The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-05-30

Mr.. Tracey" says l. ''rll lend you some,''
he says, ''enough to start you; no interest to |
pay :; but mark you, l shall look for nv mon
ey back some day." And with that he wrote
out a check for hundred. Now Sam had
great fancy for public house, and Tracey
helped him too, so he and / parted. But
afore then Sal and was welded, and with
Sal l took ,Bos, the curly haired dog as had
been her fathers, valyable animal, sir, as
hunted silent, and brought me in many
hare and rabbit in days gone by.
did pretty we'll as sub on the whole;
ups and downs, and sometimes only bread
and cheese tor my pains, with pound or
two to the good now and then to pay back
Mr.. Tracey. Sam didn't do as well in the
public line-made break OF it, in fact, and
then came back among his old pals, and kept
a sort of sly grog shop.
Well, I'd been working good piece with
Mr.. Tracey in Ireland, starvation sort OF
Job, as melancholy business as ever l know
ed. When we'd got through that, heard as
Mr.. Tracey was making line in Wales.
Thinks /, that's working home like; so l
takes the steamer to Holybead and joys along
to the work. Tracey was working this job
at both ends, with one set at this end in Bla-
marginshire and another at the t'other end
in Magonyshire. Well, 1 saw there wasn't a
likely job for me in Bamarginshire, and SO l
worked on through the country. l may tell
you heard of Sam, as was doing bit OF
business among the lads, but didn't trouble
to look him up, not being over friendly with
him just then.
Howsoever took stiffish cutting at the
other side of the country, Magonyshire end
you know, and soon repented OF my job, L
can tell you. Inever see such mixed sort
of place as that Wales. Everything higgle-
dy, piggledy, gravel and rock, slate and rub
bidge all twisted up anyhow. There was 20
lodgings to be had near our cutting, so we
made sort of camp, row of huts, as we
christened Prospect Villas. And with there
! being no town near, Salse up shop to sell
groceries and pork and so on. 1t was thing
Mr.. Tracey set his face against in general
way, any of us subs setting up a shop,
GIANT right for the men, he'd say, ''and
it's the beginning of truckwork as l can't
abide" But in this case he'd nothing to say
you go selling drink" Which 1 don't except
as it might be to friend, you know.
We hadn't been there long when who
should turn up, one day, but Sam, my wife's
brother. He was big lump of a chap, just
like myself, and about the same height.
''Pm in bit of trouble, Bob," says he;
''lend us pound or two, and get us rum on
to Bremmagem." And he stayed a night
with me, and took him off afore daylight,
and got him on to the ballast engine as was
working on the line, and then he was all
right. 1 never axed him what the trouble
was as he'd got into: it wouldn't "a been po-
lie, you know; and Sam never told me, only
that it was in Blamarginshire, where he'd
been doing bit of business among the nav
vies as was working at the other end Of Mr..
Tracey's line.
was standing atop of the bank, looking
over the men as was filling set OF wagons
| for the tip. The road ran close by, and gig
was coming along, and thought for min
ute it was Grinwell, or gaffer, coming to have
look at US; and STEPPED OFT to the road to
meet MIN. But it wasn't him, but rather
solemn-looking chap, with a fril of black
| whiskers round his face. And he stops and
and passes the time of day with me. 'Been
in the army?" says he, pointing to my leg.
NO." says L ''fall of rock" And he seem
ed to prick up his ears at that, and asked me
lot of questions as to how it happened, and
SO on. And then he begins admiring my leg
the wooden Jun and would 1 mind put
ting it upon the step for him to see. "Ah,"
says he, "a nice bit of timber that and them
letters, why, you've get your initials on it,
l see: P. L. B. Thank'ee; good day." says he
and drives off sharp, as if to make up for loss
time.
Well, me and Sal was having our tea that
night atop of the counter-we was a bit
squeezed for room, there being only the shop
and back parlor and little cook-house, and
four or five dodgers, and the children and Bos
and knock came at the door, and Bos he
sets barking, like mad. "Come in" says 1,
| with my mouth full of bread and cheese and
in walks two policemen and the gent I'd seen
in the gig in the morning. There's your
prisoner" says he to the police; ''take him
off," ''Why; what have done?" says 1 my
heart sinking into my boot. "Oh," he says
.'sellng liquor without license" But"
says-for my mind wasn't quite clear as
mightn't have transfiXed the law, through
being too careful to go as near 10 it as might
have my trial9' 'sTriali nonsense p'says he.
| "Who are you?" 1 says. care you kings
lords, and commons, and judge and jury,
too?' says I. Says he, 'Tm the supervisor
of the excise, my boy; and here's the war
rant to take you to prison. You know all
about it; so it's no use prstending you
DON'T" Well, Sal cried, and Bos howled,
and the children screamed, and some Of my
my men began to get wind of what was up,
and gathered about the door. ''Look sharp"
says the exciseman, "they'I be trying res
cue next" And with that they hurried me
out, and across the line to where dog-cart
was waiting, and away we went. And pres
emily we came to town called Lanpigstie,
or some such name as that. Now, it so hap
happened as l knew man there, law
yer-a regular hearty sort Of chap-as was
doing bit of work for Mr.. Tracey; and 1
spoke up and said, you must let me see my
'swho's your lawyer?'' s'Why, Mr.. David
Evans,'' said. And with that there was a
| whispering going on; and presently they
said as they'd stop for half an hour at the
Goat, and bait the horse; and might send
for the lawyer, if I pleased. And so Mr..
David came to see me, and was sitting in
the tap room, as glum as you please, between
| two policemen.
"Why, policemen" says he, as soon as he
case" say they. ''Let's look at your wan
rant" says he; and he turns it over in his
hands. "Al right" says he. ''Now, what
do you want me to do?" turning to me-
"Well, sir, want to have my trial like an
Englishman," says /. ''But," he said, sit
tells me there, in that paper, as you have
been convicted already before the magistrates
of the county of Blamarginshire." Never"
says L; mo such thing. l never had my tri-
al" ''Well, that doesn't MATTER" he says !;
''if you get out of the way, and don't appear,
you've only yourself to thank" 'But was
never summoned Or nothing" "That's diff
cult to prove, "he says, drily, 'sif they swear
you was, unless you can make out an alibi.
You don't deny being in BamaIginshire
when this took place?' Well, thought it
over, and couldn't deny but what | had
been there, having stopped there week or
SO on my way, to see if l could get job to
suit me. "Well, them" says he, ''Pm sorry
to say, if you can't pay the penalties and
costs, two hundred and seventy-fve pounds,
| you must 60 to prison. "And even that
wouldn't do" says the policeman; 'sfor
there's another warrant out against him"
"And what's that for?" "For assaulting the
excise" Says l, "You're parcel of lying
scoundrels; and, peglegged as am, I'll fight
you, to prove the truth of your words" ooh,
hushP' says the lawyer, laying his hand on
my arms. "Why," says I, sis it feasible, as
a poor lame chap like me should go and as
sault the excise?" "Well," says he, laugh
ing, otis within the bounds of imagination.
But" he says, if you really say you amt
the man, I'll go and see Mr.. Gauger, and ask
him if he's quite convinced he's got the right
end of the stick.''
Well, it was no manner of use, the excise
man was as sure he was right as if he'd been
omniscient. "Pve got him." says ne, ''he's
Civ me deal of trouble; they're bad lot,
these railway chaps, and I'll make an exam
pie of him. AS for his not being the man.
why that's what they all say; they've as
many aliases as thieves" says he, "but we've
got this man tight anyhow, and we'll keep
him." There was nothing more to be done.
and thew took me RIGHT off tO RIama roin Cos