Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-02-19
clamation of astonishment, but this was
not all. heard another exclamation from

another source.
"What could it be! I looked quickly
around but could see nothing. Yet l
knew that the sound heard was very close
to me. As the hind wheels came up l
felt something beside the jerk of the wheels.
/ heard something tumble from one side
of my wagon to the other, and could also
feel the jar occasioned by the movement. 1t
was simply a man in my cart. l knew
this on the instant. Ofcourse / felt puz-
zled. At first l imagined that some fellow
had taken this method to obtain ride but
1 soon gave this up, for 1 knew that any
any decent man would have asked me for
a ride. My next idea was that some one
had got in there to sleep; but this passed
away as quickly as it came, for no man
would have broken into my cart for that
purpose. And that thought, gentlemen,
quickly opened my eyes. Whoever was
in there had broken in.
"My next thoughts were of Dick Hard
head. He had heard me say that my load
was nearly all sold out, and of course he
thought l had some money with me, for 1
had over $4,000. also thought he meant
to leave the cart when he supposed 1 had
reached safe place, and then either creep
over and shoot me, or knock me down.
All this passed like Lightning through my
mind by the time 1 hod got a rod from the
hole.
'Now, never made it point to brag of
myself, but have seen great deal of the
world, and am pretty cool and clear-headed
under difficulty In few moments my
resolution was formed. My horse was knee
deep in the mud, and l knew l could slip
off without noise. So drew my revolver
Il never travel in that country without
one-I drew this, and having twined my
lines about my whipstock, carefully slipped
off my cart back into the mud with great
care, and as the cart passed on went be-
hind and examined the hasp.
The door of the cart lets down, and is
fastened by hasp, which slips over the
steeple, and is then secured by paddock.
The paddock was gone, and the hasp was
secured in its place by bit of pine-so
that slight force from within would break
it. Ny wheel wrench hung in leather
bucket by the side of the cart, and I quick
ly took it out and slipped it into the steeple,
the iron handle just slipping down.
"Mow I had him. Ny cart was almost
new, made in stout frame of white oak,
and made on purpose for hard usage. l
did not believe any ordinary man could
break out. then urged my horse on, still
keeping my pistol handy. knew that at
the distance of half a mile further
should come to good hard road, so al
lowed my horse to pick his own way
through the mud. About ten minutes af-
ter this l heard motion in the cart, fol-
lowed by grinding noise, as though some
heavy force were being applied to the door.
l said nothing, but the idea struck me that
the villain might Judge where l sat and
shoot up through the top of the cart at me,
SO / sat down on the foot board.
"Of course l knew now that my unex-
pected passenger was villain, for he must
have been awake ever since started, and
nothing in the world but absolute villainy
would have induced him to remain quiet so
long, and then start up in this particular
place. The laundering and pounding
grew louder and louder, and pretty soon l
heard human voice:
"Let me out of this" he cried, and he
yelled pretty loud.
l lifted up my head so as to make him
think was sitting at my usual place, and
then asked him what he was doing there.
"Let me out and I will tell you," he re-
piled.
"Tell me what you are here for" said l.
81 got in here to sleep on your rags" he
answered.
"Let me out, or I'll shoot you through
the head" he yelled.
AUST at that moment the horses feet
struck the hard road, and knew that the
rest of the route to jackson would be good
going, The distance was twelve miles
slipped back on the foot-board and took the
whip. l had the same horse then Pve got
nova tall, Stout powerful bay mare-and
you may believe there's some 60 in her to-
At any rate she struck a gait that even as
tonished me. She had received a good
mess of oats, the air was cool, and she felt
like going. In fifteen minutes we cleared
the woods, and away we went on keen
jump, the chap inside yelling to be let out.
"Finally he stopped, and in few min
utes came the report of a pistol -one-two
three four, one right after the other, and
1 heard the balls whiz over my head. III
had been on my sect one of these balls, if
not two of them, would have gone through
me. popped up my head again and gave
veil, and then deep groan, and then l
said, 80 God, save me! I'm dead man.
Then made shuff1ing noise, as though l
were falling of, and finally l settled down
on the foot-board again. l now urged the
old mare by giving her an occasional poke
with the butt end of my whip-stock, and
she peeled it faster than ever.
The man called out to me twice more,
pretty soon after this, and as he got no re-
ply, he made some tremendous effort to
break the door, and as this failed him, he
made several attempts upon the top. But
l had no fear of his doing anything there;
for the top of the cart was framed in with
doye.ails, and each sleeper bolted to the
posts with iron bolts. l had made it so
that I could carry heavy loads there. By
and by, after all else had failed, the scamp
commenced to holler whoa to the horse,
and he kept it up until he became quite
hoarse. All this time kept perfectly qul-
ct, holding the reins firmly, and poking
the beast with the stock.