Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-08-11

Squire Ormsh,, - A0y' I'm tenang 70
know him: Well, Patrick, . suppose
you can give me some Information. Iyl
r1sk the dinner, anyways"
.a;nAan, well, sorr," said Patrick, "they say
s tns sprat to catch a whale.' A rump
or mine; when I have had 'em IYl arm 5em.
by the holy pokerlO '"'
tp,n said the silversmith.
ne then sent for the rump steak very
'o ~. ana Tor a policeman in a whisper.
come: When he had eaten it the modest
o,Kafferty asked for a pipe and Dot.
whist he smoked andsipped calmly the
disguised policeman arrived. and was
dow. " 1i''ie WILL
docs he look like crime?o wbisnared the
silversmith. "A.'peAe" -
NO." said the policeman. "Calf-like in
nocence and impotence g~alore,O
The jeweler asked O'Rafferty to step out.
NOW, sir" said he, "you have had your
9; INNER and l don't grudge it you; but if this
trouble, and it would be a heartless thing
to play on me-"
"Och, hear to him!" cried Patrick, with a
whlne as doleful as sudden. "Did liver an
O,Rafterty make a jest of an honest mans
trouble, or atesa male off his losses? But
AuHSIy uldu WOrCns i could
ao5 see how to do your work while I was
iamished, but now my belly is full, and my
head fuller, glory be to Godl"
~ don't know how it is" said the jew
eller. aside to the detective, che tells me
mourning, and yet somehow he gives me con-
time flies, and Pm no nearer my stolen
takew ~
"The first step was to fill my belly; the
a rarityl"
"Never mind," said the disguised officer.
Find you what?".
IA policeman-that isn't a fool"
This was q singer, and so sudden; his
hearers looked rather sheepish at him. It
was the policeman who answered:
"lfyouw will come to the station, I will un.
dertake to find you that"
Patrick assented, and on the way thew
made friends; his companion revealed him
self, and forgave the stinger, and Patrick,
pleased with his good temper, let him into
the plan he had matured while smoking his
pipe and appearing to lose time. All Patrick
stipulated was that he should be the per-
son IN command; and as he alone knew
where the booty was, and was manifestly
as crafty as a badger, this was cheerfully
acceded to. So, an hour before dusk, four
fellows that looked like countrymen drove
a cart full of straw up to the howell, and
made a big heap by adding it to what was
there already.
Then two drove the cart back to the edge
of the town, and put the horse up, and re-
Joined their companions in ambush, all
but one, and he hid in a dry ditch opposite.
They were all well armed, and the outside
watcher had a novel weapon-a powerful
blue-light in the shape of a fat squib.
1t is a dreary business waiting at night
for criminals who may never come at all,
or, it they do, may be desperate and fight
like madmen or wildcats.
Eight O'Clock came-nine-ten-eleven-
twelve; the watchers were chilled and stiff.
and Patrick sleepy.
One of the policemen whispered him:
"They won't come tonight. Are you
sure they have not been and taken up the
swag?"
nan growled and muttered something
about q maress-nest.
"Hush!" said another.
"Mhat?" in an agitated whisper.
"Wheels?"
Silence. 49,
They all remained as still as death. The
faint wheels, that would nave been inaudi-
BILE by day, ratified nearer and nearer. 1t
was late for a bona-ide traveller to be on
the road. Would the wheels pass the howell?
They came up fast; then they stopped
suddenly. To the watchers everything was
ouolDAO III ot0Iy SOuuu uldSulu0Us WQ0n
the drag stopped it was like a railroad
train pulling up. Men leaped out, and
seemed to shake the ground. When three
figures hustled into the howell it sounded
like a rush of men,. Then came a thrilling
question. Would the thieves examine the
TIL chances were they would.
Well, they did not. They were In great
anxiety, too, but it took the form of hurry.
They dug furiously, displayed the booty to
Barney all in a hurry, and demanded their
price.
snow, then, eloo, or take your last look
at 'em."
- Zone h. hundred 9d pounds" whined Barney.
"very well; there's no time to %bargain.n
"rn give eighty pounds. But I shall
lose money by 'em."
"Blarney! They are worth a thousand.
Here, Jim, put 'em up; we can do better in
Dublin"
Barney whined and demonstrated, but
ended by consenting to give the price.
TIL words were barely out of his mouth
when the howell cleaned with a lurid fire,
so vivid and pentrating that every crevice
of it and the very cobwebs came out dis
tinct.
The thieves yelled with dismay, and one
ran away from the light, slap into danger,
and was dazzled again with opening BULBS
rushed blindfold at the entrance, but his
temple encountered a cold pistol, and a
policeman immovable as a statue. He re-
coiled, and was in hat instant of hesitation
pinned from behind and handcufed-click
As for Barney, from whom nodight was ex-
pected, he was allowed to Chamber up the
walls like a mouse in a trap, then tumble
down, until the four-wheel they had come
in was brought up by Paddy O'Rafferty.
Then the thieves were bundled in, and sat
each of them between two honest men, and
the fence was attached by the wrist to a
policeman, who walked him to the same
destination; but like Virgil's bull, malta
r~ezuctantem, hanging back in vain, and in
vain bribing the silent, impenetrable Bobby.
Pat slept at the station, and next morn
ing the jeweler gave his fifty g%uineas with
a good heart, but omitted the blessing.
Patrick whined dismally at this very
serious omission, and the worthy little
fellow gave it him with glistening eyes.
"For," said he, "I,n own now the loss
would have ruined me. I find by. my books
they cost ME c1,300." So then he blessed
him solemnly,, and Pat went home re-
now,'said he. "Ill lave all sorts of luck
good, bad and Indifferent"
When he got home he told the story mac
curately, and like q monomaniac; that is tc
say, he suppressed all the fortitude and
sagacity he had shown. These were quail
t;os ba nocsessed. so he thought nothing OF