West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1879-04-26
He examiner them thoroughly.


was over. Not yet.
Take of your socks
To hesitate was instant death. The ruff
fan shook both the socks. Let the reader
fancy the beating of My Chauman's heart,
meanwhile AS he had thrust the note in
10 the sock without folding it up, and as
the robber had caught the note with the
thick sock between his finger and thumb,
il was thus prevented from dropping out
To such small things man may owe dear
life itself
''Now bc OIL"
What" said My Chairman. Would
you send man away stark naked and in
this weather, too Z"
'lou ought To be thankful for your life
just then, up came Dick.
Haven't you searched him vet What's
the use of keeping him in the cold I"
'Nou mind your own business, Dick"
'Jim, retorted Dick, 'you know can
stand great deal, but you're not the man
10 bide "A quarrel with me when I'm reused.
won't allow you TO do as you did last
time. Give this man his boots and trow-
sers; keep his jumper if you want it,
Thus they split the difference, and NV
Chairman was left on bush-road without
a horse, and only half clad. He had his
ten-pound notS, however
After walking brisly tor about twelve
miles he came to a SLY grog shop, where lac
found two men conversing one, evidently
the host the other Che knew as well as if
il had been revealed TO him) was the fourth
Bushranger.
In the endless wilds of Australia there is
not Bushman whose life does not often
depend on 'tracking;n and so wonderful
do Bushmen become in this respect, that
they can tell the date of every mark upon
the ground have heard them debate az
TO whether a black s track was an hour old,
or two hours. Now, My Chairman had
seen the tracks of four horses i'm company,
and he had carefully tracked the fourth up
to this ''humpy," close TO which it was
standing quietly tied by the bride
'lf | don't ride that horse away from
this to-day, said My Chairman TO himself,
may | never have the blessing of II. Pat
rick :"
The host was little man; the Bushran-
| ger was a tall and muscular villain, with
long black hair falling down his shoulders
bad sign, as it showed he had been long
''outn
They had been talking on a subject that
had excited the Bushranger and that sub
/ jcct, as far as My Chairman could gather
/ from the muttered words hc overheard at
his entrance, was that the police were on
their way up, and not very far off.
My Chairman gave the Masonic sign it
was answered by the host
'Hallo, said the Bashranger, ''where
do you hail fromln
81 have come down the road.
Haven't you got n horse 2
There was no use shamming here, so My
Chairman at once replied
81 was stuck up and robbed twelve miles
from this by the Bushrangcrsn
''The deuce Are they so near Isn't
it fortunate, Casey, that knew this in
time z"
"Why 2" said Casey. ''You're not going
that way you came from that direction
| yourself a while ago
/ The Bushranger at that moment was
| lighting his pipe with burning coal, and
his back was turned. My Chanmn gavea
look and made gesture which were per
| fectly understood by the shrewd little host
81 must be going, old man" said the
Bushranger, after his pipe had been success
fully lighted. 'Let's have glass of grog
all round first. "
"All right ~ said the little man Three
+ glasses of rum soon stood before the party.
My Chairman put his hand forward to take
/ up one of the glasses, but Casey, with an
awkward apology about helping the gent
/ first, handed the robber that very glass,
| gave another 20 My Chairman, and drank
off the third himself.
My Chairman understood all this, and
| hoped that the supplying potion would soon
take effect. But no. The ruiiiian's consti-
! tuition was rs sound as the foundations Of
| st. Pauls, and the draught only increased
his sharpness and penetration.
| 800 you think don't see through youl"
said he with diabolcal glance at Casey.
/ 'I'm not 80 sure of you (this was TO Ny
| Chainman) if was, know what should
/ do -
''What have done, sir ~ said Casey.
"What have you done, you villain
/ Everything III have your lifeln
Now, although My Chairman did not
think that the ruflian meant the threat liter
ally, yet lac made his little preparations
| The fellow was armed 10 the teeth lie
had two revolyers in his belt, and double
barrelcd gun stood close to him. A large
sheath-knife hung on his hip. Every sec
ond increased the ruilian fury. His curses
and threats were appalling. Casey, the
other side of the fire. sat the picture Of dis
may
'Why don't you answer mei" the rob
pNi az iti7' 0ilfN'f'As
Because, gasped Casey, 81 have moth
ing TO say"
Nothing to say roarcd the Bushran-
ger ''Takc that !'
lie drew a revolver, half rose from his
scat and with wonderful quickness, levcled
the weapon at Casey But My Chairman
was quicker than he lie had quietly pick
cd mp an American tomahawk which lay on
- block beside him, and, just ne the Bush
ranger had given the half turn to fire. down
came Che tOmahawk on the back Of the
neck. The pistol exploded at the same
UOment. The wretchcd man gave hardly
a quiver. lie was dead in a second The
two survivors looked into each other faces.
"Of course be was Bushrangcr ~ in
quired Casey, after a long pause.
'Of course he was, said My Chainman
and he then told him tho whole story. 'But
even IF he were not, did 30 in self defense
forhe would have shot me thcnext minute
"YOu saved my life, however. said
Casey, 'and that IL everything TO the pur-
pose
'T thought at first, said Ny Chairman,
that you were in league with the robbers
Probably ] might have been forced 20
be so in time, - was the reply ''but have
not been hero long, and, rely upon it, !
shat't be here long
'What is best 10 be doneY said Ny