The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-07-14


ried in my hand, and loudly stormed at
their obstinacy. IL was no use. as q
growl was all the reply got. AS de-
termined TO be inside as they were to
keep me out, L went back a few PAGES,
then dashed open the door with my foot.
The moonlight just shone in with
sufficient light 20 enable me to see what
a strange lot OF bedfellows were grouped
together among the straw; and the loose
horse. box was at the end OF the stable,
light through the thick of them. or
dered them one and all to "turn out"
An Irishman, who went by the nickname
of dead Ned" lifted his fierce, shaggy
face, and dared me, in strong language,
20 attempt to disturb them.
"But my horse" Ireasoned; IL must
see TO him."
But reason was drowned in the oppo-
sition of dozen hoarse voices.
was young then, and reckless OF
danger more so than L am now, on the
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 every creature in
side leaped up, startled men, women and
children rushing out pell-mell.
lost no time in striking light after
their 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" 1
thought, land something must be
done :" and 10 foment the swollen foot
was the only thing that / could think of.
/ went outside again, allowing the dis
turbed women and children TO return to
the straw but requesting Dead Ned and
some of the others to hel p me to heat
some water. We drove three thick
stakes into the bank, close beside the
pond, crammed plenty of sticks under
the iron pot, and soon had q blazing fire.
When the water was hot enough for our
purpose, we carried it into the stable, and
lomented the wounded foot The pro-
cess eased the pain, and, after half an
hours fermentation, wrapped it up Ill
cloths saturated with some healing oils
which -.ere Kept in the stable. One of
the men held the Pickering candle.
stuck on the top of lantern; while
other eight or ten more were grouped
around, watching the proceedings, and
giving occasional assistance. As / was
bandaging the foot, l caught q motion
Of sign not intended for mo to see. 1t
was signal from Dead Ned-who, L
perceived to my horror, held in his land
the heavy iron gavelock that we had
used to hammer the stakes into the
ground to another of his fraternity.
Like = GGsh il came over me; how could
have been so reckless, SO foolhardy, as
10 trust myself alone and unarmed
among this ruilianly crew?
] grew hot and cold by turns as ! re-
membered that l carried in my breast
pocket Gl60 1t was Il 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 20 pay the Govern
ment Commissioners. | had n lde q
mistake in the hour appointed, and was
too late, for they had finished and were
gone; consequently, / brought the
money back. intending to forward it on
Monday. The occurrence had passed
out of my mind before reaching home,
then David's news completely put every
thing else out of ny head, until / caught
the CLEAN OF evil IN Dead Ned's eye. 1t
was not so much the physical harm L
feared, as the idea that they would not
| be contented with stunning or murder
ing me, but would rob the senseless
! body, and what would become OF my
wife and children, If my goods and ch At
tells were sold to repay the lost Govern
ment taxes? Why, they would be
turned ont into the wide world homeless
and unprotected. The bare thought
made me tremble. L 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 well as life, carelessly
dropped the horses feet, telling them in
q loud voice to keep the candle still un-
! til L fetched some more string, and
walked out of the stable as deliberately
as possibly could. Once out, looked
| for the bay mare that had carried me up.
| She was leisurely nibbling some short
grass few yards from the door. "Jess,
Jess, good lass |" cried, softly, and very
| gently approaching her, as L knew that
If she bolted. it was good by to life for
| me-.
Fortunately, she allowed me to catch
her, and not moment too soon, for my
unwelcome visitors had followed me, and
a glance at their low, villainous faces as
| dashed off proved that they were full
IF rage at thus being baffied. The vii
lage church clock struck l as 1 entered
my home in safety.
L paid second visit next morning at
4 to the wounded animal, but leaving
my pocketbook at home this time, and
going neither alone nor unarmed. The
birds, however, had flown. If the ashes
of the stick fire, and the bandages on the
wounded horse had not borne me wit
ness, should have been inclined to
fancy that last nights narrow escape was
nothing more than disturbing dream,
bad attack of nightmare but these
evidences were there, and it had been
real
Two years afterward, saw, in our
weekly paper, that Dead Ned and two OF
his companions had been transported for
manslaughter in midnight scuflle.
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