Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-04-24

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 tr0tted
merrily forward, thinking nothing what
ever Of robbery or danger, in spite Of
momentary conversation of Tom Rud-
dle. Our first customer resided at the
outskirts Of the village q farmer who
required q considerable amount of gold.
I pulled up at the narrow dark entrance
up the lane with my golden treasure. !
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 man mounted on the
step and cropping under the seat. !
ran forward, and the man, alarmed at
my approach, rapidly raised himself
from his stopping position, and, pre-
senting pistol, fired it so close to my
eyes that the flash blinded me for mo-
ment; the action was. so sudden and
the surprise so great, that for short
time, too, I was bewilderd, and scarcely
knew whether I was alive or dead.
The old horse never started at the re-
| port, and 7 rested my hand on the rim
Of the wheel, while I endeavored to
gather my scattered thoughts. The
| first thing ascertained was that the
man had DISAPPEARED. then hurriedly
| examined under the seat, and, to my IN
tense relief, perceived the remaining
money bag still in its place. .s
There was slit in it, however, near
the top, as if made by knife--ths 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.
"Tell We what, said voice close be-
side me, as I concluded my scrutiny, II
don't like practical jokes like that-fr-
| ing off pistols to frighten folks. You'll
alarm the whole village"
"Tom," / said, "Now's the tins to
show your courage. A man has robbed
the gig-or tried to do it-and has fired
at me within 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 help?"
mot for the world" Isaid. "Iwould
rather face dozen shots than have my
carelessness known at the bank. 1t
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 hun
bred, guinea bag, that one, but the
counting was nervous 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 ut hand, without a
word of the robbery, and went back tt
him. "Now which way did he go?'
said Tom, resuming little Of his for.
mer air, clutching his pistol like the
chief OF chorus Of banditti in melo
drama. I told him had been so con.
fused that 1 had not observed which
way he had retreated.
! Tom was an old hand ct poachlng--
though he was clergyman's son, anC
ought to have get better example.
II have heard hare stir hundred
yards" he said, and laid his ear close
to the frosty ground.
Ii he's within quarter of s. mile ]
shall hear him move" I also laydown
on the ground. We heard nothing
but our breathing and the breathing
of the horse. Hush" said Tom al
last. Gle has come out of his hiding.
I hear mans step far away to the left
bring your pistol and let us follow"
| l took the pistol and found the hint
down on the pan. The man had fired
at me with my own weapon, and nc
wonder lie had fired 50 suddenly, fol
Tom now acknowledged to his BELLE
that he had forgotten to uncock it
Never mind" said Tom; It'll blow his
brains out with mine and you can split
his skull with the butt-end OF yours
Tell ye what! It's of no use to prepare
those malefactors. I'll fire the moment
I see him."
"Not until I tell you whether he is the
robber or not"
"should you know him do you think 2
"In the flash of the powder I saw s
pair of haggard and amazed eyes which
| T shall never forget" "Oh, them" said
I Tom, well have goo reward, and see
the rascal hanged besides" We set off,
slowly and nolselessly in the direction
pointed out. Occasionally he applied
his ear to the ground. and always NUT.
tering: eve have him we have him!'
proceeded in the same careful manner
as before. Suddenly Tom said: "He's
doubling. He has been leading us on
the wrong scent all this time; he has
turned toward the village" "Then our
plan," said, Should be to get there be-
fore him. If we intercept him in that
way he can't escape. and I feel sure
could identify him if I saw him by can
delight" "Tell ye what--that's the
PLAN" replied my companion. "Well
watch at the end of the village and ar
rest him the moment he comes in.
We crept through an opening Of the
hedge and got once more in the straight
lane that led to the village. It was now
very late and the cold was so intense
that it kept every person within doors
for we heard no sound in the whole
hamlet, except, high up in the clear
air, the ticking Of the church clock, and
the loud jangles of the quarters that
seemed like peals of artillery in the ex-
cited state OF our minds and senses.
Close to the church which appeared
to guard the entrance OF the village,
with its low, buttressed walls and its
watch tower of = steeple- there was a
wretched, ruined looking cottage, which
projected SO far INTO the lane that
the space between it and the chuxch