Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-10-27

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without one. drew this, and having twinet
the reins about the whip stock, l CAREFUL,
slid down in the mud, and as the cart passed
on I went behind it and examined tn
hasp.
"The door of the cart lets down, and il
fastened by hasp, which slides over sta
pie and is then secured by paddock. Thf
paddock was gone, and the hasp was secured
in its place by a bit of pine-so that sligh
force from within could break it. My whee
wrench hung in a leather bucket on the sid'
of the cart, and I quickly took it out ant
slipped it into the staple, the iron handle JUS
sliding down.
"Now I had him. My cart was almos
new, made in a stout frame of white oak, ane
made on purpose for hard usage. | did no
believe any ordinary man could break out
I got on to my cart as noiselessly as got off
and then urged my horse on, still keeping
my pistol handy. 1 knew that at the dis
tance of half O. mile further I should come
to good hard road, and so allowed my
horse to pick his own way through the mud
About ten minutes after this heard mo
tion in the cart, followed by grinding noise
as though some heavy force were being ap
piled to the door, I said nothing, but the
idea struck me that the villain might judge
where 1 sat and shoot up through the top o.
the cart at me, so sat down on the foot
board.
"Of course, ! knew now that my unex
pected passenger was villain. for he must
have been awake ever since I started, and
nothing in the world but absolute villainy
would have caused him to remain quiet SC
long, and then start up in this particular
place. The humping and pounding grew
louder and louder, and pretty soon l heard
human voice.
"Let me out of this" he cried, and he
yelled pretty loud.
Il lifted up my head SO as to make him
think I was sitting in my usual place, and
then asked him what he was doing there"
"Let me out and I will tell you," he re-
piled. =.
"Tell me what you are there for" said |:
~ got in here to sleep on your rags" he
answered.
"Let me out, or I'll shoot you through the
head" he yelled"
"Just at that moment my horses feet
struck the hard road, and | knew that the
rest of the road to Jackson would be good
going. The distance was twelve miles. l
Slipped back on the foot board and took the
whip. I had the same horse I've got now
tall, stout, powerful bay mare-and you
may believe there's some 60 in her. At any
rate she struck a gait that even astonished
me. She had received good mess of oats,
the air was cool, and she felt like going. In
fifteen minutes we cleared the woods, and
away we went on keen jump. The chap
inside kept yelling to be let out.
FINALLY he stopped, and in few minutes
came the report of pistol. One-two-
three-four; one right after the other, and |
heard the balls wbiz over my head. If had
been on my seat, one of these balls, if not two
of them, would have gone through me. |
popped up my head again, and gave yell,
and then deep groan, and then said, "Oh,
God, save me I'm dead man" Then
made shuttiing noise, as though were fall
ing off, and finally settled down on the foot
board again. I now urged on the old mare
by giving her an occasional poke with the
butt of my whip stock, and she pealed it fast
er than ever.
"The man called out to me twice more,
pretty soon after this, and as be got no reply,
he made some tremendous efforts to break the
door open, and as this failed him, he made
several attempts upon the top. But had no
fear of his doing anything there, for the top
of the cart was framed in with dove tails,
and each sleeper bolted to the posts with iron
bolts. l had made it so could carry heavy
loads there. By.and.by, after all else had
failed, the scamp commenced to halloo whoa
to the horse, and kept it up until he became
quite hoarse. All this time I kept perfectly
quiet, holding the reins firmly, and kept
poking the beast with the stock.
"We were not an hour in going that dozen
miles-not bit of it. I hadn't much fear
perhaps 1 might sell the truth, and say I had
none-for had good pistol !; and more than
that, my passenger was safe; yet was glad
when l came to the old -four barrel factory
that stands at the edge of jackson village,
and in ten minutes more hauled up in front
of the tavern, an. found a couple of men in
the barn cleaning down some stage horses.
"Well, old fel!er," says I, as | got down,
and went round to the back of the wagon !;
"you have had a good ride, haven't ye?
"Who are you ?" he cried. He kind of
swore little, too, as he asked the question.
"I'm the man you tried to Shoot" was my
reply.
"Where am /? Let me out" he yelled.
"Look here! We've come to safe stop
ping place, and laind ye, my revolver is ready
for ye, the moment you show yourself. Now,
lay quiet!'
"By this time the two hostlers had come
up to see what was the matter, and explain
ed it to them. After this I got one of them
to run and rout out the sheriff. and tell what
I believed I'd goE for him. The first streaks
of daylight were just coming up, and in half
an hour it would be broad daylight. In less
than that time the sheriff came, and two men
came with him. l told the whole affair in a
few words, exhibited the handbills had for
him, and then he made for the cart. He told
the chap inside who be was, and if he made
the least resistance, he'd be dead man.
Then slipped the iron wrench out, and as
let the door down, the fellow made spring.
I caught him by the ankle, and he came
down on his face, and in moment more the
officers had him. 1t was now daylight, and
the moment 1 saw the chap I recognized him.
He was marched off to the lock up, and I
told the sheriff should remain in town all
day.
"After breakfast, the sheriff came down to
the tavern and told me that had caught the
very bird, and that if l would remain until
the next morning, should have the reward
of two hundred dollars which had been Of
fered. 1 found my goods all safe, paid the