Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1872-09-19

: gloss which the tumbling sides of
hacoh had spread over everything but
they fought the pork as valiantly as
every true-bclieving Israelite hal
done. There was little rest for them
through the night. and no sleep the
treacherous bacon-sides that had been
closely packed to serve as pillows,
would unexpectedly slip away from
under their weary heads and the bacon
barrlcades, laborously built, would
descend like an avalanche of blows
and hard knocks, when left ungarded
by the drowsy travellers.
Luckily the bacon was left, the next
morning, at n little town where it was
wanted more than in the stage coach
and the Captain, who had passed moth
ing on the road without casting on it
at least half of his keen official eve.
gathered enough information here TO
feel confident of finding his game in
one OF the little new places springing
up on the mailline in Nevada. They
reached the place next day at night.
fall-it was near the border of Cali
iornia-and the Captain saw at
glance that it would be warm work to
cage any of the ill-favored birds who
Hooked about this place. Warm work
1t would have been under any circum-
stances but made more difficult By the
iact that the Ian in question had
absconded from his employers in Brit
lsh Columbia somewhere. had merely
1 fh-nfft.h ~.
| plunder-some tnirty-six thousand
dollars-and could have deiicl all the
law officers in California. if they came.
as the Captain did, with only the COM
mission OF the victimized cattle-owner
hut without the authority that the cx-
lstlns relations between British Column
bia and the nited States made neces-
| sary.
Among the gamblers and rourhs
| loallng about the hotel. the Captains
! quick eye soon lighted on the right
man and after quietly taking his sup
per with his companions. he proceeded
10 arrest him. OF course there was
an outcry an. hubbub among the /
patrons of this hotel. and the CAPTAIN
who knew where his customer came
from, gave the guilty man To under /
stand that lynching a man who wa. mo-.
/ better than a horsc-thief. was nothinr
unusual IN California and Ncyadl but
that II he. the prisoner. would promise
70 remain quietly up stair, in the room
with the Captains man, he himself (
would 20 back into the bar-room and F.
Try 10 persuade the people 10 desist .
nom carving out any horrible plans f
they might have formed. The prisoner
asked PERMISSION to lie down III 7
sadly but gently extended his han1s .
10 the illuling steel wristlcts which I
the Captain persuasiyely held out.
Returning 10 the bar-room, the latter /
singled out the head bully, approached 1
hm confidently, and whispered that /
on him he must depend FOR assistance |
in keeping his obstreperous prisoner |
from breaking away that lie himself /
and his assistant were so tired ont
with a three nights ride and the fruit I
less chase, that they could hardly keep /
their eyes open; and that after seeing /
the landlord he would return and con. /
suit how they had best manage 10 keep +
their man safe.
From there the Captain went /
straight TO the room Of the stranger |
who had come in the stage with him
10 him he told all the circumstances of /
the case, and asked for his help. lie /
was not mistaken in the man : and the /
stranger at once expressed his determ-
inatIon TO aid the side Of the law and
the right. Proceeding together to the
room of the prisoner, the Captains
assistant was instructed To procure. as
secretly rs possible n conveyance for
himself, the stranger, and the prisoner.
TO the next town-already in Calitor-
nia-some thirty miles away Then
there were more dark fears expressed
concerning mobs and lawless proceed
| ugs. and hints thrown OUT, suggestive
OF the contempt in which horse thieves
and the like were held and a clump o.
trees was spoken Of, that stood close
by the hotel and had been found con
venient for hanging purposes before
this. Ihe stranger was left 10 guard
the prisoner, and the Captain made his
way to the bar-room, where he was
examined in the most friendly and
patronHing manner, concerning that
little affair." : how much money the man
had taken, whether the CAPTAIN had
yet recovered it, and what he meant
TO do next. Not cent of the money
had been recovered yet. the Captain
said with thirty-fve thousand dollars
neatly tucked away about his persoa),
but he hoped that with good help
winking at the most ill-favored among
them he would get both the man and
his money safely into California. He
Vas not sparing in treats, and had the
crowd drink the success of everybody
and everything he could think of, till
at last, apparently overpowered with
sleep, he beckoned the rowdy he had
spoken to before, to one side. Famil-
iarly tapping him on the shoulder, he
said trustingly:
"Now, old fellow, remember, de-
pend on you, should any of these ras-
Gals here make an attempt to assist
my man in getting away from me. I'm
tired to death. and if you would sit up
for an hour or two longer. while take
a short nap, I'd take it as great kind
ness. AT all events, | shall handcuff
my prisoner and myself together, so
that he cannot leave the bed without
my knowledge"
! The man swore a thousand oaths
, that he'd see the Captain out of this.
and then returned to his companions
t to plot the release of the .thieving
' cattle-agent, who, he felt certain, still
E had the stolen money about him. Tired
4 out and sleepy, the Captain certainly
, was and, after barricading the door
5 with as much noise as possible (having
I; previously nailed boards across the
q | nth c<s.oa4 dool ael