The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-07-06
THE ROBBERS LAMP.

THE ROBBER' LAMP.
""Got to go over on foot" exclaimed
the contractor.
mot a chance of anything else,
replied the agent. "But, then, it's on
ly 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 go to
work again, unless they're paid in the
morning"
ssAIs the road safe? / don't like the
idea of Juggling so much money. ]
could defend myself, or run; but fif.
teen hundred dollars in small bills is
big package to run with"
"Send your valise over i'll advance
Whom by
"My man."
Is 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-
road company stepped to the door OF
the shanty, and shouted for Patrick
and, shortly. that individual came-as
bright, lively, honest-looking son oi
the Green Isle as ever helped build a
Western railroad.
Patrick
"Yis, yer honor"
"Take this gentleman's valise over
to the village, and leave it with the
Superintendent. Tell him the owner
will be after it this evening"
"An' is that all, yer honor ?"
That's aIl-only be quick about it,
and you'll earn an extra dollar"
"Im jist the bye for that, onvhow.
Sure, it's a small bit of a valise."
And, SO saying, Patrick picked, up
the object of his contempt, and trudg-
ed away, with an utter absence of Gu
riosity as to the nature OF what he was
carrying.
The temporary station at which the
" construction train I" landed the con-
tractor-a gentleman named Perkins
was at the end of the new Airline
Railroad to -; and, as the labor
ers thereon had not been paid over
promptly, they had now for some days
been on a strike, abandoning the
works, and congregating idly at a
hamlet, few miles distant, thereby
compelling their delinquent employers
to come to terms. Mr.. Perkins had
brought good share of the (" terms
with him, for immediate distribution
and. after a plain but hearty supper
with the agent, he was about to start
on his tramp, when it was discovered
that a good-sized Western thunder
storm was just about to burst, and the
walk was postponed until the sky
should clear. In a few minutes more,
the rain was coming down in torrents,
and kept it up for an hour or so, at tn e
end of which time the contractor pad
died away over the muddy road, con-
graduating himself that the valise in
Patrick's care was waterproof.
"He's had a rougher time than ]
have, anyhow; and now, if ain't
robbed and murdered before I get
there, shall do well enough, in spite
of the mud" And, SO muttering to
himself, the worthy gentleman splash
ed forward. L. -
Our present business, however, is
not with his employer, but with Pat
rick himself.
The parting Injunction to make
haste did not seem to make a very
deep impression on the careless son OF
Erin; and he trudged easily along,
with an occasional shrewd glance at
the somewhat threatening sky, growl-
ing to himself
'Faith, an I'll be there before he
will, an it don't rain, an mebbe Twill
av it does. Och, but it's wake one
to be givin' a dollar for carryin' the
loike O. this p
A little more than halfway across
the prairie between the railway termi-
nus and the village was tolerably
dense grove, and it was after sun sci
when Patrick plunged under its shad-
,ows. Nor had he gone far: before, as
the gloom rapidly deepened, the pre-
monitory flashes of lightning and the
deep, smothered roars of the thunder
gave token that the storm was upon
him.
"Now an cud ownly git to the
|owld log house, it 'ud kape me dhry
Howly Moses, what big flash wa:
thatl" H9 ,-e.''
And, so saying, Patrick broke into
a very respectable trot, which quickly
brought him into little weed-growr
clearing. In the centre of this there
was small log house, the deserted
| homestead of some ediscontented squat
ter who had moved farther westward
1t consisted of but two rooms, from
and back, and all vestiges of doors Of
window-shuttels had long since dis
appeared; but it promised some sor
of imperfect shelter from the rain.
Patrick was just in time, for hardl,
had he stumbled over the grass!
threshold before the first big drop
began to patter, and these were quick
ly followed by such penetrating tor
rents as compelled him to select hi
standing-place under as good corne
of the leaky roof as he could find.
"Bless me sowl, but this is we
rain, onyhowl I'd not loike to b
found drowned wild another mon
: portmanty about me clothes. Whishi
now, Pathrick, me jewel-what's that |!
And, as ne spoke, Patrick once NOR
advanced toward the doorway. ]
was now all but pitch dark, and h
could hear the half-muffied voices G
men, whose profane utterances seem
ed to try and direct one another to
ward the shelter. Is
"Here it is, Bob. l wonder if ther
is anybody in it."
Not tonight, there won't be. 6
right in; we're comin,"
Patrick was no fool, and he ha
hearH something in the tones rathe
Il