Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-03-19

/ dor in which, in q few years, | would
appear before her and claim her hand,
it being taken for granted that her
father was a tyrant, and that his con-
sent could never be gained until had
| dazzled the world with my exploits, as
to the exact nature of which, however,
| | was not exactly clear.
Midnight found me in my room por-
| ing over The Pirates of the Deep
which told of the vast treasures in their
| possession, besides exciting adventures,
in the midst of which / loomed up
grandly.
Turning down the page, closed the
| book, and gave myself up to medita-
| ton. / would build ship bristling with
guns, and pirate upon the pirates.
Imagination carried me through n
| dozen engagements with the hated
foe," in which always came off victo-
rious, of course, when a tritiing obsta-
Gle to this sort of thing suggested itself
in the fact that the extent of my pecu-
mary resources amounted to eleven dol
| lars.
abandoned my intention of fitting
out a man-of-war. Turning to "The
| Dwellers of the Cave L read of the
| Indians, robbers, gold diggers and their
| fabulous discoveries, when my mind
was at once made up that l would go
to California and be a brigand. ! would
be the King of the Border, live in a
cave, with gold floors, sides and cell
! ings, while tons of dollars, stolen from
the Woodworking miners, should be
slowed away in the recesses. ] would
rescue the Border Queen from her
| obdurate parent, and she should reign
! queen over my band of cut-throats and
our den of treasure. With this brilliant
resolve | arose the next morning, and,
| begging my father not to offer any op-
| position to my plans nor request for
money, as intended to 90 to California
and seek my fortune, not wishing tolive
at his expense.
| ! received consent and money, with
the remark that he would honor my
draft for return fare, and made prep
| aratiOns for departure, my first step be-
ing to get a brigand to start with, as l
was impatient to assume my position as
chief.
JEFF, the youth whom 1 have mem
toned as being with the firm, at once
suggested himself to me. He grasped
at the project with feverish enthusiasm,
when 1 Immediately dubbed him 1.-THE
Red Hand, - and instructed him that |
must be known as his chief and he
should so address me. Then l left
him, with the understanding that he
should steal away in the night, walk to
the next station and then take the train.
l did think of stealing a couple of
horses from the neighbors, but that was
beneath the dignity of the chief of a
powerful band, and l scorned to enter
tain the purpose.
The day before starting gave my
head bath in my fathers hair tonic
for the restoration of bald heads, as no
brigand chief would consent to wear
short hair, and then tucking my pants
inmy boots procured broad-brimmed
hat, and staggered around the streets
gloating in the belief that | was the
very personifcation of border rufiian.
/ wore mysteriously savage air,
elected the saliva through my teeth,
gazed away off into vacancy, and was
supremely oblivious to the existence OF
the acquaintances who presumed to
speak to me. ! was bloated with con-
scious superiority and importance. !
was chief of ''rhe Band of Death; or,
the Robbers of the Dismal Cave" and
supported with my brigandish honors a
marriage engagement.
That night had last meeting with
Susie, when we exchanged solemn and
repeated VOWS of constancy, each swear
ing by dagger which had brought
along for the occasion. | told her moth
ing of my purpose after reaching Cal
ifornia, as | wanted to save the revela-
ton of my identity as a surprise when /
came to rescue her.
Leaving Susie with a mild and allec-
tiOnate embrace-mild for robber
chief went to see JEFF at the home of
his widowed mother, so as to arrange
our manner of leaving. l was to leave
ostensibly the next morning, but would
get off mt the first station, return
through the day, and under cover of
night 90 TO Jelf's home, and, there CON
cealing ourselves in the barn until the
village was asleep, start on our walk
for the station.
Morning came, and bade my friends
good-by with a significant air, which
implied that they would hear from me
before the world was many years
older, and, accompanied by my father
who occupied the time in giving me
good practical advice, | went to the
depot, around which were numerous
small boys, dogs, hogs and other ami
mated nature to "see me off," the de-
parture of any one being an important
event in the monOtOnOus history of the
village. Many wishes of "God speed, I"
pleasant journey and n safe return, :"
were sent after me as the train moved
out OF the depot.
Reaching the first stopping-place,
about six miles distant, in a few min
utes, got Off and returned toward the
village to "round up' Jeff. Accom-
plishing the distance long before sun
set, | stopped mt the edge of the woods,
raked up a mound of leaves, opened n
hole in the center, into which / crept
and stretched my fatigued limbs for
rest, while | was mentally occupied
planning operations for the future dur
ing which fell asleep and had delight
ful dreams of my career rs chief of
"Ihe Band of Death" was just pre-
pairing 10 engage in a personal enooun-
ter with traitor to the gang, when q
hog came skurrying through the woods,
making passageway across my body,
at which he put little more animation
in his heels, and with "ooif-ooii, goo
ooll,' he darted through the under
| growth and was lost in the darkness,
for 1t was night, Discovering that it
was a hog, l clutohed my dagger, and,
jumping up, addressed an imaginary
host of enemies, defying the dastardlyy
horde to make an unanimous assault,
when | would confront and vanquish
them single handed.