The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1865-10-19
5TIHFTN o.. THURSDAY OCTOBER 10. 1868. -
lbs all clcar AMI lircct I

1esj You can miss the way
| bad my host good bye ant
then started on. | didn't like tli,
idea OF n ncw road. Tho youth
before mentioned, had told me
what au excellent road it was iron
Groom's to the mill bv the rivci
road. He said it followed the
stream, which was Very ncar
straight. and that it was light and
lopcn the whole Distance. However
ol course, Groome knew; so must
lmake tho best of it. | looked
back as | reached the edge of the
wood. | was upon a gentle omi.
Incuce, and co,tld overlook the
shrubbcry | had passed. | looked
and saw Ike going from the house
to the barn. lie had u saddle 80
Perhaps he had an crrand to do.
Ere long. | entered the wood an
found it thick and gloomy. The
path was plain enough, and had
. .cvidcntly been once u Travelled
road. Aye l remember, now, ol
having heard my informant Of the
Inoontimo speak of the 'old road
lie said there used to hc II road
leading to Rock river, but when
Foster commenced his sediment n
new road was opened bv the
stream aud the old one discon.
Itinucd. He hal said nothing
about any bridges.
AT the distance o. two miles; |
came to n place where Il bed OF
sand lav acrocs the road. 1t was
n sort of gully, and . stream mus
have some time run through it.
| | looked but saw no tracks urou
Iit. Water had swept across there
since any living thing had trodden
Iupol it. | slid from my saddle
and examined thoroughly but
could find no tracks.
| OF course, the father of my noon.
times host could not have gone
| this way And yet he had gone
to Fosters Mills. | began to sus
poet mischief. There had been
an uneasy sensation lurking in
my bosom ever since | lett the inn.
Something was wrong. | regain.
I'd my saddle and looked about
Tho sun was nearly down--in
twenty minutes at the farthcst, it
would be out of sight.
lnstnctively | drew one of my
| pistols from the holster. | raised
tho hammer and found the cap in
its place. | was just putting it
back, when | noticed u mark upon
the butt. 1t was II peculiar knot
in the wood. That ist j | always
carried in the left holster. 1t was
not sure as the other one. | took
out the other, and was sure the
weapons had been changed by
other hands than mine! They had
remained in the saddle at the for.
est inn, aud the exchange might
have taken place there.
began to think. Why was
lGroome so particular to know il
my friend expected me. And
then why should he have been So
anxious TO have me set out that
might. instead ofstaying with him,
land paying him dollar or s,
more than did! Then this road
i believe | had been deceived
There had been no ireshets to car
ry away the bridges, for it wa
n Nv nearly utumn, and the rivri
road had been travelled all summer
And then the saddle i had seen
ike cnr,ring to the barn. There
was surely mischiefin this Dnnie
lGroome had daughters at his
house and perhaps Others, whom
he would not have to hear tb
noise of robbery. AMI very
Ilikoly he would not wish to hay,
such q deed connected with hi
house at all. Ofcourse, he knew
had money. No enc would bt
travelling, as | was ,hen travelling
without u considerable sum-.
II my pistols had been taken ont
might they not have been furthc
haIt with! took the ons from
my right holster and examined It
l'hc ball was in its place and tn.
cap on. Still | was not satisfied
slipped the cap off, and fount
the percussion composition remov
ed. There was not particle le;
within the cap. And this was no
all. found the tube spiked wit
IL little pine siickl
Here was the mystery, sur
enough. ] took my penknifc an
succeeded in drawing out the stick
r and then examined the other p;sto
(which lfoucd to be in the sam
plight / stopped and went a
t work in earnest. had an excel
! lent screw for removing bullets
and my pistol berrels wero emp
tied in a few minutes. ! had
) serious objection to firing off ther
in the woods, where the repor
{ might betray the knowledge ! lba
{ gained. SO | empticd them an
5 snapped a cap on each OF them =
a | found them bo!h clear, and the
!, tproceeded to load them, which
4 did carefully.
And now how shonld / proceed
4 That this road would lead me
!. Fosters Mills ! had no doubt; an
d it would be nearer to keep on tia
turn back. SO upon that point IN