The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1867-09-28
Mistellanrons.
THE PEDDLER'S ST0Rr.

J
a siagc-load ~ passengers gathered together
around the warm fire ofa tavern har-rnom IN u
New England village. Shortly after We arrived
a pcsidlcr drove up aud ordered that his horse
should be stabbed for the night
! After we had eaten supper, We repaired To the
har-room, where the conversation flowed freely
1 Several anecdotes had been related, and finally
the peddler asked TO give US story. as men OF his
profession were generally full Of adventures and
anecdotes. lie was u short thiCk.set man, some
where about forty years of age and gave evidence
Of great physical strength. lie gave his name as
l.cmuel Ninncy, aud his home was in Dover, New
! llamIshire.
We'll, gentlemen" " he commenced knocking
the ashes from his pipe and putting in his pocket
suppose tell you about the last things Of any
consequence that happcncd to me You sec ! am
now right from the West aud on my way home
for winter quarters. II was during the early part
oi last spring, one pleasant evening, that pulled
up at the door OF small village tavern ia Hancock
Co, Indiana. I said it was pirasani-l mean;
warm. went in and called for supper. and had
NV horse taken care Of After ! had eaten sat
duwn ia the bar room. II began io rain about
eight o clock aud il was yer, dark out doors
Now ! wanted 10 be- in Jackson the next morning
for expected n load Of goods Their for mc which
] intended TO dispose Of on my way home.
The moon would rise about midnight. aud
knew IL 1t did not rain could get along through
the mud very well after that So asked the
landlord II he would sce that ms horse was fcd
about midnight, as wished 10 be- of about two.
lie expressed some surprise at this aud asked me
why did not stop for breakfast. told him
that had sold my last load about ont aud that
a new 10, Of goods was waiting for mc at Jackson.
and wanted to get there before the express agent
lett in the morning.
There were number OfpcfsOns sitting round
while ! told this. but took little notice Of them
only one arrested my attention. had seen then
that week notices for the detection Of notorious
robber. The bills gave a description ofhs person,
and the man before me answered very well TO II
lie was a tall, well-fofmcd man. rather slight in
frame aud had the appearance Of gentleman,
ave that his face bore those hard, cruel marks
which an observing man cannot mistake for
anything but the index Ofa yillainOus disposition
"when went TO my chamber. ! asked the
landlord who that mqn was, describing the
individual. lie said he did not know him. lie
had come that afternoon and intended TO leave
the next day. The host asked me why wished
To know, and simply told him that the man ;
countenancc was familiar, and ! merely wished
TO know II ! wgs ever acquainted with him.
~ was resolved not 10 let the Landlord in the
secret, but TO give information 10 the sheriff and
perhaps he might reach the inn before the villain
left for had doubts with regard TO his identity
~ had an alarm watch, and having set il 10
give the alarm at one O'Clock, went TO sleep I
was aroused a, the proper time, and Immediately
rose aud dressed myself. When | reached the
yard | found the clouds all passed away and the
moon was shining brightly. The hostcr was
easily aroused. and hy two o. clock WAS on the
road. The mud was deep. aud NV horse could
not travel ycry fast However on We went and
In the course OF half an hour WAS clear oi the
village \; short distance ahead lay - large
tract Of forest mostly Of great pine The road
| lay directly through this wood, and. as near
| as ! can remember. the disianc, was twelve miles.
| Yet the moon was in the ,as' and the road ran
nearly west so thought ! should have Ugh,
enough
IL had entered this woodland gone abou, half
| q mile when nv wagon wheel. seiiled with a
bump and jerk into deep hole uttered an
exclamation II asionishmcnt. but that was not
all. ! heard another exclamation from the same
source What could II bc ? | looked quietly
around, hut could see nothing set ! knew the.
sound that heard was very close to me As the
hind wheels came up felt something besides the
jerk from the hole heard something tumble
from idle To the other Of my wagon. aud I
could u! So ,c ia. jar oc' asioned hy the movement
II was simply q man IN my cart | knew this on
the instant Of course ! felt puzzled At frs,
| imagined that SOMEBODY had taken this method
TO obtain a ride, Ny next idea was ,ha; somebody y
had got IN to sleep there but this passed away
as soon as IL came, for man would have broken
into my ear, for that purpose. Aud that thought,
gentlemen, opened my eyes. Who ever was there
had broken IN. Ny next thought was q; the
suspicious individual had seen at the tavern.
| lie heard ne say tha, ms load was all sold out
and OF course he supposed had money with me.
IN this he was right for had over two thousand
dollars. thought he mean; 10 leave the cart
when he supposed had reached a safe place, and
then creep over and shoot me or kneck me down
| All this passed through my mini by the time
had go, n rod from the hole
"ln few moments INV horse was knee deep
in the mud and knew ! could slip OF without
noise. So drew ms pistol. and having twincd
the rcins about the whip-stock carefully slipped
down IN the mud and the cart Iasscd on
went behind and examined the hasp. The door
Of the cart lets down and il fastened by hasp.
which slips over the staple aud Is then sccurcl
by "a paddock. The paddock was gone and tlie
hasp was secured In It's own place by a hii oi
pine, 81 that slight force from within could
break IL. My wheel wrench stood in a lcatheTu
bucket on the side Of the cart, aud quickly tooL
Il out and slipped Il into The staple, the iron
handle just sliding down.
NOW ! had him. My cart wa almost new
made Of a stout frame % white OAK, and NAL,
on purpose for hard usage. did not believe
any ordinary mortal could break out. got OF
to my car, as noiseles.ly as go, of, and ,her
urged my horse on, still keeping my pistol handy
knew tina, at the distance Of half mile further
should come 10 hard road and so ! allowet
my horse 10 pick his own way through the mud
About ten minutes after this, ! heard motor
In the cart, followed By grinding noise, a
though some heavy force was being applied Il
the door, said nothing, but the idea struck ma
that the william might judge where ] sat- an,
shoot up through the top Of the cart at me 80
sat down on the foothoarl.
"Of course knew that my unexpected passrn
ger was n william. for be mus, have hccn awak
ever since started. aud nothing In the worl'
but absolute villAiny would have caused him &
remain quiet 81 long aud then start NJ In hi
particular place. The humping and pushinl
grew louder, aud pretty soon heard a huma
; voice.
4" Let me out OF this + aud yelled pretty loud
~ lifted my head 80 as TO make him think
was in my usual place, aud then asked him wha
he was doing there.
"Ieime ge, on, and ! will tell you, he replied
''Tell nie what you are in there for
"igoi 10 here TO sleep on the rags be answered
"liow did you get in3' asked.
Let me out or I'll shoot you through III
head r.
Just nj that moment my horses feet siruc
the hard road, and knew that the rest Of III
, route 10 jackson would be good gazing the al
tance twelve miles. ! slipped back on the foo
hoard and took the whip. In fifteen minuies, "
. cleared the wood, and away We went a, kes
jump. The chap inside KEEP, yelling TO be le, ou
/; FINALLY he stopped, and in few momcn
! came the report Of a pistol -iwo-ihrce-
i four, one right after the other, heard the bal
= whiz over my head II I had been on my sea
one Of these balls Il not two would have sol
through me. popped upmy head again M
gave a yell, aud then ! said
80 God, save me lin dead man =
Then made q shuiIling noi.e, as though
was falling oli, and finally settled down on q
fcc,baari again. now urged up the old una
by giving her an occasional poke with ms viii
| ainck and nhe naelol u faster than ever