The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1870-06-14

he ia been a trtin 20 trade a watch
tr raI q stse aud a. this. u
course WIS what wanted Il kuop !
pulled out aiy wailc, and gave the Old
man Two dollars Hoa sharp bc look.
gl at lhc other bills
mo Lord does provide. be said, turn
ine p his uiie uhy, sir, would you be-
Iere i, Ve haven't morsoi u pork il
tas hons
Li.l.s iid ! thiuk how that old boy,
WITH lis piety, bad pomped me. am
ashamed g this day to think how he
came j. over me.
! hope tie Lord viii bless YOU, Be
said.as J started next morning. BE sure
ana slon here when you come back.
4 / said would / rather liked bis
mush and milk for change / had
hardly got ont Of sight Of the hoyel,
when . deer started across The road -
Cred one Of my pistols al IT, and ne
sioete 70 load il again Very foolish,
bat ] wasa little reckless.
I suppose / was about FIVE miles from
the oid mans place when all at once /
eame in sight Of tie very man / was
after lie was splitting rails by the
roadside. knew he was the man |
was after because dangling from the
ipocket Of his old plush vest was Tom
Fuceut's watch chaiL; but what was
my astoniehmcnt to fnd on second
look that knew him. Why, sir, be
was one Of the cussedest horse thieves
that infested the big woods Bill
Strahl, the name / knew him by He
knew me at once
| Halo, lie said, what do you DO here
And as he said this he picked up bis
rife; lie and / were never friends.
What do you think? said |, putting
my hand in my pocket.
10 good, he said, you Internal beat,
ard with that he made a motion to lev
el bis rifle.
In an instant whipped out my Der
ringer, and gave him an excellent op-
portunity to look square down the muz-
zle.
You are covered, said, drop your
gun
He dropped it, and began to trom-
bic. II he had known how trembled
Inside, lie would not have been so scar
ed The sense Of deadly pain is not an
easy thing to get used to. | dismount-
ed, fred his gun into toe ground, broke
the stock against trea and threw it
into the bush, and tied my horse u d
stump.
Now, my friend, said to Norman,
be kind enough to march.
Where? said he
Into the woods, said |.
You amt going to kill me? he ask
ca
No, responded, though you deserve
! it; ! am going to tie you to a tree, gag
you, and leave you there
That will be ten times wuss, he said,
| piteously.
How pleasant it is to be cruel! 1t
is temptation which few meu, one
way and another can resist. As my
yictim and myself penetrated the for
est, begged him, sarcastically, to Sc
lect tie tree be would like; when /
had bound and gagged BIN, marched
Oh dozen yards oI 50 aud aimed my
Derringer at him; il was Jolly sight
70 see him writle and squirm and try
TO make motions for mercy; finally |
dred the weapon over his hoad, and he
tainted. Ny pistols were now both
empty. blazed the trees, so that his
friends could ind him before highland
made the best Of my way back to the
road What was my astanishment to
end my horse gone stolen, without a
doubt.
i Whev ! soliloquized, this is a NOR
al ncghborhood, and Immediately tho't
about loading up. What was my fur
ther astonishment to find my box Of
cartaidges gone So much for being
careless. And there I was, sir, in the
midst Of town Of notorious thieves,
without weapon, without horse and
over hundred Of money aud property
Ia my possession. The thing did look
II Allle dubious.
i Thank my stars. | thought to my
SELF there's one highly conscientious
christian in these woods referring to
tho old nan, oi course; and at his cab
IL, lit le aiteI dark, arrived, pretty
well tired out Alb, said he, as ! euter-
od, knew the Lord would bless you.
have been praying for you all day.
Thanks, said /. but never mind the
blessing; an / wan; is some inush and
a blauke. and your horse in the morn
] lug % take me 10 Waseytown.
Yon shall have 'em, hc.said, bat may
read a chapter.
No
The Lord has blessed YOU : said the
old devil inquiringly.