The Shasta courier., 1867-03-02

uOlHlnS Dul PONi
Karl. eager to regain his sack.
My friends said the landlord, turning
to his company, but keeping his great hand
upon the sack all the time. does not this
man have a queer task? Yesterday he gave
me this bag, and tells me to lock 1t up, as 1t
was full of nails"
. Yes, yes-give it to me-" cried Karl.
Well, here is your bag of nails, said
Red Richardt, with grin and with both
hands he tossed the sack upon table near
Karl.
There was something in the landlords
manner which aroused the suspicious of Karl,
and he hastily unlocked the sack. He saw
nothing but rusty nails but that did not
increase his fear, for his gold and jewels had
been cunningly concealed under rusty nails.
He emptied the bag entirely, and then sank
into chair, pale and faint.
No gold, no jewels-all rusty nails.
:" My money my gold my diamonds ~
cried Karl, springing to his feet.
% Your money ~ sneered the landlord, ad-
vancng to the table and filling the sack with
nails. - have not seen any of your money.
Come, do not wish my house Uttered up
with your rusty old nails Money? | want
my money. Pay for your supper, and lodg-
ing, and breakfast, and for that of your
horse, or bv my beard, | will seize that horse
OF yours for my pay, and clap you In the
town dungeon. Pay up, and clear out with
your bag of nails p'
" You are jesting. Surely you cannot do
this great sin-you, so great and rich, with
houses and lands, and much money-you do
not mean to keep my money, and leave me
only these miserable nails ~ exclaimed Karl,
clasping bis hands.
- Nails They are your nails p roared
Red Richardt, pointing at the now reflled
sack, and then shaking his huge fists at poor
Karl. My friends. is this not a base Sian
der upon the name of Richardt? You all
heard him demand his sack of nails, and
now, having his own, he demands money
He pretends he has been robbed"
8 am not crazy" groaned poor Karl
. Alas | am ruined Poor wife poor
Franconia, thy father will return to you
beggar, and the cruel baron will force thee to
wed some base and unworthy man ~
With these words he again addressed the
crowd, saying:
g Good people of ,,DAllsart, do none of you
remember Karl the Teacher? | am he, and
swear that when | gave that sack to the
landlord, it contained %, 900 guiders, in gold
and diamonds-my all, all honestly made in
France and Germany. | swear it "
You said your sack held nothing but
nails" replied the crowd. - We don't know
you. We all know jolly Red Richardt.-
Long live Red Richardt !"
Hearing this reply, poor Karl sank into
his chair with his face and hands upon the
table-deadi The shock had killed him.
1t was not suspected by any in the room
that he was dead. Some pitied him, and
few suspected the burly landlord but nearly
all were unanimous in calling him an I'M.
poster.
No one approached him. At length the
brutal landlord, fearing that Karl might
renew those accusations which panied his
guilty soul, called out to the numerous ser
wants:
s. Here, some of you, lead that rascal to
the great door, and # he does net go quietly,
toss him into the street. Put his horse in
my stable until the bill is paid Hans lead
the hound, or kick him out. Haste ~
One of the servants, powerful, thick set
fellow, rude, harsh, pitiless as his master,
staggered across the room, seized karls
shoulder, and snarled out:
Now, then, will you move? Will you
travel? Will you foot it ?"
But, though each question was made with
a furious jerk at the dead mans shoulder.
all of the servants great strength was as
useless as if he tugged at ten tons of solid
rock.
Well aware of his mighty muscle, Hans at
once began to recoil from this man whose
arm he could not stir.
Well, will you not drag him out?' roar
ed Red Richardt
- Tie is dead-dead as fish, and cannot
Il
stricken servant
s. Dead Is he dead?'' snarled the land.
lord, very glad to hear it, Well, rogues
will die well as honest men. SO tumble
the carrion out | shall be at no expense
for his burial. The corporation must attend
to that. You therel Antoine, Heinrich.
Hermann-all of you-carry the dead man
to the street"
Five servants sprang forward to obey
One seized the body by the hair-that long,
thin, white hair which the loving hands of
the fair Franconia yearned to caress-two,
grasped each an arm two. each leg.
The lockers On expected to see the body
hurried away in trice. But after a single
savage jerk, the five servants recoiled with
cries of horror.
Their united strength had not moved the
corpse "A hairs BREADTH
What now - ragged the landlord, stamp.
ing his great boots upon the floor until the
glasses danced. ''Wny do YOU not fling the
carrion forth? p? Cowards, dogs. what is the
matt r?'
We cannot do as much as lift his hair I"
exclaimed the servants, rushing to the wall,
and glaring at the body.
- Cannot so much as lift his hair ?'' sneer-
ed the landlord, brandishing his great bare
arms upon which grew brisdes like those of
wild boar. and muscles like rope. :" will
show you how Red Richardt lifts such car
rion | never was matched by a living man
it would tell well to say that | was afraid of
dead one. Stand back, and by my beard,
I'll chuck him from my door to the great
square -
So saying. lie strobe up to the table and
grasped Karl's right hand in his own.
The dead mans hand. until that moment,
had laid open, palm upward but as the
brawny fingers. of the landlord touched it.
its own fingers, cold. livid. and CHASTITY,
closed upon those of the villain with grip
of steel.
Ha. you are not dead, then ~ cried Red
Rchardt. foaming with wrath as he seized
the bag of nails with his left hand, to beat
out the brains of his plundered guest.
But an icy chill of terror palsied his soul,
as be found that he could no more move the