Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1858-03-03

Den.
"'You'd have thought he threatened
it if you'd seen his gun p'inted at my
head
"SWhereabouts did you come acrost
him p says Lucy. ....
"'On the turnpike; the most lone
soonest and the most desolatest part O.
it. I'd got right off agin him, afore
diskiyered him, when, happenin' to turr
my head little, seed him standin
stiff as a stake, little tother side ot
the fence, p'intin' his gun right at my
head
Where the robber stood wasn't 6
great way from the powder magazine
was it p says Lucy Maryland.
NO, o'ny rod or two
"'I thought so,' says she, turnin
away her head, SO he needn't see hel
laugh.
"'The robber didn't fire, I hope,
says Ben.
"'No; I wasn't fool enough to wait
for that; [ knew what he was arter, and
so | cries out: Don't shoot me-don'1
shoot me !-here's my pocket-book =
take it-take it! And with that, I give
it fling, and it went over the fence
and fell at the robbers feet
"'And what did he do next?' says
Lucy.
ole neither spoke nor moved sin
gle inch, but kept his gun levelled al
my head, as if he was bent on havin
my life. But you see 1 disappointed
him; and I'm here safe and soun L.
Twas a narrer 'scape, though, / tel
YOU
"'You're sartain the pocket-book
when you threw it, went over tothel
side of the fence?' says Ben Palmer.
"Yes. [ am sure of that, cause he
was standin' tother side; and I'd nc
idee Of obleegin' him to come any near
er to me than he was.'
we may as well wait, and not &C
till arter supper, then,' says Ben, whis.
perrin to Sam Peters. ..
"'Yes,' says Sam, for there's but lit
tie passin' that way; and it will be as
safe where it is as if it was in his pock-
et' ...
"'I guess you don't b'lieve he seed
a robber,' says [, who was standin' SO
near, I could hear every word they said.
''They smiled, but didn't make me
any answer. ~
Come, Ben, let's be goin',' says
Sam, as soon as supper was over.
'''Stop a minute,' says Ben; and,
goin' up to Jeemes, 'What'n you give
Sam and me- says he, IF We'll go and
overtake the robber, and get your pock-
et-book, with the five hundred dollars
untouched?'
"'Friends and fellow-citizens,' says
Jeemes, its too solemn thing to risk
your life for the sake of money. l shan't
give my consent to any sich proceedim'.
"'We'll 90, then, without your con-
sent says Ben. Come, Sam; are you
ready?'
"'Yes,' answered Sam; 'and we'd
better go afoot, I s'pose, for 'tisn't
more'n a quarter of mile
"tf you're determined on goin', my
horse and sleigh is at your sarvice, says
Jeemes.
" "'Thank you,' says Ben; but your
horse will be better off in the stable,
with a blanket on, arter bein' driv SO
ftlriously; and it's my candid opinion
that we shall find no difficulty in comm
up with the robber, if we 90 afoot.'
"'Y ou don't mean to go without bein'
well armed says Lucy, with a mis-
chievous smile, for she understood the
psalm, as the sayin' is.
"'Natur has pervided me with two
good arms says Ben, eand that's all /
ask
"'Or l either says Sam.
"While they were gone, we all, Jest
for the fun of the thing, put on awful
long faces; while Jeemes walked the
floor the whole of the time, and kept
sayin': Friends and feller-citizens, if
they're killed, you'll bear witness that
they went without my consent
'Sartainly! sartainly!' we all kept
sayin'; but it didn't seem to compose
his feelin's a single bit
"'You've no idee what a great, saw
age-lookin' critter he was,' says Jeemes.
"'Did he wear q slouched hat, sich
as the robbers I've read about in story
books wear?' says Lucy.
"'I don't know what kind of hat
he wore,' says Jeemes; but Pm sartin
I could see his eyes shine under the
brim, jest like balls of fire.
s'It wasn't long afore Ben and Sam
got back.
"'There's your pocket-book, and all
its contents, [ IeNpect,' says Ben, throw
in it on to the table.
"sHow did you get it ? says Jeemes,
with look of astonishment
e'Oh, the robber was no match for
Sam and me = says Ben.
"'But he might we shot you right
through the heart. Arter all, | don't
see how you got it,
why, | jest stopped down and
picked it up says Ben.
"'The robber must We dropped it.
sure as I'm alive says Jeemes.-
whereabouts did you find it?
"Jest where we expected to-right
afore the old pump that stands a little
way in from the road
"'And the handle was p'intin' right
Il IL