The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-04-29

| door opened into a small parlor, and in
the corner was bar TO enable the host
TO dispense to his customers their various
potatIcns from his smuggled treasures
| The arrival Of Captain Thomas was hailed
with marked satisfaction. We were
soon seated, and in twinkling a large
tumbler of hot brandy and water was set
before me, and pipe thrust into my
hand. The conversation, which was
rather loud when we entered, was now
suddenly hushed, and intelligent glances
were quickly interchanged, which | saw
related to myself Thomas understood
them, and SAID A: ''You need not be afraid
this gentleman is particular friend of
mine, and "A great patron OF the mining
arts l then begged to assure the COM
pany of my veneration for miners and
mines, and all connected with them -
There was visible Frightening up at my
declaration, yet at that moment various
were the plans of rascality that were
hatched up to put my devotedness TO the
proof, "a likely night, this, Captain
Thomas" said beetle browed, short,
muscular man, whose dark eyes peered
from brow of uncommon ferocity.-
"Uncommon likely" returned the other !;
''and if we should have a bit of luck to-
night it would not be a bad beginning this
winter" "Ahi' said the first one, who
answered to tie name of Knox, ''My wife
says she thinks Providence has deserted
our coast. We haven't had anything
worth telling about these two years. I've
seen tie time when we've had a dozen
wrecks a season." swell, never mind,
Masrer Knox,'' said pert>ooking, snub
nosed fellow, named Graw, whom | at
first took for an attorney, but afterward
found that he was mining agent
"Neyer mind, Master Knox" said he,
jlngling a bunch of seals, which peeped
from beneath the waistcoat of that worthy,
''you have made the most of your luck,
and if you don't get any more you won't
harm"
"Why, yes" said the fellow, drawing
out handsome gold watch, which hardly
seemed in keeping with his coarse attire,
Il don't complain of the past, and yet |
had a narrow escape with this. If IT
hadn't been for my boy jim, / should
have lost it" "He's cute child, that
boy of yours remarked one. "There
never was a cutter I'll tell you, sir" he
said, addressing himself to me, sit was
two years ago, come December, on
Sunday, when we were all at church, that
we had news of a wreck. Well, off we
started, and the parson not the last, to
see what God had sent US. We found,
on coming up, that it was French lpdla-
man. She had gone to pieces on the rocks,
and the goods were floating around the
dirt. | wasn't long i'll making the most
of it, and jim was jist going for the cart,
when l spicd, half covered with weed, and
hidden by piece of rock, the body of
Frcnchman. soon saw I had got a
prize, for he was loaded with money and
trinkets These | quickly eased him of,
as he'd never want 'em, but to make sure,
| hit un a good slap over the head, just to
see whether life was in 'un or no. (Here
a general grin went round.) Well, was
Just going away, when | seed a diamond
ring on his finger, and, the finger being
sweIed with the water, | cuts it off, and
walks off with my goods | hadn't gone
far when little Jim runs after, crying,
Dad, dad, hit 'un again, dad he grin'th,
he grin'th.' looked back, and, sure
enough, that rascally French thief
whether it was drawing the blood or not,
| don't know-but he was moving his arm
about, and opening his eyes, as if he were
bent on taking the bread out OF my mouth.
This made me mad, for these Frenchmen
are spiteful set, and hate Englishmen as
they hate the devil, so l makes no more
ado, but its him a lick with the tail of
a rudder lying close by, and I'll warrant
he'll never come TO ask for my goods. =
Tne miscreant chuckled over this horrid
recital with all the self-satisfactiou that
one might feel at the recollection of a vir-
tuous action, while his companions, to
whom his story was familiar, felt no other
sensations of uneasiness at its recapitula-
ton than from the recollection that they
had not been able TO do the same thing.
Knox was evidently the villain par ca
| saw others around me whose
would have hung them at
any bar in England, but none ventured to
boast so openly of crime. Knox was the
only ayowed professor of villainy. and
seemed to glory in his right of pre-emi-
nence. ] have travelled somewhat, and
have met rufIians of every grade, but never
before did have the fortune to hear de-
pravity of such character so freely ex-
pressed. "Well, knox, said Gray,
after pause. $50 you have seen Hobart
bows poor Bill2" Knox placed his finger
on his cheek. slow" said
the other, s'dead 2" 'sDead as fish,"
returned Knox. s'You know l was in 1t,
and sharp fight we had. Poor Bill had
three balls in him; be died the same
night a universal expression of SYM
pathy followed the announcement, and
various were the questions put as to the
details of his death. 1t appears that he
was killed in an engagement with reves
nue cutter. stHe was as likely lad as