The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-04-08

LIZ tsS6e.s 49, 8
"It's only a down goods and cattle,
sir, repliea my companion, (which
stunts here. The up, mail aint't due
for neaflg t.ae.,tT minutes CO. -
"Confound itp' I mnttered; 'twhy
did it wake me then2"n. and I returned
to the fire. place. ., ~. d, y.
"Cold night, sir" remarked the
guard, as he came towards me. II
EYES," said I, "and a wretched fire,
too" -,
ST think we can mend that, at any
rate," he replied; and, leaving the
room, he returned in. q few minutes,
accompanied by an individual whom
rightly conjectured to be the stoker
of the ''goods' train, carrying large
shovel-full of live Goals, vwhich, placed
upon the cinders, soon improved our
fire, and gave quite cheerful aspect
to the dingy apartment.
'Thank ye, Jim," said the guard,
as the stoker departed. "Now, sir,
that is an Improvement, amt it?" he
added, cheerfully. .
"It is, indeed" I replied; "and I
am much obliged to you for procur-
my tuo COdlS.
Don't name it, sir" wds the re-
ply. zone must do something when
one has to wait, you know"
GLOW long do you remain here
then?" L asked.
'"Till $40, sir. take up the mail"
was the reply.
"Oh, indeed" said I.
eyes, sir. I'm on this job all this
month" And as he spoke the guard
drew pipe from his pocket, and
having filed and lit it, he began to
smoke in silence.
"Have you been long on this line?"
I asked, after pause.
"Well, sir, about three yenrs, and
on the mail duty, on and off, about
one. I'm a reg'lar man Of letters"
he added with grin.
I laughed, and he continued:
"I was nearly choked with capi-
tai letter when I was baby. I had
letters on my collar when I was in
the police. 1 was made guard all
along of q bit of letter. And now
L am guard, I looks after the let
ters."
Having made these remarks in
jocular tone, my companion gave me
a. knowing nod, and puffed away at
his pipe with greater vigor than be-
fore. I was much amused at his re-
joinder, and asked him what he
meant by having been made guard
"all along of bit of letter."j
II wasn't always q guard, sir" he
said. 81 was once in the police, and
it was through being n detective, rs
I got to be employed on the line"
81 suppose you didn't like the po-
lice, then?" said I.
"Well, sir, not much, though at
times it was pretty good, and we had
some Jolly business. Aye" he con-
tinued, with a good scent it is almost
as excitin' as fox huntin', is thief
catchin'; for some of the fellows is as
cunnin' as foxes, every bit.
cit was through q robbery and
bit Of paper that I was made a guard,
as said just now"
"How was that?" said I, catching
at the idea of story to beguile the
time. 81 should like to hear bit
of your experiences as o detective?"
''It amt much of story, sir, but
I'll tell it to you with pleasure;" and,
taking few rapid pulls at his pipe,
the guard commenced.
cit was about two years ago, and
there had been great plate robbery
in the city, and the thieves hat got
clear away, so we was all obliged to
keep our eyes open and our wits
about us, for though we had some
suspicious, there was no real clews to
go upon; it was mostly guess work.
Two or three men was arrested, but
nothing was ever proved against
them, So they was let go, in course.
Nothing ever transpired respecting
the robbery, and it was almost for
gotten, except by some of lis detec-
tives, for reward of G100 had been
offered. and we was, in course, anx-
ious to catch the men, rs well for the