The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-08-06
THE ROBBERS LAMP.

THE ROBBERS LAMP.
"Got to go over on foot!" exclaimed the
contractor.
mot a chance of anything else," replied
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 60 TO
work again, unless they're paid in the morn
ing"
as the road safe? don't like the idea of
Juggling so much money. l could defend my
self, or run but $500 in small hills is big
package to run with"
"Send your valise over in advance"
"Whom by?"
"My man."
SIS he trustworthy?"
"Honest as the day; and he needn't know
there's anything in it but dirty linen. He can
start now; and you can wait till after supper,
if you will"
And, so saying, the agent of the rail- DAD
company stepped to the door of the shanty,
and shouted for Patrick; and. shortly, that
individual came-as bright, lively, honest
looking son of the Green Isle as ever helped
build Western railroad.
"Patrickr'
"Yis, yer honor"
"Take this gentleman's valise over to the
village, and leave it with the superintendent.
Tell him the Owner'll be after it this even
ing"
AN is that all, yer honor?"
THAT'S all-only be quick about it. and
you'll earn an extra dollar"
"Fm just the bye for that onyhow. Sure,
it's small bit of a valise."
And, SO saying, Patrick picked up the OBJ
ject 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 "cop-
struction train" had landed the Contractors
gentleman named Perkins-was at the end of
the new Airline railroad to !; and, as
the laborers thereon had not been paid over.
promptly, they had now for some days been
on strike, abandoning the works, and con-
gregating idly at hamlet, a few miles distant,
thereby compelling their delinquent employ
ers to come to terms. Mr.. Perkins had brought
good share of the "terms" with him, for i'm
mediate distribution; and, alter plain but
hearty supper with the agent, he was about to
start on his tramp, when it was discovered
that good sized Western thunder storm was
just about to burst, and the walk was post
poned until the sky should GEAR. In a lew
minutes more the rain was coming down in
torrents. and kept it up for an hour or so. at
the end OF which time the contractor padded
away over the muddy road, congraiulating
himself that the valise in Patricks care was
waterproof.
"He's had rougher time than | will. any,
how; and now, if ain'trobbed and murdered
before get there, | shall do well enough. in
spite of the mud" And so, muttering TO him
self, the worthy gentleman splashed forward,
Our present business, however, is not with
his employer, but with Patrick himself
The parting injunction to make haste had
not seemed to make very deep impression on
the careless son of Erin; aud he trudged cas-
lily along, with an occasional shrewd glance at
the somewhat threatening sky, growing to
himself:
Faith, an I'll be there before he will, an
1t don't rain, an mebbe will if it does Och,
but it's wake ohe to be sivin' dollar for
carryin' the loike O. thisr'
A little more than halfway across the open
prairie between the railway terminus and the
village was tolerably dense grove, ard it
was after sunset when Patrick plunged under
its shadows. Nor had he gone far, before, as
the gloom rapidly deepened, the premonitory
flashes of lightning and the deep, smothered
roars of the thunder gave token that the
storm was upon him.
snow, an cud ownly git to the ovid log
house, it 'ud kape me dhry. Howly Moses,
what big fash was thatp
And so saying, Patrick broke into a very
respectable trot, which quickly brought him
ouo ihSO q lAbtiC WSCh-SIoWu CicdIllIS. LII Llc
centre of this there was small log house, the
deserted homestead of some Disconnected
squatter who had moved farther westward.
1t consisted of but two rooms, front and back,
and all vestiges of doors or window shutters
had long since disappeared; but it promised
some sort of Imperfect shelter from the rain.
Patrick was but just in time, for hardly
had he stumbled over the grassy TIL eshOld be-
fore the first big drops began to patter, and
1haca In toll L,,a
Ing torrents as compelled him to select his
standing-place under as good corner OF the
leaky root as he could find.
"Bless me sOwl, but this is wet rain, ony-
hoy! I'd not loike to be found dhrowned
wild Another mons portmanty about me
clothes. Whist, now, PATRICK, sme jewel
And as he spoke, Patrick once more ad-
vanced toward the doorway was now all
but pitch dark, and he could hear the half
muftied voices of men, whose profane utter
ances seemed to try ar. direct one another to-
ward the shelter.
Here it is, Bob. l wonder if there's any,
body in it,"
Not tonight, there won't be. Go right in
were Cumin.'n
Patrick was no fool, and he had heard
something in the tones rather than in the
words-thoueh these We're mingled with hor-
rid protanfty-which conveyed to his mind
the impression that the newcomers were
men with whom he did'no care tie scrape an
acquaintance; neither did he like to 20 ont
into the storm-and SO he quietly gided back
into the little "iean-to" that formed the other
part of the house, and curled himself mn
against the logs.
In moment more he perceived that three
men had taken possession OF his late quar-
tiers; and he lay as still as a mouse. while
they continued a discussion which had evi.
IDENTIFY been interrupted by the storm:
"He won't try to get over to night, | reck-
Eyes, he will; he's got to-"
"But the storm?"
Hell wait till that's over"
maybe he's started"
III he has, he'll turn back. We're safe
enough to bag him, an it's a little tbe hest
lay we ever had" '@''
pretty good pot. that's a fact. DO Won
know how he's got it2' ~"
SIN va'ise, Jim says"
wen, we can take it as well in that as in |
anything else, as the man said about his
whiskey."
"But whatll we do with him?"
"Dead men tell no tales"
"Thats the safest, guess; and they'll Law
it to some of the strikers"
"Most likely. Have you got theldark Ian
tern ready?'
"Not much oil in it,"
"Lets fill it then. L went to get some, and
got Unto the boss's private office, and l Just
found one little can hid away in his desk.
Not another thing worth bringing away.
Here tits; let's fill up, an take look round.n
Thus far Patrick had listened with BREATH
less interest, while his mind teemed with hor
rid visions of robbery and murder. As we
have said he was by no means lacking in
sharpness, aDd the reference to the valise had
not been by any means reassuring
"Howly mother! how did they liver know l
was comm over wild the portmanty? I'd like
TO know that. Begorrah, I'd bettber have
turned back before liver come! AM what's
GoIar TO pay for bein' murdered ?"
FatricKs thoughts were troubling the very
SOU Wlthin MN, when he heard what was
SAID ABOUT the lantern, and it. neodoJ nv 49,
to tell him that his only safety from, LINZ on0
cry was in retreat. There was snma 10y
noise and loud talking in the other room '',,le t
to speak OF the rain on the roof, and Patrio,O
had no difficulty in escaping unheard Once
clear OF the house, he made clean run of If |
for a couple of hundred yards, stumbling over
logs, tearing through briers, but sticking faith.
fully to the valse.
Meantime the three robbers had probably
been filling the lamp of their dark lantern;
and just as Patrick reached the edge OF the
woods. in the cover of whose darkenss he
knew he would be safe, he turned and strain
ed his eyes in the direction of the log house.
AS ne did SO, a faint glimmer of light came
ou ao through the chincks and crannies.
cd oahlrlkln' MATCH" muttered Patrick
20 H. 'uch 10 that same for sindin' me out in
W '''0 "e''-Howly Mother! what's that?"