The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1869-03-11

ant, But it was plain the ditch 10
which the poor policeman had been
thrust was Of less dry aud comfort
able Kind than the convict had stated
Hoskins looked as though he had
been stepped in liquid mud
At the best of times Policeman
Hoskins was never a very brighs or
intellectual being. If his head was
really so thick as people often said it
was, the fact had possibly been Of
advantage to him in his fray with the
convict. He had certainly received
a very violent blow upon that por.
tiou of the face which is known pug.
ilistically rather than anatomically
as the "muEEard." AS far as | could
discover, after q brief examination,
no bones were broken; nor did it ap-
pear that any Of his teeth were miss,
ing, though they had probably been
loosoned. His lower lip had been
cut through as with kuife, aud had
swollen to a prodigious size.
lie soon revived, but it was plaiu
that the convict had described the
condition OF bis victim with credita~
bic accuracy. Hoskins had been
"knocked silly" 1t might be that
but one blow had been administered !;
however, in falling. from the effect Of
IL, tho POOR constable must have
struck his head with extreme violence
against the hard ground. A little
more--one can never avoid in these
cases considering what would have
been the consequence Of "a little
more' of tho ipjury--Hoskius would
have been not merely knocked silly,
he would have been knocked dead,
and l should have had to number
murder on my list Of patients.
Hoskins could give very little ac-
count Of what had happened. His
ideas on the subject were curiously
vague. lie seemed puEsling himself
for long time "to put two and two
together" ;" as people say.
ut came to me like a flash of
lightning, sir" he said at length.
"What did2"
"This on my face"
"You say who struck you ~
Ho had difficulty about answer
ing this question. Possibly he con
ceivcd himself to be already prosecut
ing some one for the assault, aud
perceived that the case against the
prisoner depended almost altogether
upon the nature of his reply. lie
winked at me, as we'll as the swollen
condition Of his face would let him
with an air of being very acute and
cautious. lie nodded his head sig
uificautly as though he would lave
me believe ho knew more than he
could be expected to divulge
There's more than Que of 'em in
it, he said "More- than two, may
be. It's what We call regular put.
up thing"
"You'd know the man again if you
were to see him, Hoskins p
Il know all about him. He'sno
call to be afraid On that score. ]
could put my hand on him and his
mates as easy just when l might
happen to want en-"
This was confidently spoken Still
| wasn't satisfied that Iloskins knew
quite as much az he pretended to
know. | had somo acquaintance
with the pocuiarities of police oa.
ture. 1 was we'll aware that they
were apt to cover great depths ofstu.
pidity aud ignorance with flimsy
vail Of sagacity aud rcticence.
1T must have been like a blow
from sledge hammer. Hoskins.'
"Ah ! or may be ship-carpenter's
mallet."
l became more and more persuad-
ed that the man did not in the least
know how or from what quarter the
blow had been struck.
Cor kick from horse" l said,
as l stopped once more to examine
the wound. "Do you know, Hoskins.
would't take upon myself to swear
that it wasn't kick from horse 2"
"You really think it might have
been, sir 2" he asked with puzzled
air. "Well, it's odd, but there is a
horse grazing in that meadow just
below the bridge, close to where |
fell. The masters old chestnut
mare. Still ] shouldn't have thought
she'd as much as a kick left in her
You know, sir, that mares FIVE and
twenty years old it she's a day."
Tho sex, Hoskins, the sex, i" l said
gravely. "You never can be quite
certain what tricks they won't be up
to-"
~ suppose it must have been the
mare" he said. scratching his head.
He abandoned all attempt at mystii-
cation. lie avowed his consummate
ignorance of all that had huppened.
"And now 1 think Ill try aud get
home, sir"
"Just another sip of brandy, Hos
kins."
"Well, only sip, sir" HOsbin's
notion of a sip was Of more gener-
Gus kind than most peoples.
SCOT to bod, Hoskins, and don't
you get up to morrow until I've seen
you. I'll come to you pretty early.
Keep out of draughts. Tic your
handkerchief over your mouth. Hero
let me do it,"
"Thauk you, sir, you're very good. ="
He then, quite as a matter of
course, aud in the most natural way
possible, put on tho hat and great.
coat-his own hat aud coat--which
the convict had short time before
left iu the room. / had been puz-
cling myself with the inquiry as 10
how | should dispose of those arti-
Giles Of attire, aud was much relieved
by Hoskin's proceedings. 1t did not
] ....- A.. k,., g.. ,antt.o