Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-05-31

me. lut IlIlb Uulb NiVPPNN
my hands. Things fall that way
to a lucky man, no matter what
business he is engaged in.
One of the bits of luck which
fell to me several years ago, and
which was much talked about at
the time, came about in a very
singular way. | had been sent
down to Augusta, Arkansas, to
Identify a man who had been ar
rest ed there, and was supposed to
be a robber wanted IN ChicaSo. lie
did not prove to be the man we
hoped he was, aud l was making
ready to return when a resident OF
the town, who was an old acquain-
tance of mine, put forward a spec
ulatiOn. lie had just purchased
saw mill few miles down White
river, and he believed there was
big money to be made in buying
large tract of timber contiguous to
the mill. This tract was for sale
at a low figure, but my friend could
not raise the cash. The result OF
our talk was that we took a boat
next morning and were left at the
mill landing. While he was over
seeing some change of machinery l
started out to get some idea of the
value of the timber. The first
thing | knew l was lost in the for
est, and l did Just what all other
people do under the circumstances
headed the wrong way. Instead
of going toward the river, | went
from it. 1t was in July, and al
though the mosquitoes nearly de-
voured me, there was no danger oil
suffering from inclemency OF the
weather.
1t was about 10 o'clock in the
morning when l started out, and
by mid.afternoon | had walked at
least ten miles, and knew that ]
was entirely bewildered. | couldn't
keep a straight course tor the
creeks and swamps, and the day
was so cloudy and the forest so
dense that there was no sighting
the sun to guide me. 1t was Just
3 o'clockVin the afternoon when |
reached a GoOd sized stream, and
the first thing I saw was an old
house boat tied to the bank. There
was smoke coming out of a stove
pipe thrust through the roof, and
| congratulated myself that | had
reached shelter ana something to
eat. There was q plank Teacking
from boat to shore, and ascended,
It and entered the cabin unan-
nounced. A white man and a ne.
gro were seated in the rude room
and fire had Just been kindled IN
the cook stove. There was a door
at the other side Of the boat. 1t
stood wide open and the instant
the men caught sight of me both
sprang for the door. In the rush
they bumped into each other and
both rolled to the floor. The white
man was the quicker Of the two
and while stood looking and won
dering he scram bled up and flung
himself into the water and swan
to the opposite shore.
"Doan't shoot. For de Lawd's
sake doan' kill me - yelled the ne
gro, as he rolled over aud over on
the floor.
"What does this mean = /
demanded.
ait means dat l surrenders" he
replied.
every well. Now sit up and tell
me who you are and what you are
doing here"
81 had to come along, boss. !
didn't want to, but dey said dey
would dun Kill me-"
"Who owns this boz. ~
"Why, dat Harding gang, IN
co'se."
"And what are you doing here ?
~Dun bidin' out, 'spOse."
! vas so stupid that | did not
realize what luck had come to me
until the negro gave it away. Then
| secured him against escape and
searched the boat ard in that old
hulk | found over SIX thousand
dollars worth of dry goods, cloth
ing, boots and shoes, jewelry, hard
ware aud other stuff, the proceeds
of a dorm big rObberies along the
river. There was a gang of foul
| men engaged in the work, and thu
negro was their cook. Tue boa
was hidden away i'll a branch o
the White river to wait for a ris'
of water to get down to the Mis-
sissipi, and three of the gang wer'
of that day to spot a country stor
some seven miles distant.
The negro and I stood guard al
night, for | soon found that | coul'
} trust him, but if the fellows return
ed to the ncighborhOOd we did no
see them. Next day we got th
boat down to the mill, which wa
hardly four miles away, and fror
thence she was taken to Clarendon
and the goods returned to thei
owners, as far as possible. Th
robbers we're all identified by nam
and person by the negro, aud with
in a few weeks were either capture
: and sent to prison, or runIinto th
swamp and shot dOwn.-Ct'cd Sd
, s,sd0n GI0Ie