The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-10-22
AN UNWELCOME

A cold winters night found a stag,
load of us gathered about the warn
fire of a tavern barroom in q New
England village. Shortly after we ar
rived a peddler drove up and ordered
that his horse should be stabbed fol
the night. After we had eaten supper
we had repaired to the barroom, and
rs soon as the ice was broken the con
versation flowed freely. Several an.
ecdotes had been related, and finally
the peddler was asked to give us a
story, as men Of his profession were
generally full of adventure and anec'
dote. He was a short, thiCk-set mar
somewhere about 40 years Of age, and
gave evidence OF great physical
strength. He gave his name as Lem
ueI Whey, and his home was in Dover,
N. III.
"Well, gentlemen" he commenced,
knocking the ashes from his pipe and
putting it in his pocket, suppose I
tell you of about the last thing of any
consequence that happened to ME?
You see l am now right from the Far
West, and on my way home for win
ter quarters. 1t was about two
months ago, one pleasant evening,
that | pulled up at the door of a small
inn in q small village in Hancock
county, Indiana. | said twas pleas
anti meant twas warm, but it was
cloudy and likely to be very dark. l
went in and called for supper, and had
my horse taken are of, and after |
had eaten | sat down in the barroom.
1t began to rain about s o'clock, and
for a while it poured down hard, and
it was very dark outdoors.
Nov, / wanted to be in Jackson
sarly the next morning, for / expected
load Of goods there for me, which |
meant to dispose of on my way home.
The moon rose about midnight, and |
knew ii it did not rain that | could get
along very comfortably through the
mud after that. Iasked the landlord
If he would not ses that my horse was
fed about midnight, as | wished to be
of about two. He expressed some
Lurprise at this, and asked me why /
did not stay to breakfast. / told him
that | had sold the last load about
out, and that a new lot of goods was
waiting for me at Jackson, and /
wanted to be there for them before
the express again left in the morning.
There vas a number of people about
while | told this, but / took little no.
tice of them, one man only a~rresting
my attention. I had in my posses
sion . small package of placards which
Twas TO deliver to the sheriff at Jack
son, and they were notice for the
detection of a notorious rob-
Der named Dick Hardhead. These
bills gave a description of his
person, and the man before me an
sWered very well to it. Intact, it was
perfect. He was a tall, welcomed
man, rather slight In frame, and had
the appearance of q gentleman, save
that his facs bore those hard, cruel
marks which an observing man can
not mistake for anything but the in
dex OF q villainous 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 the next
day The host asked me why / wish
Cd to know and / simply told him
that the mans c~ountenanca looked
familiar andI wished to know if I had
W. been acquainted with him. / re.
solved 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 mn before the villain left; for Ihad
no doubts with regard to his linden,
tity.
"I had ahalarm watch, and havine
set 1t to give the alarm at one o'clock
/ went TO sleep. / was aroused at the
proper time and Immediately got III
and dressed myself. When / reached
the va I found the clouds ell passed
sway, and the moon was shinin,
brightly. The hostier was easily
aroused, and by two o'clock I was OF
the road. The mud was deep, ani
my horse could not travel very fast
yet ii struck me that the beast mad,
more work than there was any neet
81. tor the cart was nearly empty, M