Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-03-18

lang syne " had spent many jovial hour
and while silently smoking his pipe, and listen
| ing to the conversation Of few sailors VIII,
were spending their evening there, he heard
| the following conversation
Aye it is aboat twenty-five years ago since
young Jack Brown was taken by that Internal
Gilbert | remember Jack well-as brave a
! lad as ever ran in a tub of brandy under
| yOnder cliff ! wonder if he is still iu foreign
| parts, poor lad"
Ah," said the other, " it is well for Gil
bert that Jack is q few Thousand miles away,
over the herring pond, or | fancy some f"e
morning we might see George Gilbert with
a slit in his wien, for I've heard 'em tell as
how Jack swore in a letter he wrote, when he
heard from friend here of his boys death,
that he would have his reYenge-though he
waited long years, and came back thousands
of miles over the sea to take it."
"Aye, lad and Jack Brown will keep bis
oath some day or other-depend on it,"
Thus talked they. 1t was evident they had
forgotten him of whom they spoke. Brown
said nothing but ever and anon they could
see a grim smile curl his lip, as the forelght
played over his weather beaten face.
At last one Of the sailors, turning to the
stranger, said
Well, my hearty, yOu seem to take inter
est in our talk did you know ausht of poor
Jack Z"
&" | did," replied the stranger, laconicaly :;
" but let me ask in turn what has become of
Gilbert ?"
" He is at -, some ten miles from
this place" was the answer when the stran-
ger rose, called for his reckoning and glasses
round, and bade them good night. This was
the last time that John Brown saw his native
place again after long absence.
The next night, in miserable inn at the
town where Gilbert was now stationed, pre-
ventiye man and tall, muscular stranger in
sea-faring dress, were in close conversation
over their grog They talked of local mat
terS in general and smuggling in particular
"Oh !" said the preventive man, there's
not much chance Of Cur making much by sci
Zures nowhere are so few to m Ike, since
Mr.. Gilbert came here. A mighty clever off
Ger is he too, / can tell you that. Did You
ever hear the story of his taking Jack Brown,
the most outandout smugylcr along this coast
some iye-and-twenty years ago p
The stranger replied that he had not, and
listened patiently to the mans yarn, in which
the real facts were magnified by his vivid
Imagination to such an extent that the stran-
ger colld hardly repress a smile at times.
" He must be getting all elderly man, this
Mr. Gilbert ~
" should think few years older than you
but then one is apt to be deceived for he
is a gloomy man, and that may make him look
older"
Z" | was at school with him that makes me
ask" added the stranger. g | should Ike 10
see him again
That you can easily do was the reply :;
he is the kecneSt oili.er the King has here
aboutst and any cne can see him going his
rounds any night along yonler cliffs, between
nine and ten o'clock"
And so the two shook hands and then
parted
1t was a dark night the moon was vainly
struggling through the wilderness of clouds as
the stranger walked ont at the inn door. turn
ed on his heel and slowly Sauntcred Off in the
direction indicated by his late companiou.-
He had not walked a quarter Of Il mile in the
darkness before he heard the sound of ap-
preaching footsteps, and deep, stern voice
ked WHO goes there -
"0ne YOU know WELL" was the uusatsfac-
tory answer
1" Honest men are not ashamed OF their
names, and | suspect that YOU arc after no
good"
At this moment the moon shonc ont from
a cloud on the two men, when Brown shouting
" Gilbert do Won know me nGw--,Iack Brown,
the convict ~ spraUg at the officer Ike a Ii
ger, before cutlasS could be unshcathed or pis-
tol drawn, grasped his throat and falling with
him to the ground, knelt on his PROSTATE foe.
For few moments, stunned by the fall the
officer lay perfectly still but shortly, recover
ing his faculties, he wrthed desperately in his
assailant's grasp. Though brave man and
one who felt that his life depended On his eE-
ertions, after few vigorous, but ahortive ef-
forts to free himself from his position on the
ground or to clutch bis pistols, be found him
self utterly p0worless in the lTands Of ore pow
erful as John BrOwu-for he it was.
Tightening his grasp on Gilbcrt's throat,
Brown ccniriscd with the other hand TO take
both pistols from his cncmy'S belt, and laid
them Oh tile grass beycnd his reach, Gilbert
summoning hia strength for anoyher effort well
nigh succeeded in hurting Brown backward,
and drawing his weapon from his scabbard.
Quick as lightning the convict recovered
one Of the pistols, cooked it, and presented it
close to Gilbert's temple, bade him be still, Or
accompanied by a fierce oath he would
scatter his brains on the tpyf The revenue
officer, though bad man, was q brave one,
yet it had required something more than ra-
tional bravery to disobey the command i'll such
a situation. Gilbert was still waiting better
oppol tunity for resistance. He could not call
for hep--for Brown had assured him that if
he attempted his cry would be followed by
shot Suddenly the idea flashed thl ough his
mind that Brown who seemed in no hurry TO
harm him might, on his return to England be
short of money and have had recoar to high
way robbery for subsistence