Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-09-28

long in inviting my Trends to come
and rejoice with me over the good luck
that God had seut; and by in the eve
ming / had already for 'em-the tea urn
boiling, the black bread and bacon
laid out, dish of sailed cucumbers,
and a half gallon Of volka' (corn bran
dy) into the bargain. just as I'd fin
ished laying ont the table, (my wife had
gone out to buy some sausage), there
came knock at the door. Thinks [:
There are my guests come already;
and | went to let them in. But when
| opened the door, (heaven preserve
rs J what should | see but three men
in black masks, and the foremost of
EN- with a pistolin his hand-this very
same pistol that's lying on the table
now.
"Oho that pistols a trophy taken
from the enemy, then" remarked l.
"This begins to get interesting. Go on.
pray"
I'm not going to say I WASH fright
ened, pursues the starosta. 81 was
frightened, and very badly frightened,
too, can tell you. But before / could
say word, the foremost backguard
clasps his hand on my shoulder, and
says to me, in a voice that sounded as
if it came down the chimney, Hand
over that money you got this morning
quickly, or | will send you where you
won't come back again and | heard
the pistol click as he cooked it. Well,
as you know, when needs must,
there's no time for brewing beer, 80 /
went to the hig chest yonder, and out
with the bank-notes; but in handing
them ont, | managed to tuck two or
three of them into my sleeve. The
rogue counted them twice over and
shook his head.
"This won't do,' says he, catching
me by the collar eve know exactly
how much you got this morning, and
we mean to have il all so, out with
what you've hidden, or it viii be the
worse for you.
Then all at once thought came into
my head, just as if somebody had
whispered it to me; and shook the
bank notes out of my sleeve on the
floor, 50 that they few this way and
that way. The rogue, fearing, no
doubt, that some of them might get
lost, pounced upon them to pick EN-
up, putting down his pistol, just as |
thought he would But the minute he
loosed hold of it | snatched it up and
shot HIM dead on the spot,
My driver gives a hoarse, chuckling
laugh of intense enjoyment; while the
starosta, paused for moment in order
to heighten the effect of his last sem
tence, handles the captured pistol with
4 beljigerent air.
"Well done, put in I, "you had
tricked him very nicely. But what did
the other two do Runaway | suppose. ="
"You may say that, replied the mar
rator, with a louder grin than ever
they were gone almost before | could
turn around. Well, when | found my
self safe again, and the field clear, |
felt SO dazed that | almost thought |
should have tainted but | knew that
there was more to be done yet, so |
dipped my head in "A pan of water, to
clear it bit, locked up the house, put
the key IN my pocket, and ran away rs
hard as could 90 to the 'kvartalni, dis
tuct police inspector,) But when | got
there, he was not mt home. They said
he had gone out more than an hour be
fore, and hadn't come back yet; so
there was nothing for it but to go on
to the next station, across the river
yonder, and tell the kyartalni there.
The minute he heard what had hap
pened, he clasps on his coat, calls three
or four Of his men, and away we all
went back to my hat, where we found
the dead fellow lying on the floor just
MS had left him. The kyartalni's men
pulled of his mask and who should it
be but the very police inspector | had
been looking for And the other two
robbers, rs found out aiterwarC, were
the village postmaster and the priest
And now, BARN, here's your place ready
for Won; and may heaven send you
good night rest y
Cranberry Culture.