The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1877-08-08

with his dogs, when he came so timely
10 your assistance. But it will be
only TO examine his cabin, and find
the the animal, when you can pay the
penalty out of your own pocket, Bess.
| Nothing short of the twelve dollars
and a half will satisfy this harry, ]
perceive; and surely my reputation as
a Judge is worth that tri1e."
Elizabeth was a good deal pacilied
with this assurance, and suffered her
father to leave her, to fulfill his prom
Use to Hiram.
When Hiram Doolittle had obtained
his search-warrant, his fiIst business
was to procure a proper officer to see
| it executed. The sheriff. was absent,
summoning, i'm person, the grand in
quest for the county; the deputy, who
resided in the village, was riding on
the same GRAND, in a different part of
the settlement; and the regular con-
stable of the township had been Sc
lected for his station from motives of
charity, being lame Of one leg, and an
invalid. Hiram intended to accompa-
ny the officer as spectator, but felt
no very strong desire to bear the brunt
of the hattie. Happily the lounging
form Of Billy Kirby met his eye, and
Hiram, at all times fruitful in similar
expedients, saw his way clear at once.
lothian, who was associated in the
whole business, and who had left the
mountain in consequence of Il sum-
mons from his coadjutor, but who fail
ed, equally with Hiram, in the unfor-
tunate particular of nerve, was direct
cd to summon the wood chopper to
the dwelling of the magistrate.
When Billy appeared, he was very
kindly invited to take the chair in
which he had already seated himself,
and was treated, in all respects, as if
he were an equal.
"Judge Temple has set his heart on
putting the deer law in force" said
Hiram, after the preliminary ciyilities
were over, "and a complaint has been
laid before him that Il deer has been
killed. lie has issooed a sarch-war-
rant, and sent for me to get somebody
to execute it,"
Kirby, who had no idea of being
excluded from the deliberative part Of
any affair in which he was engaged,
drew up his bushy head in a rejecting
attitude, and, after musing a moment,
replied by asking few questions.
"The Sheriff is gone out of the
way%
"Not to be found"
"And his duputy too?"
"Both gone on the skirts of the
patent"
"But | seen the constable hobbling
about town an hour ago"
eyes. yes" said Hiram, with
coaXing smile and knowing nod, "but
this business wants amannot cripple"
"Why," said Billy, laughing, "will
the chap make fight!"
"Ile's a little quarrelsome at times,
and thinks he's the best man in the
county at rough and tumble"
II heerd him brag once, said 10Th
am, ''that there wasn't man 'twiXt
the Mohawk Flats and the Pennsylva-
ny line, that was his match at a close
hug"
"Did your exclaimed Kirby, rails
ing his huge frame in his seat, like a
lion stretching in his lair, II rather
guess he never felt Varmounter's two
knuckles on his backbone.
"Come, give us touch of the book.
I'll swear, and you'll see that Pm
man to keep my oath"
Hiram did not give the wood-chop-
per time to change his mind, but the
oath was administered without any
unnecessary delay. So soon as this
preliminary was completed, the three
worthless left the house, and proceeded
by the nearest road towards the hut.
(Which way, which way, Squirrel
exclaimed the hardy wood-chopper
81 thought it was to sarch a house
that you wanted me, not the woods.
There is nobody lives on this side of
the lake, for six miles, unless you
count the Misunderstanding and old
John for settlers.
"This is the way" said Hiram,
pointing forward, and quickening his
step, as if apprehensive that Kirby
would desert, "Bumppo is the man."
Kirby stopped short, and looked
from one Of his companions to the
other in establishment. He then burst
into loud laugh, and cried
"Who? Misunderstanding he may
brag Of his aim and his rifle, for he
has the best Of both, as | will own
myself, for sin he shot the pigeon |
knock under to him, but for wrestle
why, | would take the divil between
my finger and thumb, and tie him in a
bow-knot around my neck for a Bar
colony. Why, lothian, you could take
him down yourself, as you'd take
down two years pine with an axe.
The man is seventy, and was never
any thing particular for strength"
"He's deceiying man." said Hiram,
"like all the hunters he is stronger
than he seems besides, he has his
rifle
'tThat for his rifle p cried Billy,
''he'd no more hurt me with his rifle
than he'd fly. He is a harmless crea-
ture, and l must say that l think he
has as good right to kill deer as any
man on the patent. It's his main sup
port, and this is a free country, where
a man is privileged to follow any call
ing he likes"