The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-07-19

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you were wrong in ioretelling 1t
would be a dark night"
Shutting the window as softly as
he opened it. Jim and his friend, each
taking a short, well-worn pipe from
his pocket, sat down to smoke.
From another pocket came forth a
flask of some kind of liquor. Thus
they made themselves comfortable,
and seemed TO forget all about bed.
At any rate, neither of them at
tempted to 90 to it. They sat on,
and smoked, and drank at the flask
occasionally, and whispered togeth-
er in hushed tones. AT last the
clock struck two. One of them rose,
drew aside the window curtain and
looked out.
A suppressed shout of exultation
broke from him. Wade, Wade /!
the night has changed. Its raining,
and the moon is gone. / knew ram
was coming" :,
Man alive, don't make that row,
retorted the other. 1--WE don't want
the house woke up"
Putting away their pipes and
TASKS, they opened the window with
crafty gentleness, and dropped down
on the ground outside it, one after
the other. The night was very dark,
no light, or glimmer of 1T. was to be
seen anywhere.
Making their way round cautious
ly to the coach-house and stables,
Jim produced master key which
undid the locks. The stable door
he undid was the one that had the
valuable horse in it; and he was
surprised to find what an easy lock
it was. Then, while the other man
kept watch he hastily and noiseless-
ly attached the horse to their own
gig, using the harnesshe had admir-
ed so greatly. The rain was dash
ing down smartly, which tended to
deaden other sounds. When all
was ready they cautiously led the
horse and gig out of the yard, and
to distance beyond it, got in 1t and
drove away at a spanking pace.
SO far they were well-satisfied with
their nights work, and congratula-
ted themselves on the valuable prize
they had captured in the horse and
harness. It's true the horse appear
ed to require the whip pretty fire.
quently, and Jim, who was driving,
did not fail to administer it.
Lazy beggar he has stuffed him
self out with corn, cried he.
"You shall fast all this day, my gem
tleman, and that will bring you in
to working order. What pelt it
ism looking up at the pouring rain.
Should say this was the clearing
shower
"What1l the job bring US in
Jim ?"
Twenty pounds, clear, | reckon.
And an old hack thrown in to COM
plete the bargain"
On the heath now. they began
laughing over the past nights ad-
venture there, as related TO them by
the landlord. They had no fear Of
the highwaymen themselves, not
they, such gentry do not prey upon
one another.
Hang it JIM can't you drive fast
er ," cried Wade, suddenly.
jim made no answer. He was
beginning TO feel somewhat puzzled.
for, unless he was greatly mistaken,
the beautiful horse betrayed unmis-
taxable signs OF giving in. Their
own wretched animal could do a.
well rs this. Presently it stopped I;
stopped dead from exhaustion.
What the deuce is the matter
with him ?" demanded Wade.
BE shot if | know. He seems
dead beat. It's so dark one can see
nothing. Wish that moon would
come outl-the rain has ceased.
Well, this is a pretty go" ex-
claimed the other, as the horse, in
spite of whip and word, refused to
move. Brought up before ones
half beyond danger, with stolen
horsel You must have been mis-
taken in the worth of the animal,
jim, never knew you to make a
mistake before"
1T beats me all hollow" returned
Jim, his crestfallen tone betraying
some alarm. "As to being mistak-
en- in him | know | never was /;
there. Something extraordinary
must all the horse"
He jumped out of the gig and he
gan feeling the animal with ms
hands. At the same moment the
coy moon burst ont from behind
the clouds and shone down in all
her splerdor. Jim felt the horse.
stared at it and stared again. The
other one IN the gig was also gazing
curiOusly. simultaneously shout
of dismay, followed by an impreca-
ton, burst from both Of them.
They had stolen their Oscn horse.
Some mutual recrimination en-
sued. Wade accusing Jim OF hav-
ing made a mistake and opened the
wrong stable; Jim vowing by all
that's blue that he had opened the
right one.
Anyway, we've got the harness"
pleaded Jim.
rhe remark caused Wade to turn
his ewes on it Its silver points were
glitterlng in the moonlight. A clos
er glance, and then another angry
shout broke from him.
Look here, you fool-here's a
cre5s.
"Hey-what?" cried Jim, turning
round.
Sure enough; the silver-mountd
harness bore a Jamily crest with its
Latin motto, and could no doubt be
identified anywhere. Certainly this
nights anticipated spoil was not
lucky in any way.
Next morning the landlord of the
inn was intensely surprised at the
disappearance Of the travellers. and
at the spiriting away of some
harness that belonged to TIE young
Viscount Dare. He stood in the
stable-yard1alking with his ostler.
But for mr his lordship's hoss
would h gone too, cried the ostler
stolidly. When ] see one o. they