The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-04-02

This spectacle. howsvee. inspired no teeFo. Il
the watcher, who held his pistols in his hand
and waited.
The three figures. with Low eroans, marched
slowly mp toward the glbbet the watcher moved
to one side. Suddenly, % they came near, they
made rush ct him he fred ct them oae Of
them dropped.
| Instantly he speaag toward the opening from
which they had emerged, and pulling out . boat.
swsins whistle, he blew three times . shrill.
penetrating blast; 1t va quickly done, and then
he waited with his pistols.
Two or three figures stood motiouless, close by
the one who had fallen; grosns of pain came
from the fallen figure.
But now other figures appeared upon the scene;
at the sound of the shrin whistle, Elk or eight
men. all armed, sprang up from behind . hill
lock, where they had remained in concealment,
and rushed up to the two figures; in . moment
they had surrounded and seized them the watch
| er then advanced towards them.
"Whos this fellow" esid he, STOPPING over the
wounded man, and tearing away the sheet with
which he was developed, exclaimed, "Ah, al !!
my fine fellow, its you, 10 it? So you've 'lost
your betW
1t was the mar with whom he had made the
bet
The watcher then tore away the sheets from
the Others. One was Brswn-the man that held
the stakes-the other was one of the company
who had been at the inn.
I'm going down there into your plsce-so
lead on" said he.
''Who are you ?" cried Brown, savagely, "seiz.
ing and shooting innocent persons AS though you
were higwayman."
"Well, if you want to know, I'm Captain Sin.
clair, United States Custom House officer.
You were playful enough to bet with me, and
think I've won it but come, he continued stern.
ly, I've suspected that you were up to mischief
here; only came here yesterday my predeces.
sor could never Grace the extensive smuggling
operations that went on just about here, but I
thought that perhaps the gibbet had something
to do with it, You see I've caught you"
Brown uttered something between q curse and
an entreaty.
"Tie his hands, lads tie up both of them"
The men Obeyed.
Now two OF you fellows stay here has any.
body here got lantern z"
One Of the men handed one to him.
He lighted it, and then descended by the orr.
flee through which the three figures had emerged.
After short distance, he found himself in the
passage way which went down on the side Of .
cliff that had been severed in twain. The path
sloped steeply for a hundred yards or so, and
ended in a cavern. Here ttere were barrels and
boxes IN 0eat numbers, all filled with contra.
band art1 5; the cavern itself waS Just nader.
meath the gibbet; it was evident that the
shugKiers uau maoe use OF the glOOet 10 Irlgnten
people away from their haunt.
An examination sfterward showed that these
three alone had conducted vast smuggling
business by means of this convenient cavern
they had been completely trapped BY Captain
Sinclair. As he said, he had suspected seine
trickery about the gibbet he had made the bet,
and caused some of his men to follow him and
conceal themselves; the result was az has been
described. The three smugglers found them
selves suddenly cast down from their dreams of
wealth, and on their way to the State Prison.
As for Captain Sinclair his brilliant exploit was
rewarded with romotion.-Hnper's Weekly.