Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-10-17
VOL. IX.--No, Ii.

noie, into which he was gong to stick his
hnger No harm should happen to her
she should only be driven about a little.
and Vt he took his finger out more than
once, she was to have ten dollars more -
linen ne threw foTT' rags and tatters over
himself, and stuffed himself out and mt
on q wig and a great beard of goats hair
so that no one could know him again, and
set OFT for the common, where the Souire
had already been riding about a good bif
When he reached the place he went alone,
50 softly and slowly that he scarce made a5l
inch of way. Gee up gee up and SO ho,
went on. a little then he stood stocl; st;ll
and SO on a little again and altowethdr tho
pace was so miserable that il never onco
came into the Squire's head that thisco,,M
be the Master Thief
At last the Squire rode right up to hin,
and asked if he had seen any one hr,,;m1r
about i'll the wood thcreabouts.
No, said the man, II haven't seen .
SOUL 4"
"IIarkye, now" said the Squire. ,ifvon
nave mind to ride into the wood, and
hunt about and see if YOU can fallupon any
one lurking about there, yon shall have the
loan OF my horse and shilling into tho,
bargain, to drink my health, for your pains.
81 don't see how / can 60" said the
man, "tor am going to wedding with this
cask of mead, which have been to townto
fetch, and here the tap has fallen out by the
way, and so l must so along, holding NV
finger in the tap hole"
''Ride off" said the Squire; "Tn look
toyour horse and caSk. +"
We'll, on these terms, the man WINS vii
ling to go but he begged the Squire to he /
quick in putting his finger into the tan.
hole when ne took his own out, and to mind
and keep it there till he came back. Yes
the Squire would do the best he could
and SO the Master Thief mounted the horse
and rode off But time went by. and hour
after hour passed, and still no one came
back: AT last the Squire grew weary of
standing there with his fngor in the tan
hole, so he took it out
'HNow / shall have ten dollars more .,
screamed the old woman inside the cask.
and then the Squire saw.at once how the
land lay, and took himself off home hut
he had not gone far before they met him
with fresh horse, for the Master Thief
had already been to his house and told them
to send one. .s..-ue3 -,,.. ~ -
The day after he came to the Squire and
would have his daughter, as he had given.
his word but the Squireput him off again
Wth tine words and gave him two hundred
dollars, and said he must do one more mas
terpiece. If hceouh do that. he should
have her. Well, we'll, Che Master Thief
thought he could do it, if he only knew
what it was to be.
'"Do you think, said the Squire, teyou
can steal the sheet off our bed and the shift
offmy wife's back? Doyou think YOU can
do that?' -
Z "lt shall done, said the Master Thief
~ only wish l was as sure of getting your
daughter l.......I.
So when night began to fail, the Master
Thief went ont aud cut down a thicf who
hung on the gallows, and threw him across
his shoulders and carried him off. Then
he got a long ladder and set II MP against
the Squire's bedroom window. and s6
climbed up, and kept the dead man up and
down, just for all the world like one who
was pecping in at The window,
+ 'Fhatsthe Master Thief, old lass ~
SAID the Squire, and gave hiswife "A nudge
on the side "Now see if j don't shoot
;him, that's all.g g,.a
SO saying, he took up rife which he
ii"u leio .tb HIS DGHSlllC.
{" No no pray don't shoot him after
telling him he might come and try" said
g Don't talk TO me, for shoot / will,s
said he; and SO he lay there and aimed
and AIMED; bnt.as soon as the head came
up before the window, and he saw a little
OF IT., so soon was it, down again. At last
ne thought he had good aim; chang"
went tho grn, down fell the dead body to-
the ground with heavy bump, and down
went the Master Thief too as fast as he
could. Ff sf ~
"Wcll," said the Squire, xii is quite
true that | anu the chief .nagistfate of those
parts; but people arc fold of talking, and
i would be q bore if tbcy ca;8c % sec this
dead mans body ] think the best thing
to be done IS that .1should go downand
bury HIM M sst asast, ~ sE
2 !" 9 You must do as yo,sthfnls best, dearp
said his wife, SO Gobs9uite got out of
bedand went down stairs, and he had scarce
put his foot out of the door before the Mas
ter Thief stole in, and went straight up
stairs TO his wife, ,>... 49,,
{sgH Why, dear, back ,aiready;".< said she.
for she thought it was her husband.
"0hycs, Loiily Just puthim into ahole,
and threw little, earth oycr him. it is
enough that is ont OF sight, for il issuch
a5bad night out.of doors; ,by.sud by iii
dessl hattnp Bnt INST let me have the
sheet 70 sipc myself viii, was SO bloody
1.ond md ! have made ,nl gsclf IN sueh a mess