The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1868-02-14

up. He didn't much like the looks of the
beast, and said so; but he was very
good horse for all that, only he didn't
get as much rubbing as the squire's own
horse did. However, he got on him and
rode off down the bridle-road through
the haZel-copse. | was sitting by the
fire smoking my pipe; and remember
| was wondering whether he would
catch sight of Ward, who had been up
here about an hour before, and went
away soon after | told him the squire
was close by marking the trees. Pres
entity | heard horse gallop up TO the
door, and went out to see if one Of the
| grooms had brought mine back. | found
that it was my horse, but there was no.
body on his back. | wondered what
had happened, and guessed the squire
had got of and gone indoors, thinking
the horse would stand there until a
groom came round to ride him up here,
and that the horse had trotted off, and
found his way home. | run my hand
down his egs to see ifhe had run against
anything; and when | touched his Off
| shoulder, ne started away; and at the
same time / felt that my hand was wet.
] looked Il it, and it was just light
enough to see that it was bloody, and
| that the srs = shoulder had been cut.
] took ,soA s., the bride to lead him to
| the stable and found that there was
something dangling from the ring Ofthe
bit and check-strap; ana it gave me a
turn when | saw il was mans hand,
clt Of clean ut the wrist | unfastened
the fingers, and carried it with me into
the stable, and put it into the corn-crib,
while ! went to get lantern. As soon
rs I took it out again and held it to the
light, | knew ii was the young squire's
by the ring that was on one of the fin
gers. | was good bit frightened; but
| thought it was best to say nothing
about il then, so | hid the hand under
the thatch, and went down to the house
to see what had happened. AS / was
going through the hazel-copse, l saw
something dark lyingin the path. What
we call the hunters moon was pretty
near the full but it was such a hay
night that | could but just make out the
face; and instead of being the young
squire, as l thought it must be, | found
that il was the squire himself. / didn't
tell anybody what knew; but if Ward
had been sentenced to be hanged |
should have done so. When his trial
came Oh, and he was only TO be trans
ported for life, | thought to myself that
| was a very poor man, and had got a
large family to keep, and that he would
have been sure 10 be transported some
time, for he wouldn't have minded
| shooting keeper bit; so l determined
to keep the hand with the ring on the
finger Just as it was; and when the new
! squire came home, | would make him
pay me TO keep quiet. 1t was the right
hand-for the squire is left-han9ed-
and he always wore the ring on the
| forefinger.
The next morning, as soon as it was
| light. / went down TO the place where
| found the body the night before, and
among the roots of one of the hazels, /
found the pistol you have got there. l
| looked around TO see if anybody was
near, but there was nobody to see me, 50
| went behind the bushes, and dug out
a turf, and buried the pistol underneath,
and then put the turf down over it, so
that nobody could see il had been touch
ed.n Here, as if seized with a sudden
! impulse, he exclaimed, And, ~ the
/ Lord Harry, I'll have il back again ~
| He had been holding the gun ne was
! cleaning in his hand all thetime he had
| been telling me what | have related
and a. he uttered this exclamation, he
/ jumped up, and holding the gun by the
! barrel, made blow ut me with the stock.
/ The attack was so sudden and unexpect-
| ed, that if my movement had not been
as quick as my eve, ] should probably
s nave received the blow on my head, rs
he undoubtedly intended | should
Luckily, lodged it, and the gun came
| down on the back of the chair, smash
| ing the back of the chair, and breaking
! the stock of from the barrel. Before he
had time torecover himself TO repeat the
! blow. | Knocked him down, and beat
! him about ihe head with the metal butt
| Of the pistol until he was incapable OF
| doing more When I had done this,
was puzzled what next to do, for | did
not like to leave him there bleeding;
and there vas nobody in the housetO at
tend to him if | went away, his daugh
tiers and her brothers having, as ! was
/ told Afterwards, gone To the cathedral ut
| Salisbury, in the hope Ofseeing the judge
! there / went TO the well and drew up
pail of water; and soaking my hand
| kerchief in il, / went back and bound il
round his lead, and then started for the
/ town as fast as / could 90 calling, rs |
went TO my friends house, at sur
! geon's, where | left word that his ser
/ vices were wanted at the Pheasant. My
friends residence was beyond the city
and when | got there, l found he had
| gone 10 Laverstock, but was expected
home TO dinner. / decided | would tell
him what lad happened before | gave
notice to the authorities. l knew there
was no chance of Jackson making his
| escape; and / did not imagine he was
! in condition to give any instructions
to anybody 10 go TO Squire Winter with
! an account of what had passed. Hour
after hour vent by, and my friend did
not come lone. | dined alone; and
about eleven o'clock he returned, apollo
| gizing for his absence from his dinner
| table, by saying that he had found an
| old schoolfellow staying with his friend,
| whom he had not seen for several years.
Late as it was, ! told him of the discov-
cry / had made but he thought as it
was then ISOLATE, and we should be sure
| of finding Jackson the next day, that
| the matter might very well stand over
until then. / did not quite approve of
| his advice, but | suffered myself to be
persuaded. The heXtmOrning we went
| down to the courthouse earlier than
usual, and Onstables were despatched to
| apprehend Winter, and Jackson also, if
| he was in condition to be moved. The
latter was found in bed at his house, but
| the former was not discoverable any
| where. None OF une servants knew
where he had gone to; all they could say
was, that he had gone out on the Sunday
afternoon as usual and had not returned.
What had become of him, was never as
certained AS for Jackson, he was re-
covering fast from his wounds; but cry
sipelas attacked him, and in short
time he had gone where the justice of
man could not reach him. Wards re-
lease was obtained on representation
of the case in the proper quarter.
I-oTenfiue's Dan.