The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-01-05

Bill Bevan was my favorite watcher. de was |
bold as lion, much bigger and stronger than |
myself, and had helped me to handcuf not |
few pheasant-robbers.
We waited till past o'clock, and saw and |
heard nothing; indeed, we hardly expected to |
do so; for the business our friends were out |
upon, was the long net on the upper side of
the cover and driven in, which is dore
with little noise unless it may be IN
occasional squeak from a hare; and
we had watched the bridge carefully from a
distance while it was light, and had not seen
them cross it. We therefore at last deter
mined to give up, just take round the upper
side of the cover, and then go off to bed
On sudden we heard voices talking in the
wood, and the speakers apparently making
for the bridge.
why, they have been there, after all, said
Bill; how could they have got there?'
Never mind how they got there, said L;
there they are, and, as luck will have it, are
coming down the drive. Keep still, and we'll
catch EN- here
We waited quiet under the shadow of the
hedge-the men were still talking, and draw
ing near. There was not much light, but the
stars we're bright, and by them, when they
came within about ten yards, l could distin-
guish our two friends, one laboring along
with heavy bag at his back.
Now then, said 1, in whisper, take the
outside one, Bill; and we each sprang at
our man. got fair hold of the fellows col
lar with the bag He dropped the bag with
curse, and laid hold of my arm. l instantly
found had my work before me, for, though
/ had fair hold of him, the fellow
was half as big again as myself, and
cursed and struggled and wrenched and at
last managed to kick my shin with the heel
of his hob-nailed boot so viciously that from
pain loosened my hold for moment. My
man broke from me, and seized me by the
bare throat with one hand and round the
loins with the other. Half-choked, with
desperate effort, I got his fingers from my
throat, and second after got half-hit on
the chin which dazed me. We had now
struggled close to the river, and my friend,
who had been cursing extraordinarily during
the fight, said, I'll pitch thee into the river
do if thou can, said l, getting hold bit
frmer by the collar again, and hitting him
lair blow between the eyes with my fist. His
rage was awful; and after very violent
! tussle he got hold of me foul in some Out-of-
the-way manner that cannot recollect, aud
threw me right through thorn-bush into the
river. The Smarting from the thorns, that
scored my hands and face wofully, and the
cold water, and the shame of being beaten so
enraged me that 1 was out of the water
almost as soon as l was in, and jumped
back to the fray, which from the noise 1
! judged to be serious. During the time |
had been engaged with my man, Bill had
tackled the other, and much more success
fully; for, just as was sent neck and crop
into the river, he was kneeling on his mans
chest and putting on the cuffs. He was in
the act of completing this when the fellow
freed from me came up, slipped his arm
round Bills neck and proceeded to garrote
him off his handcuffed antagonist But Bill
an immensely powerful man-though taken
thus at disadvantage, was not to be beaten
easily, and managed to twist himself upon
his back, still keeping the first man below;
and when l came upon the scene, dripping
out of the river, they were all there in
a heap, all arms and legs, and snarling and
disappearing frightfully. In a second or two
1 saw the state of things, and jumped upon
my old friend with both knees in the small of
his back and both hands at the back of his
collar 1 had such good hold that 1 could
have throttled giant, and in few seconds
he ceased to struggle. then got one foot
on the ground, and heaved him by the collar
SO as to ease Bevan, who soon got out of the
mess, took my cuffs out of my pocket, and
secured my big one, who was now nearly
strangled and gasped for breath.
The other fellow lay still upon the
ground. 1 began to be frightened about my
work. for my man did not seem like coming
to; but Bill got his billycock full of water out
of the river, dashed it in his face, and the
ruffian was soon all right. I do not think 1
ever heard any one blaspheme so fearfully as
when he found out the handouts; but we got
him and the other fellow up and collared
them safely. AS we were making for the
bridge 1 stumbled over the bag, which L had
clean forgotten. 1 sung out to Bill to
carry it.
Garry it be blowed, said he I'll make
this big un do that.
Hold him minute
He got hold of the bag, and finding, as he
expected a strong cord with a loose end
round the top, whipped it in loop over the
big mans neck behind, and marched
him off, carrying unresistingly his own game
bag.
AS l was wet through, we agreed to go to
my lodge before going to the lookup at
W. Upon arriving there, left Bill out
side with the two prisoners, struck light,
went up stairs, and changed my clothes.
When 1 came down, called Bill in with his
two beauties to have look at them. To my
amazement they were perfect strangers, and
looked like and really were navvies on the
tramp. Bill stared at me, I at Bill, and there
stood our two ugly customers, looking now
as though they could not quite make it all
out. Had we made mistake?
What on earth was to be done? Had we
half killed one and handcuffed two innocent
men? well, if they were innocent, they do
not look like it, was my final thought. The
big fellow was stolid-looking ruffian, who
seemed to take things pretty easy; but the
other looked just like fox caught in one OF
my traps, with a quick startled eye that
seemed to ask what next was puzzled what
} to do, and so 1 could see was Bill. But there
} was the bag All, the bag Unite the bag,
! Bill, said 1, and let us see what they
| have got, Bill slinDad the cord