The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-08-29
UNCLE WILL AND THE SNUG.
GLERS.
youths Companion

W udt Il all .SVhH6 W oOh JOo AoP
pened when was stationed at Tor
mouth" Uncle Will began, as he sat in
his particular armchair beside the fire
in my fathers house. 81 was the riding
officer of the station then, and it was
lust year or two after / got my dear old
mare Fidget, more than thirty years
gone, higher forty, in fact Smuggling
was smuggling in those days, and man
rode out at night with his life in his
hands asoften as not.
"We had got word from the Whitleach
Station, three or four miles further
along the coast west'ard, that there was
suspicion of cargo Of brandy having
been srun a night or two before, be-
tween the two stations, and that it
would likely be conveyed inshore that
night.
$50 brother officer and myself set
out that night, as soon as the moon set,
to reconnoiter the ground between Tor
mouth and Whitleach, to see if we could
discover any signs of smuggling work
going on. We held along the high
road, Jack Bayliss and /, until we had
ridden about half the distance to Whit
leach, when said
nDo you know, Jack, / think we
should strike through Limestone Arch
Valley. If the smugglers are about,
that's likely enough way for them to
bring their tubs by; shorter and more
secret.
" We left the highway, turning to-
wards the shore, and in a few minutes
had reached the entrance of Limestone
Arch Valley. The spot was so named
from lofty arch of limestone rock
that pierced the flank of hill on one
side.
aWe had scarcely entered the valley
when Jack Bayliss suddenly laid his
hand upon my knee-we were riding
close together-and Whispered
q" Histi do you hear anythingT
listened, and certainly thought
heard footsteps ahead of us; and next
minute we were face to face with party
of men, advancing in single file, each
with couple of tubs slung over his
shoulders, one in front and one behind
the way smugglers in those days used to
carry their tubs. A tub of spirits held
about five gallons.
Bayliss and /, drawing our cutlasses
at once dashed in among them. The
fellows Immediately guessed what we
were, dropping their burdens, made of
up the valley. They must have thought
there were more than twoof us; or they
would not have yielded the field sc
easily. The darkness and the sudden
ness with which we had come upon the
rogues had been in our favor.
We followed them for short dis
tance, but pursuit under the circum
stances was difficult, for the ground wa.
broken and rugged, and the smugglers
scattering this and that, among the
rocks and trees on each side of the
valley, soon disappeared from our sigh
in the surrounding darkness. Furthel
pursuit would have been fruitless.
"We now turned our attention to thu
brandy-kegs lying scattered as the me.
had dropped them. Dismounting from
our horses, we gathered the tubs togethe
and counted them. There were tw,
score in all.
Jack said, you'll remain her,
by these, and I'n go back and see abou
getting cart sentalong for them. Pll b
back again as quick as / can, for it's jus
possible that someo OF these fellows may b
lurking about still, and if they find otl
that there's only one man here, the,
might attempt recapture.'
"f All right, said Bayliss. Hurry o.
as fast as you can.'
'' / rode back to the guard-house an
reported the result of our night'swork s
far. l Just waited long enough to Sc
that the cart was being got ready, an
then set out again to return to m
mate.
"I had Just reached the entrance @
the valley. At this point a low ston
wall ran along for short distance clos
to the road. 1t formed the boundar
to the property of one of the pri1
cipal landowners in the neighborhooC
AS rode along, skirting the wal
peering ahead of me on each side, sa,
something lying close under the wall tbs
looked like man, though, in the darl
ness, could not be certain of it. As
passed, / bent over and touched the ol
ject with my riding-whip. The ne1
moment, tall figure rose suddenl,
sprang at me, seized me by the throa
and endavored to drag me from m
horse.
"My assailant was a powerfully-ma(
man. His grasp upon me was like TIL
of vice. I could not stir this way
that, and felt that in minute the fe
low would succeed in dragging me to tt
ground.
Z" tried to get my pistols, but in val
But did not for an instant lose n
presence of mind. My head was nc
close down upon the mares neck, and
whispered in her ear
"fSqueeze him, Fidget, old grip
"She knew well what I meant, al
the next moment she had my antagoni
jsmmed tightly up against the wa
The fellow fairly hallooed.
{" Hold herr he roared; hold hi
or she'll crush me to deathl'