The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-05-14

IL a9NO4" MauE ally AnDLE 1uAQA AnabAOA
about them same smugglers. sure
Mickey MehaGey's the boy that can
find it out for We.
I was certainly rather amused at
Mickey's sudden change of principles,
and telling him to call on me the next
day, if he had further information to
giye,lput spurs to my horse and trotted
in to town.
had only been recently appointed
20 BallyrOughan, with special instruc-
tiOns to do my utmost to suppress
smuggling, which was at that time
very prevalent in the district. And
from all the information could gather,
/ came to the conclusion that the most
effectual way of doing this was to inter
cept the landing of the goods from the
island. The supply, 1 reasoned would
soon cease, if 1 succeeded in cutting OF
the demand.
Mickey kept his promise about Civ
/ ing me further information. l had
4 jusCthrOwn myself on theslounge next
evening after dinner, when a fiery
( altercation broke in upon my rest. 1t
was my landlady and Mickey on the
4 stairs. ''Ye can't disturb him now,
I'm telling We; he's only afther his din
ner."
''But want to see him particular"
\ persisted Mickey, endeavOring to pass
] Der on the stairs
''And it's want yen meet with thin;
We can watch for him as he goes out in
/ the mornin'."
ats a matther of life and death, I'm
tellin' ye; and the mOrnin' wouldn't do
! at all, at ALL"
''WelI, and what if it is a matther of
life and death? Sure, he isn't the
1 docthor."
1 now thought proper to interfere.
EFF that is Mickey Mehafey," l said,
4 'you may allow. him to come up, Mrs.
! McKetchup. !"
VERY well, sor. Bad luck to the
dirthy boots o. yei'' This last to Mickey
in an undertone.
"Well, Mickey, shut the door, and
let me hear what you have got to say"
1--WE learned it all, sOr. Hugh's
Shan gave me all the news this mOrnin'
afther chapel. He's wan of the snug
glers, We know, from the island"
''What news did he give yOu?"
''Why, about the pOteen for the fair.
It's just as towld ye. They're to land
it tonight about twelve o'clock, as the
moon will be dark by that time
"Well, where do they usually land
it?'' 1 asked.
''Well, sor, there are only two places
where a boat can put in with safety;
wan of these, the Smugglers' Pier, is
just between the high rocks foreninst
BallyrOughran; and the other is about
a quarter of a mile farther along the
shore. It's not so safe in the dark as
the Smuggiers' Pier, and so they never
land at ii.
After arranging with Mickey to meet
] ma fhaf raffrhf az foir r1ninf I dis
missed him, and proceeded to mature
my plan for trapping the smugglers. 1t
was this: / arranged with the coast
guard officer to meet me at the Snug
glers' Pier about eleven o'clock. He
was to bring two boats and three boat
men with him, and row up silently
from the station to the place appointed.
Three cOnstables of the Royal lrishn
were also detailed to meet me at the
same time and place. Mickey, as pre-
viously stated, was to 90 with myself
and act as guide The rendezvous was
about a mile from the town, so / started
off about half-past ten on my secret ex-
petition. Fortunately, Ballyroughan
retires early to rest, so not n soul was
to be seen as 1 passed through the
town. A subdued cough at the out
skirts told me that Mickey was true to
! MS appointments.
We walked in silence to the place,
and found the ''palers," as Mickey
called them. waiting. The cOaStguard
officer and his men-had not Yet arrived.
N Thev came, however. shortly afterward
and then gave my final instructions.
One boat. manned by the coastguard
officer, a bOatman and one of the con
stables, was to row about four hundred
, Yards OUT and lie on its oars, out OF
the track of the smugglers, but ready
to intercept them on their return to the
islands, if they escaped us. A shof
from my revolver was the signal fol
them to be on the alert. The Othel
boat I directed to be kept out of sigh
, between the rocks, but ready for actor
at moments notice. These arrange
l ments completed. every one waited
: quietly at his post to watch the turn o
, events. It was now midnight;. anC
, though the moon had been down al
I most half an hour, there was no sign o
the smupglers. Could it be that Micke7
4 was PLAYING US falseP This though
! had Just occurred to me, when my ca
1 caught the sound of distant oars.
did you hear. any thing, sirP" on
7 OF the cOnstables whispered.
flush! Listen, " said.
5 Yes: there was no mistake. Neare
Y and clearer came the plash of the oar
and the creaking of the roWlocks; anC
/. | in q few minutes afterwards the boa
grated on the gravel within a few yard
f of where we lay concealed. I saw
r through the darkness that there wer
only two men in the boat, with a boz
to steer. The former proceeded a
4 once TO land the goods. They brOugh
t a key ashore; but before I could Civ,
d the order for capture a ludicrous in
+ cident betrayed us. Mickey, I noticed
had been nodding with sleep for SOM
S time, and at the most critical mOmen
{ began to snore so loudly, that the mel
at once dropped the key and made
); rush for the boat.
Y ARREST theml" / shouted, and on
Of the policemen succeeded in catching
T hold of an oar Just as the boat was be
n ing pushed off; but the smuggle
/, was equal to the occasion. He drey
: the oar towards the boat, then pushes
= it rapidly back again, and next momen
l the unfortunate constable was lef
= lsprawling in the water. ''Man tn
f boatr' I shouted, as I observed the
: were about to escape us. you"
e said to the policeman who got the duck
e ing, Twill remain on shore to guard tn
n Il seizure and Mickey may keep you com
) pany. All readYPa I asked, stepping int
y the boat, and at the same time dis
IS charging my revolver, as a signal {
It the coastguard officer in the othe
lt boat
J. "All right, sir. -
l. 'sThen pun or and away he wen
II I'm the wake of-the smugglers. TIL
~ chase was an exciting one. They ha
e got about twenty yards ahead; but on
\ boat was the swifter, and we soon cam