Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-03-22

bin bate about these roads OF late.
There was Mister Purcell last week, an
Mister Doran the week afore. Aye, an
last night there was
Nonsense, Mick" laughed my faith
er, as he quickened the pony's pace,
"They'd enemies, but I've none. There
isn't man in all Sligo county would
hurt a hair on my head"
And next minute we were out on the
road, and Mick was turning slowly up
again towards the house.
Whether or not | enjoyed the town
after reaching there, cannot say. My
chief feeling was, I believe, one of be-
wilderment The houses were SO high,
the streets SO narrow and crowded, that
1 felt choked, as it were. / was de-
lighted and full of wonder, Of course;
but when, just at dusk, the pony was
brought to the Office door, was almost
as ready to return home as [ had been
to leave it a few hours before
The day had been long one at the
office, and looking in my fathers face
I could see that he was not in a humor
to talk, so 1 scrambled up behind him
in silence, and we were about to start,
when voice Of entreaty aslittle behind
stayed us.
"Hold hard, sir-hold hard, sir"
came the cry. "Here's the instrument,
sir"
Looking back, saw little man
hurrying along the centre of the road
towards us, and holding in his hand
and waving up and down a something
that shone bright in the fast departing
light.
"Oh, all, the blunderbuss," said my
father. "I had forgotten it. Thank
you, Connolly; you needn't have fol
lowed me with it. I could have had it
on Monday"
ct promised it fur to-day, sir" re-
piled the old man, pantingly, as he
reached the pony's side, and held up
the weapon, can I always like to keep
me word. Here it is. sir"
"Thank you, Connolly. Goodbye"
returned my father; "good-bye; boys
all. Get along, Dolly"
Next moment we were Gathering
away down the street that looked
towards home at great rate.
When we were well clear Of the town
we slackened somewhat, for the road
had grown dark. Then my father turn
ed to me little.
"Wen, Dicks he said, chow have
you enjoyed yourself, and how did you
like the town."
Cob, papa, it was lovely" I replied,
as [ squeezed his arm; "and you're so
good for letting me come with you"
Lovely, was it?" he murmured,
with laugh which was half sigh.
"Pm afraid one day you'll see as little
beauty in it as do, and be as tired of
| it as am"
Then he relapsed into silence, but
the tone of his voice had been so kind
to me that presently made bold to
speak to him again.
"Papa,' said I, laying my hand upon
the butt end of the blunderbuss, which
hung, mouth downwards, from his
shoulder, " is this the old blunderbuss
that used to hang in the hall at home,
or is it a new one?'
Its the old one, Dick, my boy" re-
piled my father. "Clean or dirty, I
wouldn't part with it for the best score
of Queen Bosses in the English army.
Papa" [ said, with something of
a shiver, and yet feeling attached to
the shining, cruel thing, g has it ever
killed anybody?'
"Oh, yes, it has done its duty many
a time," replied my father. "My great
grandfather took it from the hand of a
dead cateran on the field of Aughrim.
It was then black and bloody, and it
has done many d days work since"
[ shuddered and shrank back from
the evil thing so far as [. could without
losing my balance, My father felt the
action.
"Don't be afraid of the poor thing"
he muttered, half laughingly-" it
won't hurt you. And I do hope it may
never more have any work to do"
"Ah p said, "I'll never 60 near or
touch the nasty thing again. I'll"
"Tut, tut" replied my father, you
talk like a girl! But, hello! here we
are in the middle of the bog, and I in
tending to go the other road. That's
what comes of gossiping."
Looking round, | recognized a part of
the road over which We had passed in
the morning. It was sort of raised
causeway, like railway embankment,
and ran right across the centre of a
large tract of bog. It was the nearest
way from our house to town, but was
seldom made use Of except in the day
time. Out of repair, unsheltered from
wind or rain, and fanked on either side
by a deep ditch, full of ugly, black,
deadly-lookiug water, it was anything
but pleasant road to.travel after dark.
In addition, an evil repute hung over
it. Several lives had been lost in the
ugly ditch on either side; and of late it
had become notorious as place fire.
quented by agrarian criminals. This,
Of itself, was enough to deter most
men; and my father halted the pony,
and looked ronnd.
"Ahv" he said, after moments
pause, its all right. See, the moon
will be out in minute or two. Mean
while, we'll jog on quietly"
Dolly knew the road Of old, and step
ped forward carefully. But scarcely
had she gone dozen yards, when, as if
sprung from the bowels Of the earth,
or rising out of the black ditch, as Ven
lis from the sea- a tall fOrm-lOOking