The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-11-16

this failed him he made several at.
tempts on the top. But l had nc
fear of his doing anything there. fol
the top of my cart is framed in with
dovetails and each sleeper bolted tc
the posts with an iron bolt. / had
it made so I could carry heavy loads
there. BY and by, after all else had
failed, the scamp commenced to hol-
Ter whoa to the horse, and kept ii
up until he became hoarse. All this
time | kept perfectly quiet, holding
the reins firmly and poking the beast
with the whip.
I'VE wasn't an hour going that
dozen miles-not a bit of it. l had
n't-much fear-perhaps / might tell
the truth and say that had none,
for l had q good pistol, and more
than that, my passenger was snfe-
yet / did feel glad when l came to
the old -four barrel factory that
stands at the edge of Jacksonville,
and in ten minutes more | hauled up
in front of the tavern and found a
couple OF, mensin the barn cleaning
down some stage horses.
"'Well, old feller, says 1, us l got
down and went round to the back of
the wagon, you've had a good ride,
haven't ye?'
"'Who are you? he cried, and his
voice trembled a little, too, as he
asked the question.
az am the man you tried to shoot,
| told him.
"'Where am 1? Let me outn he
yelled.
"'Look here, said 1, we've come
to a safe Stopping place, and mind
We, I've got revolver ready for ye
the moment We show yourself Now
lay quiet
by this time the two 'ostlers had
come to see what was the matter,
and | explained it all to them. AT
ter this | got one of them to run and
find the sheriff and tell him what !
believed I'd got for him. The first
streaks of daylight were just COM
ing up, and in half an hour it would
be broad daylight. In less than
that time the sheriff came and two
other men with him. | told him the
whole story in 4 few words-exhib-
tied the handbills l 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 re-
sistance he'd be a dead man. But,
mind you, the sheriff didn't tell him
the suspicious we had about him.
Then l slipped the iron wrench out,
and as | let the door open the fellow
made spring. / caught him by
the ankle and he came down on his
face, and in few moments more the
officers had him. 1t was now day
light, and the moment | saw the
chap | recognized him. He was the
very man had suspected, and his
fine black clothes were pretty well
covered with lint and dirt. He was
marched off to the lookup, and /
told the sheriff should remain in
town all day.
After. breakfast the sheriff came
down to the tavern and told me /
had caught the very bird, and that
If | would remain until the next
morning | should have the reward
of two hundred dollars which had
been offered. | found my goods all
safe, paid the express agent for
bringing them from Indianapolis,
and then went down to work to stow
them away in my cart. found the
bullet-holes in the top of my vehicle
just as l expected. They were in a
line, about five inches apart, and had
l been where | usually sit, two of
them would have hit me about the
small of the back and passed up
ward, for they were sent with a heavy
charge CT powder, and his pistol was
a heavy one.
"On the next morning the sheriff
called upon me and paid me two
hundred dollars in gold, for he had
made himself sure that he had got
the villain. After an early dinner /
sot out, and here / am. I've sold
my load all ont, and am now ready
to lay'up for the winter. l found a
letter in the office at Portsmouth for
me, from the sheriff of Hancock
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 l found the
four bullet-holes just as he had told
us, though they were now plugged
up with phial corks. Viney came
ont while / was looking, and showed
the prints of the Williams feet upon
the cart. They were plain and must
have been given with great force.