Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1858-05-04

II was too dark for Spencer TO recol
nlze his new acquaintance of The smith
cry.
Fine evening, squire" said MALACHI
:. sieighing will be first rate tomorrow
If II continues 10 come down this way"
There we don't agree. friend" sal
Spencer, placing his hand by way of pre-
caution, upon one of his pistols, :. for tn
night, 10 my mind is cursed dark an,
stormy one."
4 Well, Ills something dark, that's
fact" was Malachis response, for ;
man that's got considerable distance t,
ride. Go: fine horse; | can't see fo
sarlin. Criiter goes kinder lame, dom
he e.
Yes, thanks to a bungling fellow .ha
shod him about two hours ago, shall no
be able to reach my destination by day.
light"
" Rather guess you won't, squire, a
the rate you are travelling now. Trenton
is long ways off yet, and it is rough
road 10 travel. Now squire, seem it is
you, wouldn'. mind swapping horses
Old sorrel is sure footed, and only ten
years old, come next grass; though /
should require little boot, under the cir
cumstances NOT Continental, but in hard
Spanish, and"
Hold on, friend, for heavens sake.
| have no wish to trade horses at any rate
and your loquacity is perfectly overwhelm-
ing. have bat one question to ask, end
you can act your own pleasure N answer
ing il. Who gave the information that |
was travelling to Trenton 2"
Jest as slick as grease, squire. You
are on our side. God save King George
and down with the rebel. am Malachi
Dooli,tle, Jonas Hutton's apprentice boy,
uho shod your cri,ter this very nigh; and
it appears II was so confounded dark in
the shop, that l made a pesky job of it,
"Pesky job, indeed" said Spencer
Why, my horse IS going dead lame, and
must be III Trenton by tomorrow morning
my business is Of the most vital import
ance."
g Could not do the business for you g.
said Malachi. Z" You can 60 back to
Squire Huuon's while will carry the des-
patches you bear about you TO the British
camp
mo" said Spencer, with laugh (;
that would hardly do. A British officer
placing important dispatches in The hands
of blacksmith apprentice, is altogether
slt of the question:
by Judas, I've got it!'' exclaimed
Malachi, as if struck by a sudden thought;
/" We will swap horses for the present
I'll take Your critter back to Hutton's and
docter him I'LL you call for him, and lend
you old sorrel-he is just as fresh now as
when he left the stable, and can keep the
same gait for four and twenty hours to
come
Ensign Spencer WAS delighted with the
proposition, and halting at favorable
place, they both dismounled to make the
exchange. But no sooner had the officers
feet touched the ground, than he found
himself in the close embrace of tall Nal
achi.
Now Squire he exclaimed, e'before
1t comes to worse tussel, HI trouble you
to fork ovc- them papers,"
Why, what do you mean, you plebe-
ian hound" said Spencer. "by insulting
an officer of King George g. Struggling
to free himself from the iron grasp of the
blachsmith's apprentice.
ed contakerous Tory varmint, Hurrah for
George Washington and the Continental
Congress. Kiss Mary again. viii you
Well, I'm not going to be cruel bot If You
don't fork over them papers IN Jiffy. by
the sixteenth chapter of Revelations, Ill
make mince meat of you i will, by
Judas -
' Don, throttle me = exclaimed Spen-
Ger, (for Malachi's grip at his throat had
been tightening every instantly land
they are yours
Don't you attempt to come any of
your games, you Tory varmint. | can
ourrun, out-jump, or out-wrestle anything
in our diggins, and
'' Such is not my intention. There are
the papers, much good may they do you.
And nov be kind enough to release my
collar"
- Wait a bit, 'squire-so no, sorrel-
must make I'll rjg!lt;'' and, at the same
moment, he let 20 of Spencer, he leaped
into the saddle. Good night, squire,
and pleasant dreams
Spencer Instantly aimed one OF his pis-
tolls point blank at Malachi, tu, it missed
fire. He dashed it TO the ground with a
curse, and leveled the o,her-ihe trigger
clicked, but there was no discharge.
"Ha, ha, ha,' laughed Malachi
"You will find the primin' scattered round
Jonas Hutton's kitchen floor, where left
it. Ya-hip, ga-lang, sorrel. Three
cheers for George Washington and ihe
Continental Congress.