The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1867-02-16
AN UNWELCOME PASSENGER,
A pEppLER's STORY.

n
4 "A cold winters night, several years
since, found a stage load Of passengers
gathered together around the warm
fire Of tavern bar-room in . New Eng
land village. Shortly after we arrived,
y a pcddler drovenp and ordered thai
4 his horse should be stabbed for the
night. After we had eaten our supper
we repaired to the bar room, where
cpiiv drsation flowed freely. Several
anecdotes had been related, and finally
the peddler was asked to give us II
story, as men Of his profession were
generally full Of adventures and anec-
dotes.' He was a short, thick set man,
somewhere about forty years Of age,
and gave evidence of great physical
strength, He gave his name as Lcmucl
Vinnty, and his home was in Dover,
Now Hampshire.
"Well, gentlemen, he commenced,
knocking the ashes from his pipe and
putting,it into his pocket, "snppose |
i tell you the last thing Of any conse-
/ qucnce that happened me. You see |
] am right from the West, and on my
way home for winter quarters. 1t was
during the early part lof Inst spring,
one pleasant evening, thatI pulled up
at the door Of n small village taycrn,i in
Hancock county, indiana. went in,
called for my supper, and had my horse
taken care of. After l had eaten sat
down in the bar-room. 1t began to
rain about eight o'clock, and it was
very dark out of doors. Now l wanted
to be in Jackson the next morning, for
expected load Of goods there for
me, which l intended to dispose Of on
my way home, ...
The moon would rise about mid,
night, and ] knew hit did not rain |
could get along through the mud very
well after that SO ! asked the land
lord if he would see that my horse was
fed about midnight, as, wished to be
off about two. lie expressed some
surprise at this, and asked me why /
did not stay for breakfast | told him
thatI had sold my last load about out,
and that :, new lot OF goods was wait
ing for Inc at jackson, and | wanted to
60 there before the express agent left
in the morning
"There were number Of persons
sitting around while I told this, but |
| took little notice Of them: only one
arrested my attcn ;iol, ! had seen that
week notice for the dissection Of Y
notorious roblcr The bills gave q
description of his person, and the man
answered very well to it. He was 4
tail, well formed man, rather slight in
frame, and had the appearance Of q
gentleman, save that his face. bore
those hard, cruel marks which an Oh.
serving man cannot mistake for any
thing but the index Of villainous dis
position, .
"When | went to my chamber I ask
ed the landlord who that man was, de,
scribing the individual. He said he
did not know him He iad come there
that afternoon, and intended to leave
! the next day. The hos asked me why
! | wished to know, and | si,uply told
him that the man countenancc was
familiar, and | merely wished to know
! if was ever acquainted with him.
:" I was resolved not to let the land
lord into tue secret, but to hurry on 10
Jackson and there give information to
the sheriff, who perhaps might reach
the inn before the villain left, for l had
no doubt Us to his identity.
| / had an alarm watch, and having
set it to. give the alarm, went to sleep.
| was alarmed at the proper time, and
Immediately dressed myself. When ]
reached the yard | found the clouds all
passed away, and the moon was shining
brightly. .... t.. ,....
The hostlcr was easily aroused, and
by two o'clock l was on the road The
mud was deep, and my horse could not
travel very fast. However, on we wen
and in the course Of an hour were
clear Of the village AT q short dis
tance ahead lay a large forest, mostly
Of pine. The road lay directly through
this wood, as near as / can remember
the distance was twelve miles; yet the
moon was in the east, and as the roac
ran nearly west. I thought l should
I have light enough. .g-;'-.-.., , ..l.,
81 had entered this wood, and gone
about q halfa mile, when my wagon
wheel, with a bump and jerk, went
into q deep hole. I Iuttered an cxclama.
ton of astonishmcnt, but this was not
all. / heard another exclamation from
the same source! What could this
mean? l looked quietly around, but
could see nothing; yet | knew that the
sound was very close to me. AS the
hind wheels came up, l felt something
! besides the jerk from the hole. heard
something tumble from one side to the
other in my wagon, and I could aisc
! feel the jar occasiouea by the move
ment. 1t was simply a man in my
, cart I knew this in all instant; o
! cou sc felt ',uzzicl at tir5tl imag
ined ,aat so,nc one inI taken th
, .ietli"l to ohtein ride. My next iic
, WAS thai o,nebody had got to siceI
, there, but this passed away as soon a
it came}for no .nan woild have brnllci
into my cart FOR that purpose. An
that thought, gcn,lemen, opened m
eyes. Whoeyer was there had broke
| in. MY next thought was of the sus
pcions individual had seen at til
, tavern. He heard me say that my loa
was all sold cut, and Of course he sip
posed | had some money with me. |
this h4 was right, Tor had over tw
thousand dollars. thought he mean
to leave the cart when he supposed
/ had reached a safe place, and then cree
: over and shoot me, or knock me down
@ All this passed through my mind by til
time i had yot 4 rod from the hole.