Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-11-01
A BORDER SKETCH.
CLEANING OCT THE ROBBERS.

talk about 0rcamS, Sald NlNiam SIM
mons, as he stirred the fire with his
boot and grunted as he felt the hot
leather, "you want TO hear about that
dream Of mine. You read about dreams
bringing a man a fortune, and about
dreams saving his life, but all that
comes under the head Of fugitive litera-
ture. The value Of dream yarn con-
sists in It's rigid adherence to fact. And
il You'll keep still aud stir the fire
occasionally, facts are what I'll give
YOU. My word is better than any
body else's bond. Nobody around
here that doubts it, is there?"
We stirred the fire and Simmons
stretched his length along his blanket.
II was chilly autumn night on the big
brown prairie to the north Of Browns
vile. The horses munched patiently
near us, and the pungent smell OF the
mesquite smoke was IN the air. IL is
not often that we get tho chance to play
the duke, and whenever the oppor-
tunity arrives it is grasped by the
throat and chOked to a standstill.
1t was warm enough to be COM
Portable and cool enough to be pleasant.
The lazy sigh Of the west wind sang an
under song to the laEier drawl Of Sim
mons's voice. The Globe Democrat
man got out the relics Of notebook
and stub pencil, and prepared TO corral
the nsrrator's alleged facts. BY the
twinkling stars and shifting campfire
William j. Simmons, former Harvard
graduate and present cOw-doctOr,
evolved his dream yarn"
THE YARN.
at was about five years ago. |
had lust struck the West with the in
iention Of shaping it. | had a trunk
full Of clothes, some books, q tennis
racket, four or five dismantled base
balls, and eco. After weary struggle
Of three weeks | gave up my mission
and joined Lee Halls company Of $50
rustlers for the State. had fair
pony and a good constitution. Moses
Schreiner, Of San Diego. fitted me out
with weapons aud bedding. ! have
never seen him since, so help me Moses.
We beat around the country awhile,
saw some life and a good deal of
brush. | became initiated into
the mysteries Of monte, and stand to-
day the acknowledged bean-cOok Of the
frontier. We did hard riding and re-
ceiyed hard knocks. | will carry to
my grave trenchant scar presented
me by Juan Mendoza, Of Camargo,
whose girl broke all TO pieces. will
show it to you some day when | have
time. 1t was in August, and sultry
night. We had csmped at Oakville,
and there was a big dance in progress.
We went, Of course. danced
snd drank tangle-foot liquor until
l. o'clock, and then chucked
it down with border supper
Of roast hog and hominy. When |
went to sleep ! had very lively times.
Nothing but calico until sun-up the
next morning, yards Of it, bolts Of it,
mountains Of it, piled all around me,
wrapped around me, tying me hand and
foot, SmotheIing me in Its folds. About
: o'clock Sam. Graham kicked me in
the ribs, and said, You get up |
looked at him and saw he was fixed for
riding. lie had his Winchester and
six-shooter, and the ornery beast he
called a horse was standing pretty close
to me, ready saddled. That horse had
once cost me ESQ for doctors repairs.
and ! got up right away.
80 William. my SON. said Sam,
does your cultured Boston soul yearn
for some fun:'
80 Sleeping is funny enough for me,
| said. Whats up?'
Then Sam. told me how Campbell's
store had beenrohbed about week back,
how it was going TO be robbed again,
and how lee Hall proposed to be there.
Sam. was sergeant, and we got ready to
20. We left camp about 10 o'clock
and rode steady gait. On the way
Graham explained the lay Of the land.
CAIPBELL's STORE.
Mr.. Campbell, he said, was a
wealthy pasture.0wner who lived about
halfway between Oakylle and Pleas
anton, say twenty-five miles from each
place. His house was half mile from
the public road, but for two or three
years he had been running general
merchandise store where Campbell :
creek crossed the highway. lie did
most excellent trade, and frequently
had large sums Of money in his safe.
About six months before the store had
been robbed. the most valuable goods
and all the cash taken, and the clerk,
who slept in the building, left bound,
bleeding, and gagged. When found
next morning by the proprietor, who
released him, he stated that about Q
O'Clock on the night before three men,
masked, had ridden up to the store,
entered, Knocked him down. and he re-
membered nothing more. lie was only
positive Of three things The leader
was a small man, not the man who
struck him; they were Americans and
were well mounted. Campbell replen-
ished his stock and took no further
steps. Two months later the store was
robbed again under exactly similar
cor ditions, except that the clerk
was first bound, then doSed heaVi-
ly with laudanum, producing coma
Tor hours, from which he was
only aroused by the neighbour
hood physician. lie did not think
the seconS gang was composed of the
same members as the first. They were
Americans, but their voices did not
sound similar and they took more goods
and money, going through the house IN
very systematic manner. Campbell
put in some more stock and called in
the sheriff, but that functionsry, after
noseying around the premises for awhile,
gave it up as a bad job. Campbell
went on placidly branding calves, simply
remarking that he did not keep bank
for all the thieves in Texas, and the
next time the place was robbed some
thing would be dropped. In three
weeks time the place was raided
again, the clerk bound, but not
gagged, and plaoard pasted on the
post bearing the single Spanish word
'Adios.' Campbell bought more stock,
m fflD.o -.