Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-04-29

took pair OF horse pistols. which were
! kept in the chiefs room "a a sort OF demon
! stration of our defensive force. loaded
/ them, borrowed great coat OF one OF the
! meu, and drove or to the scene OF the adj
, ventures.
1t was a keen, cold. but still morning,
As was whirled through .he fresh air, al
| the cobwebs spun in the late hours at the
ball were blown out OF my brain, and
felt inyigorated both physically and men
tally. Much OF the bewildermeut into
| which the drivers story had thrown me
melted, ~ the morning mists were doing
alIj by the time | reached the spot | had
pretty clear view of the case.
fhe poachers had waited and waited for
Mr.. Darkc's return, In Ignorance OF his
having taken another road, and supposing
the ball to have been kept up, rs had
sometimes occurred, until very late or
rather early hour. About the time when
the mail-cart passed, they had, however,
come to abandon all expectation OF falling
in with Mr. Darkc; and either the sight
OF the mail-bags had excited their cupidity,
or-as seemed more likely. no pursuit
having been made-thcy fired the shot a
joke to alarm the postman.
When reached the exact spot, | dis
mounted. and carefully examined the
ground. The dew was still on the grass.
but there was not footprint TO be seen
on 1t. went over every inch OF bank, and
the border OF the fields below, with as
much minuteness a a well-trained pointer:
then | examined the bank OF the cana, and
crossing by lock a little way below. went
over the farther bank with equal care.
There only remained the road to examine.
No vehicle had passed over il since the
preyiou, night except the mai-cart. the
tracks OF whose wheels were freshly marx
ed. 4, followed them with my eve. |
noticed a little spot Of ground >.ig
blackcncd. and caught a glimpse Of bright
metal. | fastened 10 the place, and found
strengthening object, made apparently
With Two pieces OF tin or zinc which bore
the traces OF a recent explosion. This,
then. was some clue TO the mystery.
walked along the road, scrutinising il
carefully, and about twenty yards farther
found another OF these Internal machines,
not exploded. Further on, | came on the
track OF child. which had crossed the
road from the canal bridge to the fields,
could see that the child had stopped Ia
one place; fpr the footprints were repeat
cd, one over the other, and there were the
marx, of 4 hand IN the dust, where lit lc
fingers had >cTapcl II IN the act % picking
something up. looked across IN" fields
and saw a small lad keeping birds" IT,,
was the only one a>tir, 20 hailed him aud
ashcd him il he had anything Ike what
held ia my hand; aud he al once produced
one from his pocket. saying he had found
Il Ia "a" road. | gave him a sixpcncc
which was oi more value 10 him-and safer,
even suppo>lug he had laid It all out Ia
sweets ts-than the explosive article TOOK
from him.
Then mounted the cart again and drove
on toward, Gra,.Iaud, but did no, see
anything more. Ia order To test whether
the things had found would sound liAca
pistol, selected -afe and quiet bit OF the
road, laid one down Aud drove over it. |.
exploded with fash and sound very liz"
Il pistol. Being prepared for it, | SAW
whence the hash came: but the doL.ug
driver was hardly likely 10 observe -
much as that
- I-i.i'.- -, 49, -,.4 p,tsru %
The sudden appearance Of Mr. DarAc'.
keeper.
Hold hard" he cried, stoppln. the
morse. Was that YOU shootingE" That,
tHe second this morning. What have Won
got IA the trap
dd not choose % explain matter, ID
him' and he clearly suspected IN. Of
poAching. aud vowed he'd take me before
hF master. ~ thi, had tao objections;
30 ne Jumped into the cart, aud we turned
round
10 make long story short, NJ. Dlrke
"i> reused, and came down, TO iud me
virtually IN custody. 4 few words eX-
panel how il was. The kreprr va.
sent away.-not without praise. though.
i"f III. vigilance then related nv
discovery To Mr.. Darkc. lie at once rec
o;hiLed ~ my Internal machines" the 10.
signals IA Use on railways.
lie insisted on my coming in and taking
breakfast before | prosecuted the search
idther and | readily consent sd. MARY came
d'"h IN a charming morning wrapper, and
pfSided, and-thc danger being over
".s told all about il.
IL was determined that tile mail cart
"lch Wa an unusual CONVEYANCE, and
night attract needles, atIcntion-should
be put up at Gra>slands. aud that should
- on 10 the nearest railroad in Mr.. Darkc',
deg cart.
IN reaching the station, | found from
tls station master that there ya. A most
uIdfuouahle c1reIes>utss about the tl.s
Hl'halai they We're not served out to par
Hdiaf men, out Kept IN box aces ssibIc to
dTohe about the station. The platc-layrrs
he.oId me, were the men who used them
oiehest ana found that a party Of them
wee iyinS fresh rails about Il mile OH
iufoNe 10 the nearest point to the place
helamcd, ana made my way acros, coun-
trSo the gan. on the line. | recognized
nNwo friends OF the post office among
'hn mode OF procedure at once suggest
edtseit y me. IL was not strictly legal,
pehap>, nut II answered my purpose. |
J Mat 70 The ganger. or foreman and told
IN wanted two OF his men on a charg,.
] Ita Il
asst me- and told me must help myself.
Lukiiy had the pistols with me- went
uPo the two men, told them was po-
lie officer, and that had come to take
thai up on charge of numbering Mr..
Dke. They seemed little taken aback.
oudenled the charge stoutly.
You laid fog signals on the road last
niat to ( ,IAten his horses, and they up
sehlm into the canal and he's drownded."
alon,"
Tire seemed some inclination TO resist
the ,pture, 80 took out the pistols
lok here, said !; IF can't take the
two want, lads, shall shoot the first
two lat come to hand; and they'll be the
| hrst lat Interfere. You'd best keep quiet
all you; for there's warrant out
agfst you all for poaching, II saw
moot them look uncomfortable al this
''af If give you bad word, it will 90
| harwith you"
lis had It's effect, coupled with the ap-
peance OF the pistols; and got my men
oil I'd marched them in front of me to the
roa where | made them get into the dog
car. The groom drove, and sat behind
! witthe pistols cooked; and in this form
we ent back to Grassland..
Int the porter on from the lodge.
wire made an excuse for minute or
souelay; and by the time We reached the
ha IN accordance with the instructions |
hagiven him, all the blind. were drawn
don, and Mr. Darke kept out OF sight.
te clergyman, who was a magistrate.
wsent for: and we examined the pris-
ons, who broke down completely and
coessed all, giving up their accomplices.
tn had intended to frighten the horses.
ashad supposed, without thinking much |
aba the probable consequences-excep
wifhe vague notion that they would not |
be lilty OF murder, even il the worst han
ped. The stablehelp turned out to be |
| thpn of ono nf thor,