Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-11-18
A PEDDLER'S STORY.

'o@0 Vi us baenStSu 1uOus kA% w % u
fire Of tavern barroom in . New
England village. Shortly after we
arrived, a peddler drove up and or
-dered that his horse should DO stabbed
for the night. After we had eaten
supper We repaired to the bar-room.
and as soon as the ice was broken the
conversation flowed freely. Several
anecdotes had been related. and q.
nally the peddler was asked TO give
US story, As men of his 1ofsssion
we're generaliy-fuil Of sadssatare and
anecdote. He was a short, thick set
man, somewhere about 40 years of
age. and gave evidence of great phys
ical strength. He gave his name as
Lemuel Viney. and his home was in
Dover. N. H.
We'll. gentlemen, he commenced,
knocking the ashes from his pipe and
putting it in his pocket. suppose l
tell you about the last thing of any
consequence that happened to me !
You see | am now right from the far
west and on my way home for winter
quarters. 1t was about two months
ago, one pleasant evening. that l pull
ed up at the door of a small inn in
little village in Hancock county, Ind.
| said twas pleasant; meant twas
warm, but it was cloudy and likely
to be very dark. l went in and call
ed for supper, and had my horse taken
care of, and after | had eaten sat
down in the bar.room. 1t began to
rain about s o'clock, and for awhile it
poured down hard, and it was very
dark outdoors.
Now, l wanted to be in jackson
early the next morning, for expected
a load Of goods there for me, which l
meant to dispose of on my way home.
The moon would rise about midnight
and knew that if it did not rain |
could get along very comfortably
through the mud after that. So |
asked the landlord if he would not
see that my horse was fed about mid.
night &c 1 wished to be eff hafors .
lie expressed some surprise at this,
and asked me why did not stop for
breakfast told him that had sold
my last load about all out, and that
new lot of goods was waiting for
me at Jackson, aud / wanted to be
there for them before the express
agent left in the morning. There
were a number of people about while
told this, but l took little notice OF
them, one man only arresting my at,
tention. had in my possession, a
small package OF placards which |
was to deliver to the sheriff at Jack
son, and they were notices for the de-
lection of a notorious robber named
Dick Hardhead. These bills gave a
description Of his person, and the man
before me answered very well to it.
In fact, it was perfect. He was
tall, well-formed man, rather slight
in frame, and had the appearance of
a gentleman, save that his face bore
those hard, cruel marks which all OBJ
serving man cannot mistake for any.
thing but the index of a viilainous
disposition.
When went up to my chamber !
asked the landlord who that man was,
describing the suspicious individual.
He said he did not know him. He
had come there that afternoon, and
intended to leave some time during
the next day. The host asked me
why l wished to know, and I simply
told him that the mans countenance
was familiar, and wished to know if
| had ever been acquainted with him.
! resolved not to let the landlord into
the secret, but to hurry on to Jackson,
and there give information to the
sheriff, and perhaps he might reach
the inn before the villain left, for
had no doubts with regard to his iden.
tity.
Il had an alarm watch, and having
set it to give an alarm at l o'clock, l
went to sleep. | was aroused at the
proper time, and Immediately got up
and dressed myself. When l reached
the yard found the clouds all passed
away, and the moon was shining
brightly. The hostler was easily
aroused. and by 2 o'clock was on
the road. The mud was deep, and
nv horse could not travel very fast,
yet it struck me that the beast made
more work than there was any reed
OF, for the cart was nearly empty. my
whole stock consisting of about half d
dozen tin pans and a lot Of loose
rags.
However. on we went, and in the
course Of half an hour was clear o.
the village, and at a short distane.