The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-02-10

move a finger against him"
''IIimf Of course not" -H.
"Oh,. but ii will take more moral
courage to forbear than you imagine
Allow me TO develop the case properly {;
and rely upon your promises"
'IIonor bright" they all exclaimed.
For an hour or more we watched
the dog trot out and in, and finally 90
snuffing towards the stream.
Soon after we camped down for the
night, but not to sleep. Two hours
more passed away, and then the dog
came in as usual, with elevated muzzle,
shifting at one sleeper, or presumptive
sleeper, and another. He stepped over
one or two and then sat down, then he
moved along over others and yawning,
stretched himself for doze. Every eye
watched his movements, although with
different ideas. The boys waited for him
to give some warning of the thief's ap-
proach watched for a different reason.
He did not sleep long. He walked
carefully among and over the recum-
bent figures, occasionally gave his cars
a slant or shook himself; and once with
his hind foot scratched his neck. No
one can imagine my emotions as | wait
ed. But l was losing patience, when
the animal began to be more entreating
l am sure there must have been extreme
control placed upon the emotions of the
boys as they saw this dog scientifically
move away the distractions from each
cunning hiding place about the cabin,
and removing one pouch at a time, trot
outside with them in his mouth, and af-
Tor haInQ Qhcanf fn,,
turn with the empty leather, and silent
~ replace them, his white paws show
ing at the work, although it was dark
ish in the cabin, save where the open
door let in the brilliant starlight. In
turn, five pouches were thus emptied
of their gold, and as he was passing me
with the last one, | made a show of
fight. | grappled the animal by the
neck and yelled out
"You devil! l am going to put a
knife through you"
A wild, whining, cultural cry, with a
human intonation was the response ,und
the boys horrified, called out
''For the love of Heaven, Carnes, let
go, it's the devilw
| had let go, and the animal, tossing q
white paw almost into my face, fled
with terrible yelps out into the night,
and solemn howl and baying from the
wilds returned the cry.
Then the boys dropped the door of
the tent, and buttonod it with nervous
haste, lighted a lamp, and with wild
eyes and distracted mein looked one to
the other.
| could not forebear Il laugh, so long
as held a solution to the mystery.
''lncrediblew' aspiratcd Duncan,
that dog could be trained to perform
like that"
Boys said |, THAT was no dog"
81 believe YOU" affirmed Brace, sit
was the devil"
mo, not that; hear me explain; and
| told them what had seen in Masters
camp. The miserable little short-leg-
gcd, long-armed, mis-shapen boy, and
the few words that had passed between
them, and the bringing forth of the dog
skin with the white paws, an exact
of the animal which we had
regarded with such esteem.
was not the dog g;%offf ,ieaan@n,thatt. i i
committed the thefts !"
"Certainly 1t was not our dog, but
the elfish boy, dressed in q dogs coat"
''But ! can't understand" put in
Duncan, "the real animal
"Would have tarried with Us and be-
trayed the Internally contrived trick,
only by scent he knew of his masters
approach, for of course he came close
up with the boy, to protect him il need
be, and our dog was decoyed away I'M
til the robber was safe"
s.Rut | suaap - aaN-y nu,,.., .s.,lo
would have believed that under his
friendly visits and confidence be was
finding out our hiding places!"
And had the dog boy sometimes with
him TO hear the details"
One or two of the BOYS came indig.
nantly 10 their feet.
''Shall we let the rascal go scot free p
''Boys, boys, remember your promise
He would not he taken alive, and is
there one of us who would have his
blood on our hands? No, no, saw his
face unmasked to night in the evergreen
camp. It was mirror of hell. Some
where and somehow he has been wrong
ed in Il way that would make assassins
of any of us. Let him go, boys. let him
CO."
They let him go.
With daylight crumpled bit Of pa.
per on the floor explained the uplifting
of the paw, as the masked robber lefI
the cabin. On il were scrawled these
words:
~ shall trouble your gold no more.
have enough; and boys, while you ours(
me, remember how you found me pal
sled in every faculty owing to the fac
of being sent here, transported for life
for my rivals crime, and in your sim
pie good-heartedness you reused me tC
aciion-hatc, avarice, and hope of re
vcngc. could not wait to earn the gold
stole it, but you are not blameless
Why did you keep telling me of return
ing to the world? of letting the worl(
know that | would be even with it
Boys, | was man outraged beyond al
precedent-an escaped convict, but NJ
criminal, until the thirst for revenge
for speedy, terrible revenge, made me
robber, doubly accursed robber, inas
much as | make one of Marian's poor
child. Boys, my chief pang in leaving
this accurscd mound in the watery
waste, is beiiTying your trust. For
give me- Forgive me. MASTERS.
''Can We" asked Duncan, coughing
huskily, as if he had half-swallowed
bull.
81 cam" | returned heartily.
We six, unconceiyably demonstra
tive, shook hands, and solemnly but
toned our doors of nights, and nevel
mentioned the poor thief's name, onl,
when we chanced to hear a shepherd
dog howl, we would glance over ou
pipes at each other and silently go oil
with our smoking.
LIQUOR LAws.-The Temperance Ad
vocate says; "If pumpkin-pie produced
the deplorable results in the way of vic,
and crime which proverbially accom-
any whisky and other alcoholic bever
ages,it would be the duty of the state /,
make its manufacture and sale unlawful
II is properly left free from such legis
lative restriction. Broken heads, wife
beatings, and child-murders are in II,
sense sequence of the custom of eat
ing pumpkin-pie; but they are com
mon fruifion Of the traffic in alcoholi