St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1860-12-20

although he knew that his next moment
might be his last, rode forward with as
careless an air as he ight have worn had
4 he been travelling the streets of a populous
! city. His hand still sgrasped the butt Of a
pistol, and his keen eye still searched ev-
cry covert: Suddenly pistol shot rang out
:tupon tbs air, and his hat fell to the ground
with a. bullet hole throug III it not more
than an inch above where his head had
been. !: Instantly, turning in the direction
of the sound, he beheld slight wreath Of
smoke curling up from behinda bush, and
without moments hesitation he leveled
his pistol and fred. ( The aim was terribly
fatal. A wild shrek rang upon the air,
and the next moment, there sprang from
behind the tree, not the charcoal burner,
as he had expected, but that Of his wife.
The blood was flowing profusely from her
forehead, and she presented "a horrible
spectacle. She; tottered to the edge Of the
wall Of rocks, and fell into the road corpse:
"EHad known it to have been woman"
the horseman muttered, Il never would
have ferd. But it is too late to 1noralize.
What can. have become of my friend the
charcoal burner?'' ~, I,:,...::s ~,
AS he spoke he turned aropnu quickly,
and encountered the object Of his thoughts
It was lucky for him that lie was So quick.
I The charcoal burner held cleaning knife
in his hand. already upliftcd ready Ito
strike. While the :herseman's attention
had been engaged by the, tragical end Of
the woman, he had silently crept up be-
hind him. The woqld-be assassin sprang
forward making a desperate pass at his
breast. " The horsenian still held the dis
charged pistol in his hand, and with its
long barrel managed to parry off the blow.
| He then buried his spurs deep into the
horses sides, and the goaded beast sprang
forward so violer tly as to dash: the char.
coal burner to the ground, and completely
sprang over him, dashing the knife from
his hand, leaving him stunned in the mid
die Of the road. The horseman turned
instantly, and drawing his remaining pis-
. tol from the holster, waited for the other
to rise. The latter staggered TO- his feet,
and leaning against the rocks on the side
Of the road, gazed sullenly and revenge
fully on his conqueror. Thus the strange
| COuflo lcS9dlucu cdCu OCAtl -1OI SOule tllllc,
until at last the horseman broke the ST.
lence. ...5; .:)t .y.....g. ~ T..
4 ID $50, my friend" he said, "your career
is ended at last"
Eyes! curse you! I'd rend you asun-
der too, if '~:-' ~
e: "You dared, I presume" put in the
, stranger. - II doubt not your good inten-
tions, and can only thank heaven that you
have not power proportionate to your
will but I am doubly thankful that
have been the means of ridding the earth
Of such monster. presume you can
give pretty good account Of those myste-
rious disappearanccs Of late"
"Aye, that can! You are the first
richly frcighted traveller who has entered
that lane and escaped the bullet Or knife" !"
"Pshaw do you take me for one of
those simpletons whose purses are better
filled than their heads p -5..
"No!' exclaimed the other with sudden
energy. II know better From the very
) first you seemed to have read my every in
tention, and you must have been sent cx-
pressly to bctray me. In other words you
are detective in disguise 2" =. .-- ~.
"You are right" was the reply.
":Wcll, you have come out best, but you
have played a desperate game. Few would
;; have escaped al you have, for my wife was
good shot, But you seemed from: the
first to be fortunes? favorite"'',r Z, ~.
, ,,I certainly had a narrow escape" re-
piled the other, pointing to the bullet hole
= in his hat. ->'.'' - - 6: 2a:1: :':77.T-
: "But;w who are you ?" at length deman.
ded the other G:>5nf.:f ~ ~ 45:a
y "My name is Vidocq." .rf .s...
! "Great heavens !! the Partisan detective
l might have know that it would be all ur
; with me when you were pitted against
= mc." ~ ID. - >''~ ,.,>77 hing Is
E"Yes; business at the metropolis being
: rather dull, and having heard some rumors
: of your doings, I thought I would take 9
G trip out here, if only, for. the good of my
: health. But it is growing late, and you
e must be moving" .-@ - '>2'''s:. Ii u !,
. "Wherc must 1 go"
t'To the gallows in the end was the re-
r joinder; but at present to the Jail al
= 4sTo the gallows ?" returned the othe,
: 6ercely.l "Feyer! any death but thaty'
r The detective leyeled his pistol at the
g charcoal burners heart, exclaiming: ~I
: "-"You shall have a. bullet put through
s your head, if you prefer i" !" ; - 773o"-
9 The other ducked his head in expecta:
g ton of the shot, and then made, sardesper:
}. ate spring at The detective. ID The latter
eST eoHSye svlted ss e oer ataeR fSe
: charcoal burner grasped the roins with his
e left hand, and with his right ,;endeayored
a to grasp the pistol. The detective, how,
ever, caught his right hand with his OWL
q loEtT c,d kold;no';f I'M xv;+h ~ srcn nro 81,