Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1870-07-29
THE ROBBERS LAMP.

Cor to go over on foot" exclaimed the
contractor.
"Not achancei of anything felse,p rel
piled the agent. "But then it's only five
miles, and you'll have better quarters
there than here, in this vile shanty. The
money will be safer, too-let alone that
the men won't go to work again, unless
they're paid in the morning"
t'Is the road safe? I don't like the idea
of Juggling so,much money!. ii could de
fend myself aor run bat fifteen hundred
dollars in small bills is big package to
run with"
"send your valise over in advance"
"Whom by?"
"My man."
"Js he trustworthy?" "a
"Honest as the day ana he needn't
know there's anything in it but,dirty linen.
He canfstart now; and you can wait till
after supper, if you willgs. ~
Andsso saying, the agent, of the rail
road company stepped to the door ofSthe
shanty and shouted for Patrick and,
shortly, that individual came as brig hit,
lively, honest looking a. son oftthe Green
Isle aseyer helped buildSa Western rail;
road. - 4.
"Patrick p D. O
"Take this gentleman's valise over to
the village, and leave it with the superin-
tendents Tell him the owner'll be after il
this evening"
can is that all, yer honor ?'
"That's all-only be quick about it, and
you'll earn an extra dollar"
Tm9jlst the bye for that, onyhow.
Sure, it's a small bit of valise."
And, so saying, Patrick picked up the
object of his contempt, and trudged away,
with an utter absence of curiosity as to
the nature of what he was carrying.
The temporary station at which the
construction train" had landed the con-
tractor-a gentleman named Perkins
was at the end of the new Airline Rail.
road to - ;and, ,gasGthe laborers thereon
had not been paid over promptly, they
had pow11r- some days been ON strike,
abandoning the works, and congregating
idly at q hamlet, "a. few miles distant!
therebyScopn nening their delinq nquentsem-
ployersAto come to terms. Mr.. Perkins
had brought good share of the "terms"
with him, ferF iplmediateA distribution;
and, after a plain but hearty supper with,
the agent, he was about to start on his
tramp, when it was discoyeredS that g
good sized Western thunder storm was
just about to burst, and the walk was
postponed until the sky should clear. In
q few minutes more, the rain was, coming
down in torrents, and kept it upu for an
hour or so, at the end of which time the
contractor padded away over the muddy
road, con- graduating himself that the va
hse in Pairick's care was waterproof.
"He's had a rougher time than Twill, !,
anyhow; and now, if amt robbed and
murdered before l get there, shall do
well enough, ,in spite of themud.,,,3 And,
so muttering to himself, the worthy gen
tleman spiashed forward.
Ourpresent business, however, is not
with hissemployer, but. with Patrick HIM
SELL sas ka4 .zedzzas sSsEi - ta'eaqqo nz5t
The parting Injunction to make haste
had not seemed to make a deep impress
sion on the careless son OF Erin, and be
trudged easily along, with an occasional
shrewd glance at the somewhat threaten
ing sky, growing TO himself:
"Faith, an I'll be there before he will,
an it don rain, sn'smebhes will az j
does. !Ock bnt it's a wake one TO be-giv.
in dollar for carryin' the loike o. this =
A little more than halfway across the
open prairie between the railway termi
nus and the village was a tolerably dense
grove, and it was after sunset when
Patrick plunged under lis shadows. MOI
had he gone far before, assthe gloom rap
idlv deepened, The premonitory flashes o.
lightning, and the deep, smothered roarl
OF the thunder, gave token that the storm
was upon him. sEsFs a. -HTS. - =
Nov an / cud ownly git to the owld
log house, it 'ud kape me dhry. Howly