The weekly Butte record. [volume] (Oroville [Calif.]) 1866-1887, 1867-01-19

On Wednesday of last week. nine men deserted
from Fort Reading being portion of the garrison
of that post. One OF the number is corporal.
another an orderly sergeant, ard the rest high pri-
Yates. Seven of the party took down the river
while the other two made their way to Horsetown.
Shasta county where they were recaptured. The
news of the desertion reaching here, Sheriff Eng
lish concluded to give them chase. Accordingly,
be and his fdus dchGfts Brown. went in pursuit
At Tehama they 2scertained that the fugitives had
gone to Chico, 50 they kept up good speed through
the deep mud. At last about noon on Friday they
found the boys in blue, eating hearty meal at
houSe near the crossing of Pine creek and Brown
rode ND to reconnoitre. One of the party caught
glimpse of him and hailed him with: '.Ain, you
from the Bluff ?"
No" says Brown, "a often 90 in there for stuff
live on Mill creek"
Where are you going now y asked the soldier,
"To Oroville," says Brown, +" I've Just heard OF a
feller that wants to buy hog raneh."
What's the matter with youf You'll fall out
of the saddle you ID drunken cuss. Give me
some of your ticker. if you haint drank it all up
Brown presented the bottle and the boys took q
swig all round. They then mounted their horses.
their new friend English was far in advance, but
they could see him plainly. They each were armed
with two revovers AMI carbine, and had about
three hundred cartridges apiece. One of them
asked Brown if he wasn't the Red Bluff sheriff
He answered in the negative. "Weil,r says the
I'll bet him $50 against glass of his sour wine
that he lies, and leave it to himself. He'd lie the
legs off an iron pot"
:. Who's that feller that was ridin with you ?
asked the corporal, sUspieiously.
4" He's preacher, says Brown. 3" asked him to
take drink and he says he don't choose any. He
lowed he b'longed to the Good Templars.H
- Let's go and catch the old son Of - and
make him drink every drop of it,
They now put spur to their horses and rode all
they knew to overtake Sam. This was no part of
the programme, for English was not to meet Brown
again till he had secured the assistance OF posse
to catch the ruuaways. Accordingly at Brown S
suggestion they gave up the chase and left the
Rev. Sam English to pursue his way innocent of
the Intoxicating bowl. Z" His Reverence" went to
Chico and committed himself to the care of that
benefactor of hungry humanity-Frank johnson,
having first clinced glasses with friend Wetheroee.
(It is astonishing how much Ira looks like Louis
Napoleon when you look at him through the bot
tom of a tumbler,)
After while along came Brown with two of the
deserters the balance having remained ont at the
Fairview House. When the party went in to sup
per English slipped up to the dining room and took
their arms which he secreted behind the bar. He
then walked into the dining room and, drawing his
revolver. informed them that they were prisoners.
They saw they were canght and weakened.
After searching them English and our friend
Hank Sunderln waited until P. NJ. and then rode
up the road, and found the party at the house of
David Roles. who was rather afraid of his guests
but dared not refuse them shelter. Alter brief
consultation they rode back to town and got a
posse of eleven determined fellows and rode up to
the house in spring wagon. While the balance
of the party remained outside of the barn where
the boys had retired for rest, English crept softly
up into tpe haymow and cooked his pistol. The
noise woke up one of the party who flashed up a
dark lantern, only to find revolver within two
feet of his nose and the most determined little man
in the world at the other end of it. The balance
of the posse now came up At a given signal and the
deserters found themselves trapped and surrend-
cred at discretion.
The following day. Sheriff English who like
" Mark Twain, can't travel without Brown. re-
turned TO this place with the captives from whom
they recovered seven horses, fourteen revolvers,
carbines, and about 800 cartridges. Pretty
good haul. The Sheriff is boarding the party at
the County Hotel, until he hears from Major Cha
pin, commanding Fort Reading.
N. B. If anybody doubts the foregoing, let them
bring Uncle Joe Calvin to this Office and we II
swear to it.
p. S. II they don't believe it then, we'll leave it
to Brown-Red Bluff Independent.