Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1857-12-10

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The upper road is matter of mile or two
furder but that's nothin'. Your beast is
good for it, I guess" =. r.: :.
| I told him my horse would stand it well
enough, and then. asked where the other
struck the stream. T. 80 -. ali - +
ssAbout three miles this side of the mills, :"
he replied, t'.~- - q = '.5s.
! s.Its all clear and directY' .,.tl4 u
| eyes. You can't miss the way" -
+ ] babe my host goodbye, and then start
ed on. I didn't like the idea Of new road
at all The youth above mentioned had
told me what an excellent road it was from
Groepe's to the mill by the river road. He
said it followed the stream which was very
near straight, and that it was light and open
the whole distance. However, Of course
|Groope knew, so [ must make the, best of it.
I looked back as reached the edge Of the
wood. I was upon a gentle. eminence, and
could overlook the shrubbery [ had passed.
I looked and saw Ike going from the house
to the barn he hada saddle upon his arm.
I was sure it was a saddle perhaps he had
an errand to do. - *Sesh =, -
Ere long T entered the wood and found it
thick and gloomy. The path was plain e.
EEnough, and had evidently been at some time
a travelled road. Aye-I remembered,
now, of having heard my informant of the
|noontide speak of the s'eld road" He said
there used to be road leading to Rock riv-
Ter, but when Forest commenced his settle
ment new road was opened by the stream,
and the old one was discontinued. He had
said nothing about any bridges. .5 -, :.
At the distance of two miles / came to a
place where bed of sand lay across the
road. It was sort of a, gully and a stream
ed, but saw no track upon it. Water had
swept across since any living thing had
trodden it. I slid from my saddle and ex-
amined thoroughly; but I could find no
tracks. - . .sF 4. =. - s.2 800
! OF course, the father of my noontime's
host could not have gone this way And
yet he had gone to Forests mills. Ibegan
to suspect mischief There had been an
uneasy sensation lurking in my bosom ever
since had left the inn Something was
wrong I regained my saddle and looked
about The sun was nearly down, in twen-
tas-a tia -f,rthast It -Moaald be out
TTof sight.
Instinctively I drew one of my pistols
from the holster. I raised the hammer,
and found the cap in its place. I was just
putting it back, when noticed mark up
on the butt. It was peculiar knot in the
wood. That pistol I always carried in the
left holster. It.was not so sure as the 9TH
er one. I took out the other and was sure
the weapons had been changed by other
hands than mine. They had remained in
1.-THE saddle at the forest inn, and it had tax
en place there. -. -.
/ Z began to think. Why was Mr.. .Groope
50 particular to knowsif my friend expected
Fme? And then why should he be'soe anx-
tious to have me set forward that night in
stead of remaining with him and paying
him dollar or SO more than [ did? Then
this road believed I had been deceived.
There were no freshets to carry away any
bridges, for it,was now near Autumn and
! the river road had been travelled all sum-
liner. And then the saddle had seen Ike
fcarry;ng. to the barn. There was surely
mischief in all this. Daniel Groope had
daughters in his house, and perhaps others,
whom he would not have to hear the noise
of the robbery. And very likely he would
not wish to have such deed connected with
his house at all. OF course lie knew had
money. No one one would be travelling.
as [ was then travelling, without a consid-
Eerable sum. = ss9.r tt ..era.,
[ If my pistols had been taken out might
they not have been further dealt with?
took the one. from the right holster and ex-
amined it. The ball was in it's place and
the cap on. Still I was not satisfied I
slipped the cap of, and found the percussion
composition had been removed. There was
not particle left within the cap. And
this was not all I found the tube spiked
with a little pine stick. - - "a, a4
Here was the secret sure enough. [ took
my penknfe and succeeded in drawing out
the stick, and then I examined the other
pistol, which found to be in the same
plight. / had an excellent screw for re-
moving bullets, and my pistol barrels were
Femptied in very few moments. had a
serious objection to firing them eff in the
woods, where the report might betray the
knowledge had gained. So I emptied
them, and then; snapped a cap upon each.t
[ found them both clear, and then proceed
ed to load them, which did carefully
And now, how should [ proceed 2? That
this road led to Forests mills had no
doubt, and it would be. nearer for me to
keep on than to turn back. So upon that
point my mind was made up. ....gss
And next which way would my host come?
For that he meant to rob me I felt certain.
Every circumstance--everything that had
transpired between him and me-pointed to
that one simple result. Would he 60 down
the river road piece and head me off? Or