The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-10-06
MISCELLANEOUS.
From the Home Journal,
Tales of the South.
DrA SOUTHERN MAN.

,. fc (Concipded.)
The body was placed upon baggage
cart and sent, with proper explanations,
in the care Of q servant, to the family at
the hotel. So secretly had his connection
with the robbers been maintained, that the
return Of the corpse and the developments
which followed, were the first intimation
which his wife and children had of his
criminal associations. e..-. ...
- After the brief delay occasioned by the
examination and removal Of the body Of
the robber, the company proceeded, under
the direction of, Mr.. Stogd0n, along the
lateral gorge towards the place where the
confederate robber had disappeared be.
tween the projecting ledges Of rock. At
point opposite the supposed cave they
dismeunted. and. securing their horses
among the bushes, began to climb up tho
steep activity. In few moments, arri.
wing BY different routes, the men and dogs
were all assembled at the designed point.
The evidences Of human inhabitancy were
unmistakablc. The ground Immediately
in front Of the rocks was trodden and hard.
Worn paths branched of in several direc.
tions from the spot. The entranc,. mar
row passage between the two projecting
rocks, ran inwardly, and the avenue, ex.
cept for few feet at the opening, was
dark and entirely impenetrabls to the eye.
1t led evidently into cave or subtsrran.
can shelter Of some sort. which tho com.
pany prepared at once to explore.
Dry branches of trees aud dead under.
growth were gathered, tied into bundles
and lighted with Gre kindled by flint and
finder. With these for torches, six of the
more resoluts men entered the opening be-
tween the rocks, with tho view of exploring
the interior to which it led. The passsg
was 70 narrow that only two could walk
abreast Two men in front bore torches
as did the two in tho rear. The middl,
couple carried muskets heavily charged
As they advanced the passage rapidly
widened, and the roof fsprang up to grea1
height overhead. They had gone about
twenty PAGES from the entrance when ,
blaze of light, accompanied BY, the ,lmos
simultaneous report of firearms. 6ashet
forth from distant, interior point Of tn,
cave The two men in front fell to tn,
earth. Discharging their muskets in th,
direction of the fash. the others retreate,
from the cave, drugging their fallen com
panions after them, one of whom was &c
riously wounded and the other entirel
dead. .Ier sa.. .
Enrsged at the spectacle Of .slood an
death, the besiegers began more resolutel
the work Of assault upon the cave, 70
such it was now ascertained to be. and q
considerable dimensions, too. An effol
was made to induce the dogs to ente
1 The more rctolute advanced few pace
and then ran back in apparent alarm. tt
majority stood at the entrance and barke
but could not be enticed. by words {
blows. to 60 further.
|
Another expedient was tried. A larl
tree was cut down and riven into bolts
{. considerable length and thickness
double row Of these timbers was place
upright across the entrance passage, son
twenty feet from the opening. aud sscureI
wedged and braced, SO as to form Powe
full barricaJe or wall. The powder in q
the horns and TASKS, except few roun'
reserved in each, was poured in a pile {
the ground near to the upright timber
Another barricade, similar to the inn
oue, was constructed in front and close
the powder. train being first laid fro
the pile, through notch in the timbsl