The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-04-16

"'I'm going to trust YOU to make tn,
| purchase. NeighbOr Gordon offered to g
for me, but I'd rather send you. l have
engaged him to haul load CT wood TO las
I while you are gone so you can start fol
| Wisconsin tomorrow morning; that is, i
| you are willing to 20. What do you think
| Can YOU buy a horse and not get cheated!
'''Trust me for that, father said |, con
! fidently. And think it's the best thing
we can do, ind Ter the circumstances Their
l stopped, as l happened to think it woulc
| be better for me not to appear over anXiOu:
| If really wanted to go, which was the
case. In truth, my desire for horse was
| only exceeded by my eagerness to assume
| the responsibility of its purchase.
"'Well,' said father, you may try it
anyway. I'll let you take a hundred dol
lars with you, but you ought to get good
| horse for little less tian that. And now
| Tom, don't let your business be known till
you are well across the river; and then
| look out for sharpers, and don't get some
WORKOUT old plug showed on to you at g
big price g.. t.,,,
kept up such running fire of suggestions
and directions that | lost my patience, and
went to bed resolving that when returned
i would show the old gentleman such c
bargain in horsehesh as would convince
him that | knew thing or two myself
"The next morning | was up and away
as soon as | could see to travel. After G
tramp OF thirty-fi miles, | stopped fol-
the night at a house five miles west of ths
river. The second day, about nine O'Clock
| struck the river at Brownsville, where
hired man to row me across in a skif
The Father of Waters at this point looked
more like forest than river, which effec!
was produced by the many low-lying
swampy islands, covered with a dense
growth OF timber.
''In those days, too. there were some
pretty tough places and a good many hard
customers along the river, and these islands
afforded a safe and convenient hiding place
for all such characters. Indeed, they were
the common resort and known rendezvous
of all the thieves and desperadoes in the
country.
THAT was why father had warned me
not TO make my business known until was
safe across the river. And YOU may be
sure | did not. struck for tall timber rs
soon as landed, not even stopping for
dinner, although it was past noon. | made
fifteen miles that afternoon, and stayed
over night with q farmer named Cheat
ham.
"When started on the next morning, ]
began to make inquiries for horses, but
there seemed to be few for sale. However,
about noon that day | CHANGED to come
across a young fellow on horseback, who
was talking with man at the roadside.
From the few words overheard as [ came
up, l inferred that he was trying to dispose
of his horse. And SO he was, for he imme-
diately turned to me and asked if | didn't
want to buy good horse; and without
giving me time to answer, went on to tell
his story.
HE said his home was in st. Louis. but
b had been at work that summer for a
farmer who lived twenty miles further east.
a In hat nrr,i,, I,at thor-
was lying at the point of death. and that he
must come at once if he desired to see her
again in this world. Accordingly he was
fastening to the river to catch the first
down steamer. But he had no ready money /;
he had taken the horse in payment for his
summers work, because the farmer could
not raise the money on so short notice, and
he was determined to sell him before he
reached the river. He would sell him for
half his value; fifty dollars would buy
him, he said.
swell, looked the horse over; l exam
ined him closely, and for aught l could see,
he was perfectly sound and all right in
every way. Here is my chance 1
thought, 'to make bargain that will cause
the old gentleman to open his eyes, So |
told the fellow | would give him just forty
dollars for the horse, and not cent more:
and he took me up quicker'n you could say
'scatp But didn't think much about that
just then; l was only too glad to pay him
the money and call the horse mine.
1.-THE young man started on toward the
river as soon as he had pOcketed the money.
and f-never saw him again. The farmer,
who had watched the whole transaction
lived near by; so got dinner with him,
and also fed my horse, which appeared to
have been hard-ridden.
after dinner / mounted and started for
home, Jubilant over my great bargain.
However, rode along quite leisurely, as |
didn't want to reach the river that night
anyway. Everything went we'll till about
four O'Clock, when, much to my surprise,
heard tremendous clatter of hoofs in the
road behind me. Almost at the same in
slant my horse took fright at a partridge
that few up at the roadside, and dashed off
down the road at the top of his speed. |
tried my best to stop him, but could not. l
jerked and sawed on him with all my
might, but for all the good it did | might as
well have yanked on the rock of Gibraltar.
"However. after running a mile and a
half, my hardmouthed Pegasus seemed all
at once to change his mind. and stopped
almost as suddenly as he started. | imme-
diately dismounted and led him outside the
track, in order to give the horsemen behind
me an unohstructed passage, as they were
coming up at a break-neck pace, and [
thought il best to let them pass before |
started on again.
But they didn't pass! 1 quickly found
myself surrounded by an excited crowd
of fifteen or twenty mounted men.
They seemed terribly in earnest about
som ething. and | soon found out what that
something was.
"'What's up?' said 1, inquiringly, as the
crowd closed in around me.
"Horse-thieves are up. and likely to go
still higher" was the significant reply;
and there was something in the tone and
manner in which it was uttered that Sc
my heart to humping like trip-hammer,
for saw in a second just how the land lay.
"'What do you mean by that? and what
do you WANT: | faltered, though | we'll
knew what was meant and what was
wanted, but could think of nothing else
to say.
"'What do we WANT echoed the power
fully built, grim visaged horseman, who
seemed to be the leader of the crowd.
- why, we want yOu, my fine fellow, and
the horse you have there; we want you real
bad, too; we've followed you since early
this morning. and we're mighty glad to see
you. But what made you stop so sudden
just now!'
81 stopped to let you pass, SIR ans
wered, truthfully,
THAT seemed to anger my surly ques-
toner at once. Young man, said he, it'll
do you no good to lie about this business.
You can't come any of your sharp lodges
on us! But if you've anything TO say for
yourself, now's the time to say it,
Anything to say for myself! What
could sayf If 1 told the truth. they
would not believe it, for the circumstances
were all against me. They had caught me
with stolen horse in my possession, and
to all appearance 1 had tried my best to
get away from them. Ii any further proof
was needed, they would find it in the fact
that in age, size and general appearance
closely resembled the actual thief!
I'm vain racs1ed my brain for some ex-
pcdient by which might extricate myself
from the trap into which / had fallen, for
fully realized the peril OF my situation.