The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-04-17


| on full cock and looked audaClOusly on
both sides of the road, as if daring the
lurking murderers to come forth and
receive the reward of their crimes. As
TO the story of the soldiers and the fear
full i%nsinuations Of Il bloody deed exc
Cuted on n or all, it was a prOdlglous
rhOdOmOntade-for Tom was such a
tender hearted individual that If he had
shot a kitten it would have made him
unhappy fora week, But, to hear him
talk, you would have taken him for a
| civic Richard the Third-one who had
neither pity, love nor fear.
HIS whiskers were also very feroclous
and suggestive of battle, murder and
rum. So he went on playing with his
pistol. and giving himself out for an I'M
pitying executioner of vengeance on the
guilty, until we reached the small town
where one of our customers resided, and
it was necessary for one of us to carry
one of the bags to it's destination. Tom
undertook this task.
As the village at which the remaining
parcels were to be delivered was only a
mile further on, he determined to walk
across the fields and join me after he
had execeted his commission. He
looked carefully at the printing of his
pistol, stuck it ostentatiously in the
outside breast pocket of his great coat;
and with stately step, marched off with
the heavy money bag in his hand. [
put the whip to the horse, and trotted
merrily forward, thinking nothing what
aver of robbery or danger, in spite Of
mOmentary conversation of Tom Rud-
die. Our first customer resided at the
outskirts of the village-a farmer who
required a considerable amount of gold.
/ pulled up at the narrow dark entrance
up the lane with my golden treasure. l
delivered it into the hands of its owner,
and manfully resisting all his hospitable
invitations, [ took my leave and walked
rapidly toward the gig.
As / drew near I perceived in the
clear starlight a man mounted on the
step and cropping under the seat. L
ran forward, and the man, alarmed at
my approach, rapidly raised himself
from his stopping position, and, pre-
senting a pistol, fred it so close to my
eyes that the flash blinded me for a mo-
ment; the action was so sudden and
the surprise so great, that for a short
time, too, [ was bewilderd, and scarcely
knew whether I was alive or dead.
The old horse started at the re-
port, and Irested my hand on the rim
of the wheel, while / endeavored to
gather my scattered thoughts. The
first thing I ascertained was that the
man had DISAPPEARED. 1 then hurriedly
examined under the seat, and, to my in
tense relief, perceived the remaining
money bag still in its place.
There was q slit in it, however, near
the top, as if made by a knife-the rob-
Der probably resolving merely to pos
ses himself of the coin, without the
dangerous accompaniment of the leath-
ern sack, by which he might have been
traced.
"Teii We what" said a voice close be-
side me, as l concluded my scrutiny, II
don't like practical jokes like that-ir-
ing off pistols to frighten folks. You'll
alarm the whole village"
"Tom," / said, "Now's the time to
show your courage. A man has robbed
the gig-or tried to do it-and has fired
at me within a yard of my face"
Tom grew perceptibly pale at this in
formation. "Was there only one?
Then the accomplices are near. What's
to be done? Shall We arouse Farmer
Mains and get his men to helpP"
"Not for the world" Isaid. g would
rather face a dozen shots than have my
carelessness known at the bank. It
would ruin me for life. Let us count
the money in this bag, quickly deliver
it if it be right, and then follow the
robbers course" It was only a hun
dred- guinea bag, that one, but the
counting was work. We found
three guineas wanting. We were
luckily able to supply them
from our own pockets, having just
received our quarters salaries, and /
left Tom there, delivered the bag to its
destination very near at hand, without a
word of the robbery, and went back to
him. "Now which way did he go?"
said Tom, resuming a little of his for
mer air, clutching his pistol like the
chief OF a chorus Of banditti in q melo-
drama. / told him I had been SO con-
fused that / had not observed which
way he had retreated.
Tom was an old hand at poachlng-
though he was q clergyman's son, and
ought to have set a better example.
aI have heard a hare stir a hundred
yards, " he said, and laid his ear close
to the frosty ground.
If he's within q quarter of a mile ]
shall hear him move" ] also lay down
on the ground. We heard nothing
but our breathing and the breathing
Of the horse. Hush" said Tom at
last. "He has come out of his hiding,
/ hear q mans step far away to the left
bring your pistol and let us follow
/ took the pistol and found the flint