, but no man else shall. He's
all I've got of kith or kin, Tom. You must
kill me before you beat him.
mo qusrelling-no quarrelIing" shouted
several men at once.
Il amt quarelling,' said DAILY, who never
theless maintained his hold; 'but he shan't beat
the boy
With q sudden and unexpected jerk, the
Squire shook DAILY Of, and before any one could
interfere, he felled the lad to the ground by q
single blew. With the spring Of a tiger, the in
furiated DAILY leaped on the Squire, and seizing
him BY the collar and throat, hurled him violent
ly across the chamber. The two men were now
thoroughly reused, and deadly fray would with
out doubt, have ensued, had not the other mem
bers of the club thrown themselves between the
combataats with cries Of Shame! shame. Be
quiet, Daly; I'm astonished at you, Squirrel
shall boys tongue separate tried friends p
asked one. 'Or spile our nights work. asked
another.
For moment the men gazed sterniy at each
other, and thefr passions seemed to sHbside as
rapidly as they had risen, and the Squire
stretched out his hand to Daily, saying,
They're right, Ned; we've known each
other too long to become Strangers at boys
bidding,
Without word Daily accepted the proSered
hand, and sincere reconciliation took place. II
was evident, however, that the lockers on did
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