Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-05-03
New Series, Vol %, No.18.

Me-
: lay still and glared back at him. l say
, his perfect teeth set hard between hi
thin white lips.
He took out pistol, cooked it.
Look here" he said, where is tn
money!"
sat up and gave him stare for stare
| "What's that to y0U?"
One second | thought he would xii
me. Then he governed himself anC
, turned away. He spoke to Chisel apart
! then he turned back to me.
: 'Look here, you what's -his-name," hi
said, "three miles from here there's {
little house, at the fork of Carrom lane
|, and the South road. There's a little
woman in that house tonight, and she's
a handsome little woman, and she's al
alone''
He saw me shudder. | had forgotten
Nell for one moment He went on:
"Pm going to ask you some questions.
If you answer square, all right. If not,
we tie you up, carry you into the woods
and make her visit. Do you under
stand?"
81 understand" l said. He went on:
"Last Friday night you put $4,000 in
Bath & Westbury's safe, in CaramOre.
You put in more ON Monday. You was
to have taken it out tonight. Where
is itt''
II haven't seen dollar of it since
Bath put it into the safe," 1 answered.
l had not. l counted it over to Bath
when left it. He made package of
it for me. l saw only the wrapper. Was
it, morally, lie? Well, as you will.
DIR. Johnson held that one might be JUS
titled in denying the authorship of "Ju-
MUS" whether he wrote the letters or
| not.
"You say you did not take it out of
their safe to-night?"
"Yes."
l did not l took it out of Baths
hand
He turned to the others-talked hur-
riedly apart. made out that they did
not know the roads across the plains.
They had, without doubt, come out from
the city on the middle turnpike. The
parson turned to me.
II have wagon close by. You must
drive me to Caramore. VIII you prom
ise?"
"I'll drive you," said.
l did not say where or how.
allow far is it?'
seventeen miles"
He turned to the others.
"Bring out the horses"
He held the lantern-stood by me care
lessly, turning his pistol in his hand.
They led the horses out of the wood
through length of fence thrown down.
Jiber brought out buggy with fine
black mare before it. Chisel led out a
stout bay cob and leaped lightly into
the saddle.
sect in said the parson.
/ stepped in-took the reins.
He whispered to Jiber, then he jump
ed in.
"Drive on" he said.
"Not if that man stops behind"
"What Go you mean? Look here,
young man, I'll have no trifling. How
can he go when you have his place? Jiber,
make straight for the castle. Tell the
king. If we're not in by come to the
cave. The words 'MavOureen.' Now,
sir, drive on, or I'll drive you home"
"Get up," l said.
1 knew what L had to do. made my
plan. sent the black mare down the
road at swinging gait. She was a
beautiful mare-coal black, graceful,
spirited, yet nowise nervous or f1ighty.
I never saw better to trot and endure.
She took long, smooth, rolling stride, |
without jerk or break, never squirting or
furrying, except at any steep rising
ground, which she always took with a
short swing. After a mile or two he
spoke:
"How quick can she make it,"
seventeen miles? Two hours"
l knew she could do it in half an hour |
less.
He looked round "a sneering, scornful
glance.
"I've driven her nine miles in half an
hour. Shake her out"
Il quickened her pace. We made a |
four minute gait on the levels. He lean
ed back and smoked his cigar. Iwatch-
ed him askance. You could read no more |
in his face than in this blank page be-
fore l scrawl it over. Chisel galloped
the bay close behind.
"Can you strike the Caramore road
without passing Brame's tavern?"
"I can"
SHOW much farther"
'Half a mile longer to the Ocean road"
"Do it, then"
l couldn't have asked for better
chance. The straight road to Caramore
runs past Brames door. You would
strike the Ocean road at Bradley's, four
miles north of Caramore. BY turning
off to avoid the Squire's, you must take
the Lindesly road, which is half a mile
longer to the Ocean road, but strikes it
ten miles northeast of Bradley's at Look
out hill.
We took the Lindesly road, swept away
East, the black mare trotting smooth
and square, the bay horse galloping close
behind. We had the wagon cover up;
the parson leaned back in his corner and
smoked. When one cigar burned short
he lighted another and smoked on. 1
did not turn my head or eyes, but
watched him all the while. Though he
appeared so careless, felt that he watch
ed my every motion. saw that he
knew nothing of the roads. 1 made up
nv mind how l should drive, and drove
on steadily, Iknew that any hesitation
would betray me. / took every turn and
corner as certainly as if had been driv-
ing my own brown Driver home, instead
of this wild robbers race across country,
with that lie faced, fine clothed villain
for my companion, and the end of the
Journey less than an hour off, but God
alone knew what or wherel
We sat and whirled on in silence.