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

he was doing in there,
LET me out and I'll tell We, he
replied.
"'Tell me Whist you re in there for?'
said.
81 got in here to sleep on your
rags, he answered.
How'd We get in p asked.
Let ne get out, or shoot We
through the head. he s1ed.
"Just at that moment my horse
feet struck the hard road. and | knew
that the rest of the route to jackson
would be good going. The distance
would be twelve miles. l slipped
back upon the footboard and took the
whip. l had the same horse then I've
got nova tall, stout, powerful bay
mare, and you may believe there :
some go in her. At any rate, she
struck gait then that even astonish-
ed me. She had had good mess of
oats, the night air was cool, and she felt
like going. In fifteen minutes we
cleared the woods, and away wa went
at great pace.
THE chap inside kept yelling to be
let out, and threatening to shoot if I
didn't let him out. Finally he stop
ped, and in a few minutes came the
reports of a pistol-one. two, three,
four, one right after the other-and /
heard the balls whiz over nv head
If had been on my seat, one of those
balls, If not two Of them, must have
gone through me. l popped up my
head again and gave yell. and then
deep groan, and then I said oh.
save me am dead mani Then |
made a shufiiing noise as though !
weie falling Off, and finally settled
down again on the footboard. | now
urged up the old mare by giving her
an occasional poke with the butt of
the whip, and she went along faster
than ever.
THE man called out to me twice
more pretty soon after this, and as he
got no reply he made some tremen-
doas ssasapers to break tho door omen.
and as this failed him he made sever
al attempts upon the top. But had
no fears OF his doing anything there,
for the top of my cart is framed in
with dovetails and each sleeper bolted
to the posts with an iron bolt. l had
it made so that could carry heavy
loads there. By and by, after all
else had failed the scamp commenced
to holler whoa to the horse, and kept
it up until he became hoarse. All
this time | kept perfectly quiet, hold
ing the reins firmly and poking the
beast with the whip.
He wasn't an hour in going that
dozen miles, not bit Of it. | hadn't
much fear, perhaps I might tell the
truth and say that l had none, for
had a good pistol, and more than that,
my passenger was safe, yet did feel
glad when l came to the old -four bar
rel factory that stands at the edge OF
jackson village. and in ten minutes
more / hauled up in front of the
tavern and found a couple of men
cleaning down some stage horses.
We'll, old feller, said l, as l got
down and went round to the back Of
the wagon, you've had good ride,
haven't ye?
WHO are you he cried. and his
voice trembled little, too, as he
asked the question.
81 am the man you tried to shoot,
I told him.
Where am 1? Let me OUT he
yelled.
Look here, said l, we've come to
a safe stopping place. and mind We
I've got revolver ready for We the
moment We 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 | 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
daylight. In less than that time the
sheriff came and two other men with
him. told him the whole story in
few words, exhibited the handbills
| 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 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 down, the fel.
low made a spring. / lcaught him by
the ankle, and he came down on his
face, and in a moment more the off,
GERS had him. II was now daylight,
and the moment | saw the chap / re-
cognized 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 the town all day.
after 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
morning | should have the reward Of
$500 which had been offered. found