Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-10-17

stable, and on them will puttwel grooms,
one on each. If you are 80 good Il thief as
to steal the horses from under them, Pll see.
what can do for YOU"
"yery well, | dare say can do it," said.
the Master Thief; "but shall really nave
your daughter if can 2"
Yes, if You can, I'll do what ] can for
you," said the Squire.
So the Master Thief set off to a shop, and
bought brandy enough to fill two pocket
iiasks, and into one of tlem he put sleepy
drink, but into the other only brandy
Atter that he hired eleven men to lay in
wait at night, behind the Sqnire's stable
yard and last of all, for fair words and a
good bit Of money; he borrowed u ragged
gown and cloak from an old woman; and
so, with staff in his hand and bundle at
his back, he limpcd off, as evening drew ON,
towards the Squircs stable Just as he
got there they were watering the horses for
the night, and had their hands full ofwork
''What the ID do you want?" said
one of the grooms to the old woman.
3Oh oh ! hutctu. it is so bitter cold"
said she, and shivercd, and shook, and made
wry faces. 'lIntetu it is so cold, poor
wretch may easily freeze to death;" and
with that she fell to shiycring and shaking
again, .t
"Oh! for the love Of heaven, can T oct
leave to stay here awhile, and sit inside the
stable door@Y
"To the ID with your leave" said
one ''Pack yourself off thisminutc, for If
the Squire sets his eyes on you, he'll lead
us to aprctty dance" >aD .s..
ooh the poor old bag of bones, said
another who seemed to take pity on her
''the old hag may sit inside and welcome
such one as she can do no harm"
And the rest said, some she should stay.
and some she shouldn't; but while they
were quarrcling and minding the horses,
She crcpt further and further into the sta
Bile, tillat last she sat herself behind the
door and when she had got so far, no one
gave any more heed to her
sAs the night wore on the men found it
rather cold work to sit so still and quiet OH
horseback rs Isf A
"Hutctu it is so devilish cold" said
tone, and beat his arms crosswise.
+ THAT it Is" said another 'I freeze so,
that my teeth chatter
off we only had quid to chew" said
oflifsSsNsaat = 'sy ,s. tsr' t1' Il
We'll, there was one who had an ounce or
two; so they shared it between them, tho
it wasn't much after all, that each got so
they chewed and spat, and spat and chew
ed. This hclped them somewhat; but in
little while they were just as bad as ever. |
"Hutetu y said one, and shivered and
shook .g e s.a r 4tr
"Eutctu" said the old woman, and shiv.
cred so that every tooth in her head chat,
tered. Then she pulled out the flask with
brandy in it, and her hand shook so that
tho spirit splashed about in the flask, and
then she took such gulph, that it went
chop" in her throat a,1'
"'What is that you have got in your flask,
old GIRL, said one of the grooms 1
ooh it's only a drop of brandy, old
man, said she. sussrkS :,
"BFandy! Well, never Do let me
have drop" screamed the whole twelve,
one after another. "a
ooh but it is such a little drop" mum
bled the old woman, 'it will not even wet
your mouths round"
But they muot aud would have it.; there.
was no help for it, and so she pulled out
the flask with the sleeping drink in it, and
putt to the first mans lips; then she shook
no more, Int guided the flask so that. each
ofthem got what hewanted, and the twelfth
had not done drinking before the first sat
and snored. Then the Master Thiefthrew
OIL his beggars rags, and took one groom
after, the other so softly off their horses, and
set them astride on the beams between the I
stalls; andso he called his eleven men, and
rode off with the Squire's twelve horses.
But when the Squire got up in the morn
ing, hndwent to look afterhis eroomsYthey
had just begun to come to-; and some OIL
them fell to squirting the beams with their
spurs, till the splintcrs flew again, and some
fell off, and some still hung ON, and sat
there looking like fools. f.1..i I, 4,
Ho"2hoW said the Squire 81 see
very wellwho has been here; bat, as for
you; pretty set OF biookheads you must be
to sit here and letthe Master Thief steal
the horses from between yourle 49s
SO they all got agood leathering, because !
they had not kept sharper look out,
bmther,on in che day came tlse Master
Thief again,l and told how he lad ,hanaged
the raattcis and asked for the. Squirc,s
daughter, as hns had promiseds but the /!
Squire gave ftiIe eae hundred dollars tioSti, !
and said he mustdo something betterstilI |
sfs9' you think now,p said he, ,of'yo,i cap !
steal the horse from under me while am
out riding on his back % fg,. i E,,,eis-l
30, yyss, ! ldaresay I ss.cehld, "atsaid THE |
Master Thief, st ] were really sure,of get, /
ttfl tIer tltttrt, =. y !
Well,, well, the S4uffe would sec, wl,at i
he coall dos and Ne told the Master Thief