Weekly Trinity journal., 1870-10-22
NUMBER AZ.

"You are covered" said I, " drop your gun"
He dropped it, and began to trembe If he
had known how trembed inside he would not
have been so scared. The sense of deadly pain
is rot such an easy thing to get used TO- | dis
mounted, fired his rifle into the ground, broke
the stock against the tree and threw it into the
brush, and tied my horse to a stump.
"Now, my friend" said to Merriman, " be
kind enough to march"
Where, " said he.
"Into the woods, replied.
{" You bent going to kill me- he replied.
mo, !" responded "though you deserve it
am going to tie you to a tree, gag you, and leave
you there"
"Tha: will be ten times wuss," he said, pitt
eousy
How pleasant it is to be cruel 1t Is a temp
tation that few men, one way aud another, can
resist. As my victim and myself entered the
forest, begged him, sarcastically, TO select the
tree he would like and when had secured
him and gagged him, marched off dozen
yards or so and aimed my derringer at him it
was jolly sight to see him wrtbe and squirm,
and make motions for mercy; finally fired the
weapon over his head, and he tainted. My pis-
tolls were now both empty "blazed the
trees, so that his friends would find him before
night, and made the best of my way back to the
road. What was my astonishmeut to find my
horse gone-soen, without doubt.
"Whew ~ soliloqniZed, " this is u moral
neighborhood, and immediately thought about
loading up. What was my further astonsh-
ment to find that had lost my box Of cartridges
SO much for being careless And there was, in
the midst Of a township of notorious thieves,
without II horse, and over hundred dollars in
money and property in my possession. The
thing did look little dubious.
" Thank my stars" | thought to myself,
g there's one highly conscientious Christian in
these woods "--rcfcrrng to the old man, of
| ,.,l l. Lt, 1ttt1,
down, arrived, pretty well tired out The old
fellow was on the looko for me.
"Ah, " said he, as | entered, "I knew the
Lord would bless you. have been praying foV
you all day"
" Thanks, :" said, "but never mind about the
blessing all want is some mush and blanket
and horse in the morning to take me to Water
town"
"You shall have en-" he said, but shont
read chapter2"
"No."
"Thc Lord has blessed you2" said the old
devil inquirngly'
ayes, " said, che has | have done what
wanted and got rid of my horse besides - and
these were the last words said to the old man
until about O'Clock In the morning About
that time rs | was dreaming OF having gay old
time, was awakened by Il sharp pain in my
cheek and loud thug ON the floor beside me.
clappcd my hand to my check and felt blood
uttNetn me Hnu lut NinuUW was lhe ora man \
form. Why, sir, streak of lightning is moth
ing to a mans nerves at such time Before
you could say "Jack Robinson !" before there
was time to form single coherent thought, I
found myself doing the very best thing / could
clutching the old man by the throat, and press
ing the muzzle OF my empty pistol to his temple
he shaking like an aspen leaf.
"Oh, don't shoot he exclaimed, " Jesus was
always mercifu -
Get up, you Jezebel, and strike light, or
I'll send him and you, too, to the Prince of
Darkness" growled |.
The light was struck, What did see? Oh,
nothing in partcular-only the floor torn up
and grave dug TO put me in, where the wolves
would not disturb me. | had noticed that the
boards were loose when | first came in. As
saw this, | couldn't help knocking the old man
down with the barrel of my pistol, and pitching
him into the hole. put his bible in my pocket
as memento and in three minutes was
mounted on his horse, and on my way to Water
town.
Not quite unmolested, though, for as turned
the corner of the fence, bullet whzzed spite
fully by me. turned round. The old she-devil
was standing in the doorway, with II rifle smok-
ing in her hands
@ You darcsn't come back" she screamed.
" You re right old gal daresn't I, | thought
plunging into tho darkness.
weary midnight ride that was to Wotcrown.
Not that the pain OF my wound was much, for
the ax had but scraped the skin. But the unnt-
terable melancholy of the night in the almost
virgin forest, the indescrbable sounds the coy
otes yell, the sad waings and the mournful
rustling of the leaves, filled me with ~ hlucness
that was awful bue-set me to thinking of things
almost forgotten, and that sad to think of
then--Of days that were different from those
days-well-
When Tom Vincent, like a man, paid me the
five hundred dollars, | went into the picture
agency business, and have not touched card
since. .-SprinGfeH Rpu6hcaH.
USEFUL INFoRMATIoN How to lay off land
Measure off 900 feet on each side and you will
have an acre.
A square mile contains G10 acres.
A mile is 3, $50 feet, or ,7G0 yards. league
is three miles. falbom is six feet A hand,
(horse measure) four inches. A palm is three
inches. pace is three feet.
A barrel Of -four weighs SO pounds a barrel
of pork, 200 pounds barrel of rice 600 pounds,
keg of powder, 20 pounds; a hrkin OF butteh
SO pounds and tub of butter "a pounds.
The following are sold by weight per bnshel;
Wheat, beans and clover seed, 60 pounds corn,
rye and naxseed, 55 buckwheat, 81 barley,
48 coarse salt, 80.
A commercial bale of cotton contains 400
pounds pack of wool, 24O.
A box l6 by l64 inches and Hches deep con-
tains bushel.
IMpERrINESr QUEsrIoNs.-To ask lawyer if
he ever told II lie.
To ask doctor how many persons he has
killed.
To ask young lady whether she would like
beau.
Toask a nice young man to take something to
drink.
TO ask q subscriber if he has paid the printer,
To ask merchant if he has ever cheated
customer.
q 1.