Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1869-02-27

house.
" Yes, sir, but the markings arc not
very Iarc. / could speak more positive
ly if saw the head, one of the horns
was broken off in II fight some DAYS
since.n
The goats head was examined and
both horns were broken Off. "IIe had
intended TO make goats head soup for
their to-day's dinner; they had knock
ed them off, the man said.
" How do YOU all live? You don't
seem to cultivate the ground HEREOF
1--WE do the best we can, sir. Some
times we get work in the villages and
on the farms around, but we find it
hard to live. One of my brothers was
in var village yesterday trying to get
work from your nephew"
James" said the magistrate to his
nephew. twas his so? Did this man
apply to you orwork ?"
A man applied for gardening work
yesterday, think it was that man, but
/ hid no work of that kind for him.
At this point murmurs were heard
from the villagers that it was useless to
wrong the men any more because of a
crazy boys phrcnzied tale, and the ma
gistrate's nephew said it was plain the
men were not guilty, and asked the
magistrate to let them alone.
The magistrate musingly stroked his
beard-a way he had when puzzled he
seemed to regard his beard familiar
spirit, and stroking the proper form of
invocation. He called his nephew
aside.
James," said he, these men are too
honest; there is no fear no bungling or
mistakes, and no confusion that spoles-
man is the rcadicst and coolest knave |
have ever encountered. Neither their
clothing or appearance accord with
their plea of poverty. There is vllainy
somewhere
He then resumed his questioning.
"Have you a bloodhound ?'
"We hld sir, but we were unable to
feed it properly and it died"
The magistrate turned to the boy and
said:
George, show Us where you W ent last
night"
The boy did SO, and along the track
were frequent footprints of a large dog
AT the pile of rocks, the dog tracks
seemed to cease, nor were there any of
the dogs tracks going back toward the
house.
elbow came these tracks ?" asked the
magistrate.
"A dog joined us, drawn probably by
our following to the lad, but do not
know what became of him. He did not
go back with us to the house,
'There are nOtracks beyond the rocks;
why did you stop there?o
awe saw the blood on the rocks, sir,
and thought the boy had fallen and hurt
himself, and that he must be very much
frightened, as he didn't stop, and so
we thought it was best to let him
alone.'
Last night was very dark how did
you sec the blood"
9! had piece cf candle to help find
the boy"
George, did the man who chased you
have light ?"
"None that could see, sir though l
looked back often"
Il heldmy hat over the candle, sir,to
prevent its being blown out as we ran
after the bly,"
At this point the villagers again MUIR
INJURED that the man was not guilty, ard
that he was honest and kind hearted,
and ought not to be worried because of
the fancies of a crazy boy.
"Ah, sir" continued the man, as ifI
replying to the eXpostulations of the
villagers, tits hard to have our best in
tentions wrested against us. Poverty
must be an objectionable sin, it is sell
dom forgiven in this world"
The magistrate unused and strOlxed his
beard, as he walked slowly back to the
house.
'Show me your spring." he said.
1t was done, and he examined the
margin carefully, but saw nothing to
eXche suspicion.
Again the magistrate strOked his
beard and stood looking at the spring
as if in deep thought, while the villa
gers lau he'd and jested among them
selves at the idea of man being hid in
a spring scarcely big enough to hold his
head, and glances, rather friendly than
otherwise were exchanged with the tav-
ern keepers.
"Give me that pole" suddenly or
deed the magistrate, pointing to one
some eighteen or twenty feet long, lying
passed the pole down into spring till
scarce any part of it remained above the
water, and then moved the pole from
side to side in such way as to show
that the spring widened as you went
deeper, and that the cavity was formed
soc. ewhat like bottle with small
neck and mouth.
James," said the magistrate to his
nephew, take the lads horse, go to my
house and ask my wife for the long
lead line with drag hook attached, and
bring it here.
The young man sprang on the horse
and gallOped off. The magistrate stood
stroking his beard and looking from UNI
der his brows at the tavern-keeper
"a cool, ready william" he muttere d
to himself
Very soon the magistrates nephew
returned with the lead line, and the
magistrate DIR -pped the plummet into
the spring. Down, down it went over
hundred feet, until only some three or
four feet remained out. The villagers
looked surprised and the tavern-k re pers
seemed ill at ease, except their leader
who was calm and cool as ever. Several
casts were made before anything was
brought up, though the hook repeatedly