The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1862-09-05


soon lulled to sleep by the sound of his ia
vorite grinding her corn.
So the night wore away. Presently, as
the first gray streaks OF day began 10 ap-
pear, Mr.. Musgrave awoke, and feeling
very cool and chilly, looked round to as.
certain the cause 70 his astoDishment lie
found that all the coverlets had been taken
Oft his bed, and that his blanket had been
spread on. upon the floor. For what pur-
pose? thonght Mr.. Musgraye Was he
the victim Of some horrible nightmare. or
was lie really awake? Mechanically his
eye glanced to the spot where his mare
should have been. She was not there =
She was gone-stolen During the night
some daring thief had broken into the
farm house, had picked the lock on the
door of the oed room; had spread the
blankets over the floor, so that the hoofs
of the mare should make no noise, and had
thus triuinphantly made off with his prize
Of course Mr. Musgrave reused his
household, and commenced vigorous
search after the thief 1t was useless
The despoiler had left no traces behind
him, and so Mr. Muserave was obliged to
return home disconsolate, and content
himself with venting curaes-neither few
nor far between-upon the thief.
In the meantime our friend Dickey-for
his was the deed-was comfortably noun
ted upon Mr. Musgrave's fagorte mare,
and was every moment Increasing the dis
tance between her outraged owner and
himself. So great was the speed Of the
mare, that by break of day Dickev feI.
himself secure from pursuit. He had di>
rected his steps to the eastward, and, willis !.
crossing Haltwhiste Fall, whom should
he encounter but the veritable owner ot
the oxen lie had stolen two or three DAYS
before, and just sold to Mr.. Musgraye .
Dickey knew the owner OF the oxen
well, but, lnckily for the freebooter, that
injured individual did not know him. He,
therefore, accosted Dickev, and inquired
If he had seen any oxen in the course oil
his travels, similar to those which he de,
scribed himself to Dick as being in search
Of.
" Why, to be sure l have, replied Dick
grazing in Mr.. Musgrave's fields at Laner
cost, only Yesterday. Twas rather struck >
he continued, "by their appearance, and
learnt, on inquiry, frop, one of his servants
that Mr.. Musgrave had just purchased
them. Undoubtedly the oxsn are yours.
| would advise you to go to Lanercost at
once and claim them
T Al
" But | am knocked up with walking, and
it is long way to Lanercost. | see you
ride good beast VIII Won sell her q
After some hard bargaining, terms were
agreed upon, the purchase money wasEpaid
down on the spot, and Dickey and the far
mer parted-the latter to seek his stolen
oxen, actually from the very owner Of tic
stolen mare he was himself riding; whilst
Dickey proceeded "where he listed"
Tho next day the farmer reached Laner
cost, and, of course, at once recognized his
own oxen grazing in the field. He forth.
with rode up to an elderly man, standing
near, whom hejudged to be the owner OF
the field, an! exclaimed:
" say, friend those are my oxen in
your field. How may you have come by
them 2"
And I'll be ID replied the 9th
er, taking long astonished look at the
animal on which bis qucstioner was
mounted, ''if that's not my mare You are
riding. How may you have come by her,
pray -
Each Of course described the person
from whom, he had respectively purchased
the oxen and the mare; and when this
was done, they discovered that they had
indeed been sold " by rogue Of no com
mon order.
50 IaughabIe, however, did the Joke ap>
pe2r-eyen to those who had to pay the
piper" in The afair-that neither patty
could prevent breaking into a peal OF mer
riment when the particulars were fully dis
closed.
It was now clear that the only way to
settle the affair was for each party to take
back his own property. Mr.. Musgraye
was Of course ovegoyed at the recovery
of his fayotlte mare; ard the Denton
Burn farmer being equally delighted at
the recovery OF his tavorte oxen 1t tell
out that in the general burst Of rejoicing
Dickey was allowed to pocket the sale
money of both mare and oxen.
Whether Dickey ultimately came to an
untime!y end, or whether he reformed his
ways. and died duly shrived," in his bed,
history telleth not.
Certain it is, however, that 10 this day
his deeds are :. household words " in many
parts of n Northumberland, and the men
tion of his name amongst the peasantry
Is considered synonymous with "cutc
ness"
Father Dunne's Legion-Capital Let.