The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-08-29

1he man took his hands from my
throat and dropped them by his side,
and / moved Fidget away from the wall.
But no sooner did the rogue find HIM
self once more free than he again turned
upon me, this time grasping me round
the waist.
" 1t was short and desperate struggle
on my part, but he succeeded in dragging
me to the ground.
"I have told you, long ago, what sort
of a nature Fidget had. Faithful,
high-spirited and affectionate, she was
at the same time very sensitive, nervous,
and easily startled. She was very in
telligent, as you have seen. But on this
occasion, when 1 was pulled off her
back, she suddenly took fright, turned
and galloped of, leaving her master in
the grasp of his foe.
"He was a much stronger and heavier
man than !, but / was hardy wrestler
in these days, and not afraid to match
myself for fall with man merely be-
cause he was an inch or two taller. But
he had the advantage of me in having
got the first grip, and the most l could
do was to wind my arms about his neck
and tug at HIM.
''We wrestled, struggled, and twisted
in each others grasp, swaying this way
and that, each striving to get the other
undermost. Once more | tried to get
at the pistols in my belt, but in vain. 1
very soon felt that my. opponent was going
to prove too much for me. His bulk
and weight were bearing me down.
Atlength I stumbled and fell, the
smuggler on top of me. When / was
fairly on my back, he set his knee on my
chest and pinned me down. was be-
ginning now to feel pretty uncomfort-
able, / can tell you, for was breathless,
spent and faint.
"Smugglers in those days were some
times desperate enough fellows, who had
few scruples, when hard pushed, in
leaving an officer of His Majesty's Pre-
ventive Service with the breath
knocked out of his body, if not done for
outright. There were various degrees
among them, of course, but L could not
be certain what sort of character l
had now to do with. | was, therefore,
not little relieved when the fellow
said
"' Look'ee here, mister, / dunno want
to harm ye much. But ye mum keep
quiet an peaceable; for if ye'-
"He got no further, for at that
moment he was pulled suddenly and
violently backward, and looking up,
beheld the figure and face of Jack Bay
liss. Direcly l found myself free, | rose
quickly to my feet, and fell to assisting
my mate against the smuggler.
g. need hardly say that the two OF
us together, somewhat spent though ]
was, soon proved too many for our long
friend. Nor did he seem to make any
very determined resistance, a circum-
stance which I did not try then to
explain.
"When we had overpowered our man
and got him down on the ground, Jack
took a piece of rope from his pocket,
and firmly binding his wrists together,
so secured and rendered him helpless.
+" Jack, / said, you came up in the
nick of time
"So it seems. 1t struck me you
were a long time coming back, SO
fastened my nag to a tree up yonder.
and walked oacK 10 meet you. nearo
noise OF scunlng as l grew near
guessed you might have fallen in with
some of the fellows, and hurried up.
hope you re not hurt.
" Not bit; but / was beginning tt
feel uncomfortable with that long chap:
knee pinning me to the ground. Let:
get back to the tubs now. / expect 6
cart from the station here very soon.
We walked our prisoner between US
each with hand on his shoulder, ane
so made our way to where the splrlt-keg'
were lying. In about ten minutes latel
we heard sounds OF wheels approaching
and presently the cart came up, accom-
panied by couple OF our men.
:" We got the tubs into the cart, ant
then placed our prisoner IN It, Jacl
mounted his horse again, and the rest O
us walked beside the cart, and SO re
turned to the guard-house.
The prisoner was brought before th'
magistrate that morning. The exam
ination brought out quite little stor.
in connection with the man. There wa
no lack OF witnesses to testlfy to nj
previous good conduct. This was tn
first affair OF smuggling he had ever hat
anything to do with; and even IN thl
case, he had been employed as an agen
only, and had no interest in the anticl
pated profits. 49,.
His name was Dick Shankland, III
craft that OF Journeyman caolne,
maker In Tormouth. he mad oeel
married a year or two, ana ms WlIe na
been weakly Tor several weeks.
What with medicines, and extr'
kinds of food for her and her child, an
tne otner expense, :,, lncluenSai Sa..G1oI 10 ~
wlle P!otraGteu isiness; ls naaln1 onane eiaf e.
was leeitDg psI,. Himself na;u preosndd and ~ II
lloI1y. pms meio ,.L hIrS nhSSn ~ he T daal .i
snall 1iaueelie. VIII Mnoii Ho "o'''
were ey Decomlng lnPa'ieuI. La H.
IN ms stIait ne IaJ nee
lnouced 70 lenu 4ls a1u III Leipng e.
get tne cargo OF Dran9y lasnoie lroI
ene peacn ~liele ~ haI I peem ven, h;rod III g. e.
Was one VI seveln WIZ 4,s "o,I n;,eJ a;,ois - !;
.he same PurPose NY sne - p.anoa'i; uane;ro e
sne seIem aschtin ~1ne oere;rn oG ,e on;ece f.
tsnio t5nomoer soees n' snn, ~SurI ,orns enpuob !
.I .Ieia S sIi We, .an+;t - IS SLonIion
snIoo Iaye ss: " W e psa w ~ -
~ ah nts pessi.u.e oiaIAn aianrIn oada ont on