River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-11-03

wrong side of sixty. Incensed. | drew
back from the open door, slipped the
bride over my thoroughbred's neck,
and struck her sharply across the TANKS
with the ash sapling. 1t was the work
of an instant. She bounded into the
stable door; and no sooner were her
hoofs heard on the threshold than eve
ry creature inside leaped up, the start
led men, women and children rushing
out pell-mel. / lost no time in striking
a light, after their quick exit, to see
after the wounded animal, leaving the
one one had ridden to follow her own
devices, which she did by going outside
again. The foot was in serious state
and evidently painful.
Goats will never come tonight"
thought, land something must be
done," and to foment the swollen foot
was the only thing / could think of.
| went outside again, allowing the dis
turbed women and children to return
10 their straw, but requesting Dead
Ned and some of the others to help me
heat some water. We drove three
thick stakes into the ground, close be-
side the pond, crammed plenty of sticks
ulluCI tllC DOt anu COOiA 1dtl IL DtdAtilS
fire. When the water was hot enough
for our purpose, we carried it into the
stable and fomented the wounded foot.
The process eased the pain, and, after
half an hours fermentation / wrapped
it up in some cloths saturated with
some healing oils which were kept in
the stable. One of the men held the
Pickering candle stuck on the top of
lantern, while eight or ten more were
grouped around, watching the proceed
ings and giving occasional assistance.
AS l was bandaging the foot, l caught
motion or sign not intended for me to
see. 1t was a signal from Dead Ned
who, perceived to my horror, held in
his hand the heavy iron gavelock that
that we had used to hammer the stakes
into the ground-to another of his fra
ternity. Like flash it came over me,
how could have been so reckless, so
foolhardy, as to trust myself, alone and
unarmed, among this ruffianly crew?
/ grew hot and cold by turns as | re-
membered that | carried i'll my breast
pocket one hundred and sixty pounds.
1t was large sum, you think, for
farmer to have about him, but, you
see, it was not my own. That year |
held the office of income tax collector;
and | had taken the money with me to
market to pay to the Government Com
missioners | had made a mistake in
the hour appointed, and it was too late
for they had finished and were gone;
consequently | brought the money
back, intending to forward it Monday.
The occurrence had passed out of my
mind before reaching home; then
David's news completely put every
thing else out of my head, until
caught that gleam of evil in Dead
Ned's eye 1t was not so much the
physical harm | feared, as the idea
that they would not be content with
stunning or numbering me, but would
rob the senseless body; and what would
become of my wife and children if my
goods and chattels were sold to repay
the lost Government taxes? Why,
they would be turned out into the
wide world homeless and unprotected.
The bare thought made me tremble.
| must not let them suspect that / had
seen their signals. Oh! the agony of
that moment.
Making one venture for home, wife
and children, as we'll as life, careless
" dropped the horses foot, telling them
in a loud voice to keep the candle still
until fetched some more string, and
walked out OF the stable as deliberately
as | possibly could. Once out looked
for my mare She was liesurely nib
bling some dry grass few yards from
the door. "Jess, Jess, good lass"
cried, softly and very gently approach
ing her, as knew that if she bolted it
was good bye to life for me.
Fortunately she allowed me to catch
her, and not a moment too soon, for
my unwelcome visitors had followed
me, and glance at their low villainoHs
faces as dashed off, proved that they
were full of rage at being thus baffied.
The village clock struck one as | en-
tered my home in safety.
l paid a second visit, next morning
at four, to the wounded animal, but
leaving my pocket-book at home this
time, and going neither alone nor UNI
armed. The birds, however, had flown.
If the ashes of the stick fire, and the
bandages on the wounded horse had
not borne me witness, should have
been inclined TO fancy that last nights
narrow escape was nothing more than
a disturbing dream-a bad attack of
nightmare; but these evidences had
been there and it had been real.
Two years afterward | saw in our
weekly paper, that Dead Ned and two
of his companions had been trans
ported for manslaughter in a midnight
scuffle.