The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1867-10-17

L
quietly around, but could see nothing,
though the sound that had heard must
have cume from within few feet of me.
AS the hind wheels came up, l felt some
thing besides5the Jerk of the wagon. /
heard heavy body tumble from one side
to the other of my wagon, and could also
feel the jar occasioned by the movement
1t was simply man in my cart y / knew
this on the instant. Of course | felt puz-
zled.. At first imagined that some per-
son had taken this method to obtain
ride. My next idea was that somebody
had got in there to sleep; but this passed
away as sooE as it came, for no man would
have broken into my cart for that pur-
pose. And :hat thought, gentlemen,
opened my eyes. Whoever was there had
broken in. Ny next thought was of the
suspicious individual | had seen at the
tavern. He had heard me say that my
load was sold out, aud of course would
suppose that [ had money with me. In
this he was right, for / had over two
thousand dollars in my pocket. Thought
he meant to leave the cart when he sup
posed | had reached SAFE place, and then
creep around and shoot me or knock me
down. All this passed through my mind
before had got rod from the hole.
HIn a few moments, my horse was knee
deep in the mud, and l knew could slip
off the wagon without noise. So l drew
my pistol, and having twined the reins
about the whip-stock, carefully slipped
down in the mud, and as the cart went on
[ dropped behind aud examined the hasp.
The door of the cart lets down, and is
fastened by a hasp, which slips over the
staple and is then secured by paddock.
The paddock was gone, and the hasp was
secured Ill its place by bit of pine, so
break it, Ny wheel wrench stood in a
and [ quickly took it out and slipped it
into the staple, the iron handle just sli-
ding down.
'Now L had him. My cart was almost
new, with stout frame of white oak, aDd
made on purpose for hard usage. I did
not believe any ordinary mortal could
break out. | got on my cart as noiselesS-
lessly as [ had got off, aud then urged my
horse on, still keeping my pistol handy.
| knew that at fhe distance Of half a mile
further on [ would come to hard road,
and so [ allowed my horse to pick his own
way through the mud.
about ten minutes after this, [ heard
a motion in the cart, followed by grind
ing noise, as though some heavy force was
being applied to the door. l said moth
ing, but the idea struck me that the vii
lain might Judge whore sat and shoe. up
through the top OF the cart at me so l
sat down on the tootboard.
"Ot course | knew that my unexpected
passenger was a villain, for he must have
been awake ever since l started, and moth
ing in the world but absolute villainy
would have caused him to remain quiet so
long and then start up in this particular
place. The humping and pushing grew
louder, and pretty soon l heard human
voice.
" Let me out of this = it said.
81 lifted my head so as 10 make him
think l was in.my usual place, aud then
asked him what he vas doing there.
Let me out, aud l will tell you,' he
replied.
"'Tel me what you are in there for 2
4 got ia here to sleep on the rags
"'How did you get in p
Let me out, or I'll shoot you through
the head = he yelled.
"JuSt at that moment my horse's feet
struck the hard road, and 1 knew that the
rest of the way to jackson would be
good going the whole distance. l slipped
| back on the foot5oard aud took the whip.
In fifteen minutes we cleared the wood,
and away we went at keen jump.
"The chap inside kept yelling to be let
out. Finally he stopped, and in few
moments came the report of pistol one
-:hree-four-one right after the
other. / heard the balls whiz over my
head. If had been on my seat, one OF
these balls, if not two, would have gone
through me. I popped up my head and
gave yell. crying out,
go, God, save me-Pm dead man ?
"Then I made shuffling noise, as
though I was falling off, and finally set
! tied down on the footboard again. now
urged up the horse by giving him an oc-
casional poke With the whip-stock, and
he peeled it faster than ever.
"The fellow called out to me twice more
after this, and as be got 10 reply: he made
some tremendous efforts to break the door
open, and failing In this, then tried the
| top. But [ had no fear of his accom-
| plishing anything there, for the top OF the
cart was framed with dovetails, and each
sleeper was bolted TO the post with iron
! bolts. | had made it SO l could carry
loads there. BY and by, after all else
had failed, the scamp commenced to hal
loo whoa ? to the horse, aud kept it up
until he became hoarse. All this time L