Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1870-07-20

Right again, old stick-in-the-mud,'
said; 4 am no labOring man. 1 never
did work for a living and never will
1 don't mind telling you, on account o.
your remarkable piety, that Pm up here
on little business for q friend. Per
haps you can help, in which case you
can earn 4 dollar or two. Perhaps you
don't know such a fellow as Merri-
man-AuStin Merriman -
"a desperate man., says the old fellow
with a shudder, who knows not the
Lord
Perhaps I said, he's a sport, a gay
and festive son of a wOOd-chOpper.-
Maybe he trades once in a while in jew
elry.'
He's been trying to trade a watch fol
a pair of steers, and this, to be sure, was
what I wanted to know. I pulled out
my wallet and gave the old man two
dollars. How sharp he did look at the
other bills.
The Lord does provide, he said, turn
ing to his wife, why sir, would you be-
lieve it, we have not mOTsel of pork
in the house,
Little did think how that old boy
with his piety had pumped me.
i hope the Lord will bless you1' he
said, as 1 started next morning. Be sure
and stop when you come back
told him I would. I rather liked
his mush and milk for a change. I'd
hardly left the hOvel when a deer start
ed across my track. fired one of my
pistols at it and neglected to load it
again. Very foolish but I was a little
reckless.
1 suppose I was about five miles from
the old mans place, When all at once
came in sight of the very man was af-
ter, because, dangling from the pocket
of his old plush vest was Vincents
watch chain; but what was my aston
to find; on a second look, that I
knew him. Why, sir, he was one of the
horse thieves that infested the
big woods
Bill Strahl was the name I knew him
by. He knew me at once.
'HallOa,' said he, what do you want
here :? and as he said this he at once
picked up his rifle; he and were never
friends.
what do you think p said I, putting
my hand in my pocket.
No good said he, you internal beat,
and with that he made a motion to level
his rifle.
In an instant l whipped out my Derrin-
ger and gave him an excellent OppOrtu-
nifty to look square down the muzzle.
You are covered I said; drop your
gun.'
He dropped it and began to tremble.
If he had known how trembled inside
he would not have been scared. The
sense of deadly danger is not an easy
thing to get used to. IdismOunted, fired
his gun into the brush and tied my
horse to stump.
Now my friend, said to Merriman,
'be kind enough to march,
Where? said he.
Into the woods,
You bean't a going to kill me y he
said.
No; though you deserve it. lam go
ing to tie you to a tree, gag you and
leave yOU.'
That will be ten times wuss, he said
piteously.
How pleasant it is to be cruel It is a
that few men, one way and
another, can resist.
As my victim and myself penetrated
the forest begged him sarcastically to
select the tree he would like; and when
had secured and gagged him / march
ed off dozen yards or SO and aimed my
Derringer at him; it was jolly sight to
see him writhe and make motions for
mercy.
Finally I fired the weapon over his
head and he tainted. My pistols were
now both empty. I blazed the trees so
that his friends would find him before
night and made the best of my way
back to my horse. What was. my as
tOnishment to find my horse gOne-stO-
len without q doubt
Whew! I solilOquized, this is a NOR
al neighbOThOOd, and Immediately
thought about loading up.
What was my further astonishment to
find that l had lost my box OfcartTidges.
So much for being careless. And there
was in the midst of township of no.
loriOus thieves, without a weapon, with
out horse, and with over a hundred
dollars in money and property in my
possession. The thing did look a little
dubious.
THANK my stars, I thought to myself,
there's one highly conscientious Chris
tian in these WOOds'-referripg to the
Did man of GOuTse-and at this house a
little after sunrise I arrived, pretty we'll
JllCu OuUs 1llC OAu 4C4AOW was OA lllC
lookout for me.
'Ah,' said he, as I entered, 4 knew
lhe Lord would bless you. I have been
praying for you all day.
Thanks I said but never mind
about the blessing. All 1 want is some
nush and blankets and your horse in
lhe morning to take me to WateTtOWn.'
You shall have them,' he said, but
3hant I read you achapter%
NO.
THE Lord has blessed you?' he said;
Yes 1 said, 'he has-I have done
what l wanted, and got rid of my horse
)esides,' and these were the last words
said to the old man till about 8 o'clock
II the morning.
About that time, as was dreaming
If having a gay old time, Twas awaken
ID by a sharp pain in my cheek, and a
Oud thug on the floor beside me. I.
,lapped my hand to my cheek and felt
he blood; between me and the window
vas the old mans fOIm. Why, sir, a
breaking of lightning isnothing to mans
nerves at such time
Before you could say Jack Robinson,
before there was time to form a single
thought fonnd myself doing
he best thing l cOUld-clutching the
I'D man by the throat, and pressing the
nuzzle of my empty pistol to the tenn
)le-he was shaking like an aspen leaf.
'Oh, dom shoot, he screamed, Jesus
vas always merciful.'
WAS he p said 1, giving his throat an
.wful squeeze,
'Oh, don't kill him. walled the old
woman, .the Lord will bless you if Won
Ion't.'
Get up, you Jezebel, and strike a
light, or l will send him and YOU too.
o the prince of Darkness growIed I.
The light was struck.
What did I see? Oh nothing Darticu-
the floor torn up, and a grave
lug to put me in, where the wolves
would not disturb me. I had noticed
hat the boards were loose when I first
anne into the room. AS I saw this n
ould not help knocking the old man
.Own with the barrel of my pistol and
,itching him into the hole, 1 nut his
Bible into my pocket as memeutO.
nd in three minutes was on his horse
nd on my road to WatertOwn.
Not quite unmOlested, though. for os
turned the corner of the fence q bullet
spitefully by me. I turned |
Ound. The old she devil was standing |
n the doorway, with a rifle smoking in !
er hands.
you darsn't come back, she scream
Il.
YOU'RE right, old gal, dasn't,'-I
hought l, plnnging into the dark
ess.
a weary midnight ride that was to |
Fatertown. Not that the pain of my
round was much, for the axe had but |
orapcd the skin. But the unutterable |
Of night in the almost vir-I
in forest, the indesCribable sounds, the