The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-05-31

y
suddenly felt heavy hand placed on |
my shoulder, and tuning my head |
around, to my horror I found myself |
in the grasp of as i'll looking scoun-
drel as ever escaped the gallows.
what are you doing here, my
good fellow" he exclaimed, giving |
me a shake. Take stroll inside, |
will you?" continued the rufian,
pushing open the door and dragging
me in after him.
All the inmates of the barn stop
ped work and rushed towards us
when they saw me.
''Whyl what's oil this they ex-
claimed.
"a leafer I found peepin outside"
said my captor.
"He's a traveller that come to the
tavern last night and asked for a
lodging; the last [ saw of him he was
safe in bed" said the landlord.
The men withdrew to a corner Of
the apartment, leaving one to keep
| guard over me. soon saw they
were IN an earnest consultation, and
were evidently debating some impor-
tant question.
The man keeping guard over me
said nothing, but scowled fiercely. I
had not said a single word during all
the time I was in the barn. l was
aware that whatever I might say
would in all probability do more
harm than good, and It has always
been q maxim of mine to hold my
| l. I h.
consultation seemed to be ended, for
the blacklist OF the party came for
ward, and, without any introduction,
exclaimed:
81 say, stranger, look here, you
must de"
I did not move a muscle nor utter
a word.
"You have found out our secret,
and dead men tell no tales
l was silent.
awe will give you ten minutes to
say your pray ers, and also allow you
the privilege of being shot or hung"
Suddenly an idea struck me. I
remembered something that might
save my life. I burst into violent
fit of laughter; in fact, it was hyster-
ical, but they did not know it. They
looked at one another in amazement.
DWELL, he takes it mighty cool,
, anyhow" said one.
Suppose he don't think were in
earnest, said another.
"Come, stranger, you had better
say your prayers" said the man who
had spoken first; slime flies"
My only reply was fit of laughter,
more violent than the first.
''The mans mad, they exclaimed
''Or drunk" said some.
, "Well, boys" cried L, speaking for
the first time, ''this is the best joke I
have ever seen. What, hang a paI2
"a pal-you pal?''
~ amt nothing else, was my ele-
CANT rejoinder.
"What is your name?'
odd you ever hear of Ned WilIet?"
1 replied.
"You may be certain of that. Amt
he the head of the profession
"Well, then, I'm Ned"
"You Ned WIlet?" they exclaimed.
"You may bet your lite on thai"
I exclaimed, staggering up to the
corner where l had sen the old Wo-
man counting and packing the coun-
terfeit half dollars.
: Fortune favored me. None of
, the men present had ever seen Ned
) Willet, although his reputation was
well known to them; and my swag-
gering, itsolent manner had some
what thrown them off their guard,
yet 1 could plainly see that their
doubts were not all removed.
r "And you call these things well
done, do yo:Ii Z Gsked, taking up
a roll of mou-v. =qll, all I have
to say is that If voH SAINT do better
) than this Won had better shut up
shop, that's AZ
: "Can you sIlag us any better?''
: asked one OF tla Ean2.
"I rather think san. If coHldn t
I'd hang myself
l "Let's,see If, they cried.
This was nay LAST COUP and one on
: which my life depended.
= 'Look here, gentlemen" I ex-
claimed, taking one of the counter
4 felt half dollars from my pocket that
t had been rejected at the bank. "Here
). is my last Job: what do you think Of
!, itP'
It was I.ss:Ae1 = hand to hand,
;, some saying it was no counterfeit al
y all and others saying it was.
g "HOw will you prove it is counter
[ feit?" asked one.
e "By weighing it with a genuin
t one" 1 repied.
f The plan was Immediately adopted
/ and its character proved.
/ Perhaps he got this by accident,
s I heard man whisper to another.
4 CRY these" I said, taking the
=. other two out of my pocket.
, All their doubts vanished.
l Beautiful y exclaimed some.
= every splendid" said others.
e When they had examined them to
= their satisfaction, they all took me by
the hand, every particle of doubt
= having va ished from their minds
: 1 carried on my part well. Some
, questiOnswere occasionally asked me-
D involving some technicalities of the
l business; these, however, I avoided
, by stating that I was on a journey
/ | and would rather that a glass was
= produced, and we made night of it
1t was not until morning dawned
g that we separated.
= The next day 1 returned to Chica-
go and brought down the necessary
= assistance, and captured the whole