River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-11-18

is large sum of money Tor you to
take with You. But | suppose you
are strong and trusty young man, and
I you need have no fear of robbers
Oh, no !" replied Jock,
+" What sort of stick is that you
have 2"
"Oh, that is stick which belong
ed to my grandfather, and perhaps to
\ his grandfather. II has heavy brass
knob at the end Of it, which serves for
handle, and | have found 1t very
useful many time.
Z" Let me examine it, if you please. "
Ahen Jock thoughtlessly handed
the stick to the stanger, and when
the latter had hold of it, he said to
Jock
" | call this stick mine, and / order
you, if you do not wish to suffer at
once, TO deliver into my hands your
thousand golden guldens"
Then Jock saw how foolish he had
been to let out the secret at the inn OF
his having the money, for this man was
no other than the one who was sitting
in the corner, who had listened to him
as he told his secret the evening be
fore. But now the dog Caesar rushed
at the man who was holding the stick,
and tried to seize him by the throat.
But the man was too quick, and be
fore the dog could spring upon him,
with one blow of the brass-headed
stick he knocked him fiat upon the
ground. He gave poor Caesar blow
from which he died soon after.
Jock saw that il was no use to con-
tend any longer with the man, for poor
Caesar had not been able to take care
of three men, and he found that he was
not able now to take care of one him.
self. So he was compelled to deliver
up the money, and was even glad to
get off with his life. But a shrewd
thought struck Jock then, and before
parting with the robber he said:
81 shall be very much ashamed to
return to my employer and tell him j
have been robbed, and yet not be able
to show him a single wound that |
have received in my own defense
against the man who has taken my mo-
ney. Will you be kind enough just to
cut off single finger, and when l
show my loss to my employer | think
he will excuse me 2"
"Of course / will, replied the rob
| Der.
Jock was tall fellow, and he placed
his right hand as far as he could
against the side of a tree. He stretched
out his foreinger, and then asked the
man to cut that one off. The man
said
" L thought that l was quite a tall
man, but yet / am not quite tall enough
to cut that finger off squarcly and well.
In order to do it, it will be necessary
to pull over this old stump. Suppose
you help me do it."
So, as both were trying to pull the
stump over, and while the man was
scarcely thinking of the big stick, Jock
suddenly ierked it out of his hand,
and holding it over the mans head told
him to deliver up the money to him.
There was nothing left for the man
to do but to give up the money. And
just then Jock snatched a rope from
his pocked, slipped it round the mans
neck, and tied him to a tree in very
quick time, managing to lash the man
SO close to the tree that he could
scarcely move.
"Now, good morning, sir. You will
hear from me again, perhaps" said
Jack. And then he started off as fast
as he could get through the forest.
After having reached the town where
he was going, and paid his money, he
went to the police-office, and told his
adventure; and then described the
place where he had secured the robber.
f" suspect you have secured the
chief robber in the forest, and possibly
we may be able to arrest the whole
band" said the police officer. So he
collected twenty others that were un-
der him, and started of with Jack into
the. forest, and when they had reached
where the robber was tied, the
chief police officer went up to him,
searched his pockets, and found IN
one of them a little silver horn. lie
then blew it very loud, and kept blow
| ing it at intervals for some time. By
and bye it was answered by another,
and soon first one and then another
lobber, in answer to the horn of their
chief, made his appearance through
the trees, and at last some nine or ten
were arrested.
The leader and his companions were
all marched off through the forest into
the town, where the robbers were put
into prison. Ever since then these two
proverbs have been common in that
town, and parents have told them to
their children
l. Never brag of your dog and your
brass-headed stick, until you are
through the forest, and have paid your
guldens.
2. Never do evil that good may come,
for you may never be able to cut Jocks
finger off
To these proverbs we might add a
third: Never drink strong drinks If
you wish TO keep out of foolish scrapes
SOME of the Paris journals state that
Oueen isabella nj Trouyille on Sntur-