The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1861-01-23
Seltttto Gale.
HUNT In THE HIGHWAY,
FROM THE JOURNAL OF An ENGLISH 20
LICE OFFICER.

~ somewhere. The farm houses
were robbed; shops were robbed; the
tills of the bar at the waYside inns were
robbed; and the people had their peck
cts picked. All this Happened in the
region Of the country between Sidney
and Lowstone-not ield of vast ex-
tent-and yet the robber or robbers
could not be found. Officers had search
ell in every direction, md several suspi-
cious looking fellows had been appre-
hended; but tho real cuprit still remain
ed at large.
One day the mail was robbed, and on
the next day man lad his pocket pick
ed of five hundred pounds, while riding
in the stage coach-for my narrative
dates back to the old coaching days.
The money had been carried in lis breast
picket, and lie knew it was stoeln from
him while he was enjoying bit ola doze
on the road
! had been confined to my house by
severe cold for several DAYS, and was
not fit to 90 out now; but as this matter
was becoming SO serious, | felt it my
duty to be Oh the move, and accordingly
| fortified ny throat and breast with
warm flannel, and set forth. ] had no
settled plan in my mind, for | had not
yet been upon the road, and was not
thoroughly "postcd up" a ride of five
miles brought me to Sidney, and thence
[ meapt to take the coach to Lowstone,
where Sam Sticknoy, one of t. shrewd-
est Of men, lived. Stickney had already
been on the search, and | wished TO
consult him before making any decided
movement.
reached Sidney If holfnosf fvn :"
the morning, and the coach left at SIX.
Lowstone was sixty miles distant, SO |
had a good ride before me. During the
early pant of the day | rode upon the
box with the driver, and from him |
gained considerable information tDuch
inc the various robberics that hal been
committed. He was forced to Admit
that Sc eral people had been robbed i'll
his stage, though Eo declared he couldn't
see into it, for he had not the reno
test idea even Of who the robber could
be.
We roache BonniyiIlo at noon, where
we stopped to dine, and when we left
the place | was the ,Iy passenger. At
the distance of twelve miles, at q little
place called Cawthorne, we stopped to
change horses, and here another pass
enger got up. l had been occupying
the forward seat, rs that happened to
be wider than the others, and gave me
better opportunity for lying down; and
when the new conner entered he took the
back seat. He was young man, jadg
ed, and not very tall in stature, but SO
completely was he bundled up in shawls
and mufflers, his size of frame was no!
so easily determined. He was very pale,
coughed badly; and | at once made up
my mind that he was far less fit to travel
than l was. After we had got fairly on
our way, remarked to him that had
been suffering from severe cold, and
that this was the first time | had yentur-
ed out for quite number of days. Ho
looked at me out of a pair of dark, bright
eyes, and when he seemed to have de
termined what manner of man | was, he
said:
81 have something worse than cold,
SIR"
II broke into fit of coughing,
which lasted q m mute or so, and then
added-'It won't be great while be-
fore I shall take my last ride" Again
he was seized with spasm of coughing,
and when he had recovered from it, he
COMMUNICATIVE disease is eating me
up and shaking me to pieces at the same
time"
He further informed me that he had
started on tour for his health, but that
he had given it up, and was now on
his way home, which place he was an
xous to reach as soon as possible. An
other paroxysm seized him at this point,
aud he intimated that he was unable to
converse, as the effort brought on lis
cough. 1 had noticed this, and had
made up my mind to trouble him no
more even before he had given me the
hint
After this he drew out his shawl more