Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-11-23
A WESTERN INCIDENT.
An Episode of Early Times = How
Uncle Joe DOpple Let a RObber Take
His Money Belt.

An Episode of Early Times How
Uncle Joe DOpple Let a RObber Take
His Money Belt.
We were hungry jury, kept out by
an obstinate judge, who told us the
case was very plain one, at the same
time taking good care not to tell us on
which side it was so plain.
Most of the testimony on both sides
we were convinced, was false; and the
problem to be solved was one not un-
usually presented in lawsuits find
out the truth by striking balance
between contradictory lies. Being IN
for night of it, and having regained
toward each other the good temper we
had lost in quarreling over the case,
the next point was how to get through
the time.
Somebody tell story" suggested
the foreman. MIR. Dopple, you're an
old settler, and must have met with
some adventures In pioneer times that
would be worth telling
"Wel, / have seen some queer things, %
said Mr.. Dopple-"Uncle Joe" his
neighbors called him, hale old man
of about sixty, with face full of good
humor and good sense. II have seen
some queer things, but am not much
at narrating them. If you'll excuse
mistakes I'll tell you about case that
might have turned out a good deal
more seriously than this one"
go on, was urged.
''This is how it was," began Uncle
Joe, clearing his vocal hatchway by
rolling an immense quid into one
cheek. when I'd made up my mind
to come out here and buy, mother, as /
call my wife, made me a belt to carry
my money In Them was the days be-
fore greenbacks, and bank notes were
no great shakes if they got too far
from home. So land buyers mostly car
ried what they had in specie, in belts,
buckled around their bodies-a dodge
the robbers soon got up to, and thefrst
thing they did when they got hold of a
| chap, was to look for his money belt.
"Well, / kissed mother, and bid her
goodbye one morning, and set out to
hunt new home for us, carrying the
price of it in hard cash. One night
stopped at cabin and asked for lodg-
ing.
You can have it, was the answer;
that is, provided you don't object to
sleeping double, for another stranger
is here before you
Il didn't exactly like the idea; but
houses were scarce in them parts, and
not caring to risk going further and
faring worse, taking my saddle bags on
my arm [ led my critter around to the
stable, the proprietor showing the way.
When old Roam had been looked after,
we went into the house.
''The other stranger was sitting by
the fire, and gave me sharp lock as l
came forward. / noticed he kept watch
ing me shary. 1 didn't fancy his looks
much; but after spell he managed to
be quite friendly, and it was always my
way to meet that sort of thing half
way.
HE, too, was on the lookout to buy,
and we compared notes ON the subject
till bedtime. Our host was one of
them sort O. chaps that listens a good
deal without saying much, and his wife
looked as if she daren't say much if she
would.
eve paid our bills before going to
bed. The other traveller said he was
going to start before day; but as our
roads lay but little together, conclud-
ed wouldn't rise so soon for the sake
of only that much company. Sunrise
woo oo,.11y o11o,1orb Co..
"Om sleeping room was one end of
the cabin partitioned off by itself.
It's long time since you and me
slept together said the stranger, when
we were both ready to lie down.
$50 it is said l. Which side do you
take?'
"'Front, said he, if it's all the same
"'All the same, said I, jumping in.
1.-THE stranger followed, and | don t
know what he did, but l soon fell
asleep.
81 don't know how late or early it
was when l woke up, feeling chilly.
The moon was shining bright through
I the window. The clothes were turned
over from the front side of the bed,
and there stood my bedfellow, leaning
over me with big knife in one hand,
a fumbling at the buckle of my belt
with the other"
"Of course you grasped the arm that
| welded the knife with one of your
hands and the villains throat with the
other?" interrupted a clustering jury
man.
'Well, no, l didn't
You cried out, them"
Nor that, either"
WELL" said the clustering juryman
I'D ike to see the man that would rot
me without tussle for it. Suppose he
had killed you-what, after all, is
death? Only an eternal sleep, philos
ophy tells u.s."
''That may be-" said Uncle Joe, ''but
1 wasn't bit sleepy, just then"
'Ha, hal" laughed the foreman. 81
never heard the eternal sleep theory
better answered"
We'll" continued Uncle Joe, 81 Lay
still as a mouse till that pesky crittel
undone my belt and slipped it from
under me, which he did so gent
| ly that l hardly felt it, wide awake as
was. Then he pulled the cover owe
me, and tucking it In as careful as ;
mother could have done, he buckled m,
belt around him, finished dressing ant
slipped out.
And you lay there and let yoursel
be robbed without uttering a word?
again broke in the clustering jury
man
II didn't see no good in speaking,
said Uncle Joe; Il knew he'd sock hi
knife into me if l so much as chirped
and take his chance o cutting his wa,
through the landlord afterward, if 8
be he woke up. No, I didn't say
word, but just turned over and too
another nap, and in good time got uI
mounted old Roam and rode off, Just a
if nothing had happened. l got to m
journeys end that day, and bought m
land the mex"
But your money!" the foreman re
minded him.
"Oh, that was all right said Uncl
Joe.
"Whv didn't the robber oct it2''