The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-12-16

Country HOm NO2te nome. ana after that journey
he would not feel inclined, at IL O'Clock on a cold
winter night, to start again for another sixteen
miles.
Turning my horses head. | told David to go to
bed, and | would ride up to the red barn.
"Shail sit up tor your horse p he asked.
yaWning, tired from a long days exposure to cold
and storm.
"No no one need wait for me- and | started
off.
Fifteen minutes brought me to my stable-door;
but L paused to let my heated mare drink from
the pond close by, and as l stood l caught q muir
muir OF. human voices within the stable. Sur
prised, as not a man lived at the stealing, l tried
the door. Ii was fastened from the inside. l
knocked, still holding my horse by the bride,
the thought coming across my mind that Coats
must have come straight here, without waiting
for any one to assist him. There was no answer
again more loudly.
" What dye wanI?" demanded a gruff voice
from the inside.
Want? L want to come in, to be sure. What
are you doing there, | should like to know? Open
the door at once -
Likely, - was grunted back again, g. : when
we are just warm and settled after q nasty, cold
tramp"
No" | knew who my uninvited guests were.
1t is not every one who knows. or knew, of the
existence oi n class of mendieants, Familiarity
known among us as =. Void Rangers" a pest to
80 NAN00 ~ nc
oi outlying farms. they were constant pilferers,
and rarely would work, although often applying
Tor 1t. None OF them were above poachiny, aud
most OF them had been in prison some time or
another. A lew professed to be hawkers of some
sort, but the majority of them begged from door
to door. We had no policeman nearer than ten
miles, and his lace was almost a. strange as the
Shah 5 in our district. These lawless wanderers
rarely travelled alone. but were generally accom-.
panied by a numerous following of women and
hEllFa a $50 -
and two or three dogs.
My visitors were in no particular hurry 10
comply with my reiterated demand for admit
tal'c, and their loud snores were most irritating
to hear from the outside. Again 1 vigorously
pommeiled the door with an ash sapling that |
carried in my hand, and loudly stormed at their
obstinacy. It was no use, as a growl was all the
reply 1 ct As determined to get inside as they
were to Keep me out, l went back q few PAGES,
then dashed open the door with my foot.
The moonlight just shone in with sufficient
light. TO enable me to see what u strange lot of
bediellows were grouped together among the
straw; and the loose horse-box was ut the end of
the stable. right through the thick of them. l
ordered them one ana all to turn out. Ar Irish
man who went by the name of So Dead Ned
lifted bis fierce, shaggy face, and dared me, in
strong language, to attempt to disturb them.
But my horse, | reasoned 81 must see to
him"
But reason was drowned in the opposition ofa
dozen hoarse voices.
L was young then, and reckless of danger
more than | am now, on the wrong side of sixty.
lncensed, [ drew back from the open door, slipped
the bride over nv thoroughbred's neck. and
struck her sharply across the tanks with the ash
sapling; it was the work of an instant. She
bounded into the stable door, and no sooner were
her hoofs heard on the threshold than every
creature inside leaped up, the startled men, wO-
men and children rushing out pell- nell.
list mn fImn in StriEinn n I.uhk oC,a. H..
quick exit. to see after the wounded animal,
leaving the one L had ridden to follow her own
devices, which she did by going outside again.
The foot was in a serious state, and evidently
painful.
Goats will never come Tonight" thought,
'and something must be DONE" and to foment
the swollen foot was the only thing that I could
think of.
| went outside again, allowing the disturbed
women and children to return to their straw but
requesting Dead Ned and some of the others to
heat some water. We drove three thick stakes
into the bank, close beside the pond. crammed
plenty of stic&s under tile iron pot, and soon had
blazing fire. When The water was hot enough
for cur purpose we carried it into the stable and
the wounded foot. The process eased
the pain. and after half an hours fomentation |
1t up in cloths saturated with some
healing oils which were kept in the stable. Ono
OF the men held the Pickering candle, stuck on
the top oil a lantern, while eight or ten more were
around, watching the proceedings and
giving occasional assistance. AsI " as bandaging
the foot, ] caught "A motion or sign. not intended
Tor me 10 see. lie was a signal from Dead Ned
who. | perceived to my horror, held in his hand
the heavy iron gavelock that we had used to
hammer the stakes into the ground-to another
IF his fraternity. Like a fash it cine over me,
could | have been SO reckless, SO foolhardy,
Is to trust myself alone, and unarmed, among
ruffianly crew?
[ grew hot and cold by turns as l emembered
hat | carried in my breast-pocket one hundred
md sixty pounds. 1t was a large sum. YOU
think, for a farmer to have about him but, you
lee, it was not my own. That year | held the
'fice of Income Tax Collector, and l had taken
he money with me to market to pay to the Gov
Commissioners. / had made a mistake
q the hour appointed. and was too late, for they
we're finished and had gone; consequently I
brought the money back, intending to forward it
IN Monday. The occurrence had passed out Of
ny mind before reaching home then David's
Jews completely put everything else out of my
lead. until | caught the CLEAN of evil in Dead
Ned's eye. Ii was not so much the physical
arm | feared as the idea that they would not be
content with stunning or numbering me, but
would rob the senseless body; and what would be-
ONE OF my wife and children if my goods and
hattels were sold TO repay the lost Government
axes? Why, they would be turned out into the
vide world homeless and unprotected. The bare
hought made me tremblc. | must not let them
Inspect that had seen their signals. Oh, the
-gOny OF that moment!
Making one venture for home, wife and chill
lren, as we'll as life, [ carelessly dropped the
foot, telling them in a loud voice to keep
he candle still until | fetched come more string,
md walked out Of the stable as deliberately as /
'ossibly could. Once out, l looked for the bay
mare that had carried me up. She was leisurely
grass a few yards from the door.
"Jess, jess, good lass!" l cried, softly. and
cry gently approaching her, as | knew that if
he bolted it was goodbye to life for me.
Fortunately she allowed me to catch her, and
lot q moment too soon, for my unwelcome visitors
rad followed me, and a glance at their low, viii
aInous faces, as | dashed of, proved that they
full of rage at thus being bafhed. The viii
age clock struck one as [ entered my home in
afety. l paid a second visit next morning at
our o'clock to the wounded animal, but leaving
ny pocket-book at home this time. and going
veither alone nor uuarmed. The birds, however,
lad flown. If the ashes of the stick FRI and the
,andaoas IN tho roundad horse had mt hnrnn mo