Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-10-06

up until he became hoarse. All this
time / kept perfectly quiet, holding the
reins firmly and poking the beast with
the whip.
"He wasn't an hour going that doz-
en- miles, not g. bit of it. / hadn't
much fear, perhaps I might tell the
truth and say that had none, for I
had good pistol, and more than
that, my passenger was safe, yet did
feel glad when | came to the old -four
barrel factory that stands at the edge
Of Jackson village, and in ten minutes
more [ hauled up in front of the tav-
ern and found q couple of men cleaning
down some stage horses.
"Well, old feIler,' says I, as I got
down and went round to the back of
the wagon, you've had q good ride,
haven't YEP
"Who are your ne cried and his
voice trembled a little, too, as he
asked the question.
"'I am the man you tried to shoot
I told him.
"'Where am I? Let me out!' he
yelled.
"'Look here, said I, we've come to
a sale stopping place, and mind We I've
got q revolver ready for We the mo-
ment you show yourself. Now lay
quiet
"By this time the two hostlers had
| come to see what was the matter,
and | explained it all to them. After
this got one of them to run and find
the sheriff, and tell him what I believed
I'd got for him. The first streaks Of
daylight were now just coming up, and
| in half an hour it would be broad day
light. In less than that time the
sheriff came and two other men with
him. / told him the whole story in g.
| few words, exhibited the handbills I
had for him, and then he made for
| the cart. He told the chap inside who
he was, and that if he made the least
resistance he'd be dead man. But,
mind you, the sheriff didn't tell him
| the suspicious we had about him.
Then I slipped the iron wrench out,
and, as I let the door down, the fellow
made g. spring. I caught him by the
ankle and he came down on his face,
and in q moment more the officers had
him. It was now daylight, and the
moment | saw the chap l recognized
him. He was the very man had sus-
pected, and his fine black clothes were
pretty well covered with lint and dirt.
He was marched off to the lookup,
and | told the sheriff I should remain
in the town all day.
CATER breakfast the sheriff came
down to the tavern and told me that
had caught the very bird, and that
if would remain until the next morn
ing | should have the reward of 5000
which had been offered. | found my
goods all safe, paid the express agent
for bringing them from Indianapolis,
and then went to work to stow them
away in my cart. found the bullet
holes in the top of my vehicle just as
expected. They were in a line, about
6veinches apart, and had been where
| usually sit, two of them would have
hit me somewhere about the small of
the back and passed upward, for they
were sent with a heavy charge Of pow
der, and his pistol was g. heavy one.
''On the next morning the sheriff
called upon me and paid me 5000 in
gold, for he had made himself sure that
he had got the villain. After an early
dinner [ set out, and here ] am. I've
sold my load all out, and am now
ready to lay up for the winter. 1
found a. letter in the Office at Ports
mouth for me, from the sheriff of Han
cock County, and he informed me that
Mr.. Hardhead is now in prison for
life"
So ended the peddler's story. In
the morning [ had the curiosity to
look at his cart, and 1 found the four
bullet holes just as he had told us,
though they were now plugged up with
phiai corks. Whey came out while [
was looking and showed me the prints
of the Villains feet upon the cart.
They were plain, and must have been
given with great force.