The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-05-18

| IN with Mr.. Drake; and either the sight Of the
mailbsgs, had excited their cupidity, or-as
seemed more likely, no pursuit having been made
postman. h3."'
| When / reached the exact spot, discounted
and carefully examined the ground. The dew
was still on the grass, but there was not a foot
print to be seen on it. went over every inch Of
the bank, and the border Of the fields below, with
as much minuteness as welltrained pointer;
then examined the bank Of the canal, shd eros
sing BY a lock little way below, went over the
farther bank with equal care. There only REMAIN.
| ed the road to examine. No vehicle had passed
over since the previous night except the nailcart
whose wheels were freshly marked. As follow
ed them with my eye, I noticed little spot of
ground slightly blackened, and caught glimpse
OF bright metal. fastened to the place, and
found strange looking object, made apparently
with two pieces of tin or zinc, which bore the
traces OF q recent explosion This, then, was some
clue to the mystery.
walked along the road scrutinizing It care
fully, and about twenty yards farther found
another of these 'infernal machines" not
exploded. Farther on, came on the track Of
child. which had crossed the road from the canal
bridge to the fields. Iceuld see the child had
stopped in place, for the footprints were re-
peated, one over the other, and there were the
marks Of hand in the dust, where little fingers
had scraped it in the act of picking something
up. looked across the fields and saw q small
lad Excepting birds" He was the only one astr,
SO hailed him and asked him if he had anything
like what held in my hand and he at once
produced one from his pocket saying he had
found it on the road. gave him sixpence, which
was Of more value to him, and safer--even sup
posing he had laid it all out in sweets-than the
explosive article took from him.
Then mounted the cart again and drove on
towards Grasslands, but did not see anything
more. In order to test whether the things had
found would sound like pistol, selected safe
and quiet bit of road, laid one down and drove
over it. Itexploded with sound and fash very
like pistol Having prepared for it, I saw whence
the flash came /; but the doing driver was hard.
~ likely to observe so much as that.
AS was driving on was surprised by the
sudden appearance Of Mr.. Darkes keeper.
Hold hard!" he cried, stopping the horse
"Was that you shooting? That's the second this
morning What have you got in the trap"
did not choose to explain matters to him
and he clearly suspected me of poaching, and
vowed he'd take me before his master To this
had no objections; so he jumped into the cart,
and we turned round.
10 make long story short, Mr.. Drake was
reused and came down, to find me virtually in
custody. few words explained how it was
The keeper was sent away,-not without praise
though, for his vilagnce,--and then related my
discovery to Mr.. Drake He at once recognized
In my internal machines the signals used on
railways.
He insisted on my coming in and taking break.
last before prosecuted the search farther, and
l readily consented Mary came down in
charming morning wrapper, and presided, and
the danger being over-was told all about it.
1t was determined that the mail cart--which
was an unusual conveyance, and might attrac
needless attenton-should be put up at Grasslands,
and shat should so the nearest railroad in
Mr. brakes dog-cart
On reaching ths,s station, found from the sta
ton master that there was an almost unpardon.
able carlessness about the fog signals they were
not served out to particular men, but kept in a
box accessible to any one about the station The
plate-layers he told me were the men who used
them oftenest; and found that party of them
We're laying rails about mile off
dove to the nearest point to the place he
named, and made my way across the country to
the gang on the line. / recognized nv two
friendsof the post-ofice among them and mode
OF procedure at once suggested itself to me- 1t
was not strictly legal, perhaps, but it answered
my purpose. I went to the ganger, or foreman.
and told him wanted two of his men ON the
charge OF murder. He did not seem inclined to |
assist me, and told me must help myself Luck.
lily had the pistols with me. went up TO the |
two men and told them was police officer, and |
that had come to take them up on charge of |
numbering Mr.. Drake They seemed a little tax |
en- aback, but denied the charge stoutly.
you laid fog signals on the road last night to |
brighten his horses, and they upset him into the |
canal, aud he's drowned said t. $50 it's murder
my lads. Come along!"
There seemed to be some inclination to resist |
the capture SO took out the pistols
Look here" said !, 'if can't take the two I |
want, lads, shall shoot the first two that come |
to hand, and they'll be the first two that inter.
fere You'd best keep quiet all of you, for there's
a warrant out against you all for poaching."-I |
saw most of them look uncomfortable at this
"and If give you a bad word, it will 20 hard
with you"
This had the effect, coupled with the appear.
ance of the pistols; and got my men off and
marched them in front of me to the road where
made them get into the dog cart. The groom
drove and sat behind him with pistols cooked
and in this form we drove back to Grasslands.
sent the porter on from the lodge, where 1
made an excuse for minute or SOS delay and
by the time we reached the hall, in accordance
with the instructions had given him. all the
blinds were drawn down, and Mr.. Drake kept out
Of sight tt
The clergymen. who was a magistrate was
sent for; and he examined the prisoners. who
broke down completely and confessed all, giving
up their ccomplices.-They had intended to
Brighten the horses, as had supposed, without
thinking much Of the consequences-exc with
the vague notion that they would not be guilty
of murder even if the worst happened. The
stable help turned out to be the son of one of
them.
When we had terrified them sufficiently, we
called in the real constables, who had been sent
Tor, and they were given into their custody.-Mr.
Darke walking in presently, much to their alarm