The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1865-10-18

ever agree a. to what |: was like
My father was a ulouccstershire man.
lie stood ak feet three in his stockings, and
measured thirty ak inches across the cheat.
lie could double mp a half-crown between
/ his finger and thumb. mud was ~ brave M /,
/ hon. 30. many time and oft. when any
one talked OF the dangers 0. the road, he
would sci his great teeth together, shake
his head ant say that he should like 10 gee
the man that could 100 IAN on the highway !;
ana. ~ said before, he did see him, and it
nas Tom Rocket
( NY father was lawyer, and was nj the
time | have mentioned, engaged in a great
1.-THE cause TINT was ~ he tried Mt Warwick
7 Spring Assizes SO, shortly before Christ
nAs, he had to go over 10 look up the evi
4 dtnee. There was no crOss-couftry coach,
80 lc rode, ant being, az have said. d
I brave man, he rode alone lie transacted
his hiainess and my poor mother being
! III. and not liking TO leave her alone longer
4 than he could help, he act out 10 ride home
! again about half.rasi nine o'clock that
same evening. II way AS beautiful a win
tets night ~ ever you were out in His
/ mig wasa first rate hunter, docile IA dog.
and iii 70 carry even his weight over, "a
pas, anything, lie had a brace Of excel
lent pistols in his holsters, and he logged
along, hurnming merry tune, neither
thinking nor caring for any rOhber under
the sun. All Of sudden il struck him that
the pretty harmaii Of an inn just out ot
| Warwick town, where he had stopped to
have girth that he had broken patched to-
gether. had been very busy with those self
ssrne pistols and suspecting that she might
have been tampering with them he drew
the charges and reloaded them carefully
This done, he logged on again as before.
I He had ridden about ten miles, when he
came TO wooden bridge thai there was in
those days over the Avon. Just beyond it
rose stifiish hill at the top of which was
q sudden bend In the road. just a. my
father reached this turn. n masked horse
man suddenly wheeled round upon him, and
hade him z .H1ad and dtlles, 7" II was
Tom Rocket. In q second my fathers pis
tolls were out. cooked. and snapped within q
yard Of the highwnyman chest but, one
after the other they missed fire Thepret.
y bar1naid "a special fayorite Of Tom g
was too sharp to rely upon the old dodge of
drawing the halls. or damping the charge, ;
she thrust = pin into each touch hole, and
then broke il short OF.
"Any more" Tom inquired, ne cooly as
you please, when my fathers second pistol
flashed in the pan
Eyes shouted my father IN a fury, aone
for your mob" And Selling the weapon last
nsed by the muszle, he hurled u with all his
might ana main nj Rocket'a head Tom
duckeI, the pistol few over the hedge, and
my father, thrown ori Of balance by his
,xertion. lost his Feat and fell heavily on the
grass by the road side. In less time than it
takes to say 80 Tom dismountei. seized my
father by the collar. and presenting pistol
within nm inch of his face as he lar. bnde
him he quiet, OF il would be the worse for
him
= fou We given me a deal Of trouble said
Tom. $40 just hand over your purse without
any more ado. or by G. III send bullet
through your skull just there and he laid
the cold mu7rle Of his pistol on my father )
forehead lust between his eyes.
1t IL bad enough to have TO look down ,hr
barrel OF loaded firearms upon full cock, with
a highwayman's finger upon the trigger /;
but to have the cold muRzle pressed slowly
upon your head ugh II, makes me creep
to think Of it.
My father made virtue Of necessity, and
quietly gave up his purse
much good may it 10 you he said for
there's only ihree-and- sixpence in i,
Now for your pocket hook, said Tom.
not needing him
Pocket book inquired my father turn
ing little pale
Aye. pocket book Tom repeated "a
thisk black one; II IL in the leit-hsnd poek
It Of your riding cont
: Here ii ia. said my father. you know
SO mnnh aboa. it that perhaps you can tell
what lie contents are worth p
Ill se.. Tom replied, quietly taking
ont aud unfolding hall dozen legal looking
documents.
to you OF any one else. = said my father
up, and he made NJ though he wonld do SO.
:" Hold! On your life Z my father shouted.
struggling hard but in vain TO rise
.Oh they are worth something then,
said Tom. with g,in.
IL Gould takr deal VI troubly TO make
them out again, NY futhaI replied aulkily,
- that ) all
How much trouble Tom inquired with
q meaning look
We'll, my father answered, IL suppose
| know VIA, you are driving at Hand M
them back. AMI let me 90, and ] promise to
send you hundred pounds hen nj where
you please.
You knew very we'll that thsse papers are
worth more than q hundred, aaid Tom.
"A hundred ant fifty then, said my faith
err"
.sao on said Tom.
Il tell yon what il IL, you socundrel cried
my father; "Ill stake five hundred against
them If you'll lose your hold and tight me
fairly for it.
Tom only chncklel.
Why, what ninny you must take me
for he said "why should bother myself
fighting for whit can get without T.
Your cur, that's what You are. my
father sllouted in fury.
"Don't be cross" said Tom. sit don't be-
come you to look red in the face. Now al.
tend TO me. he continued in an altered tone;
do you see that bridge. Well! there is \
heap of stones in the centre, isn't there.
Very good! Ii you place 6ve hundred
guineas ia gold in . bag amongst those stones
at twelve o'clock at night this day week. you
shall find your pocket book and all its con
tents in the same place two hours after
wards"
show am | TO know that you will keep
your word?'' my father replied, little soft
ened by The hope of regaining, even At Go
heavy price. the papers that were inyalua-
BILE to him
Tin Tom Rocket" said the robber, se
curing the pocket book about his person,
land what mean say; and what say
stick to. Now get up and mind" he added,
AZ my father sprang TO his feet, 'any pistols
don't miss tire.
II shall live to see you hanged my "a
Their muttered. adjusting his disordsred