The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1892-01-22

WulCu Was dUOut u ullc VI 81 ITOl tuc
In travelling this distance he had found q
piece of wood and at one portion of the for.
est the path wound around the top of a high
and rocky precipice.
For some time after his encounter with
Appleton he had kept constantly on the look
out for an attack from him, but as time pass.
ed and the rufflan did not modest him he be-
gan to get careless, and finally thought no
more about it.
One night he was detained at the quarry
until late hour. When he set out for home
darkness had fallen, aud there was only q
feeble light from the moon, which was then
in its first quarter. In due time he came to
the forest, and was soon making his way
along the top of the precipice.
Suddenly he heard noise behind him, and
the next moment received vigorous blow
in the back. He threw out his arms as he
fell forward, and managed to catch hold ola
small bush as he pitched over the top Of the
cliff. There he hung unable to move, and
moment later two men, whom he easily re-
cognized as Aaron Appleton and Joe Bangs,
stepped from the shadow OF tree behind
which they had been concealed.
We've got you now, you cursed little
jacksnpe, and you'll never leave the place
alive" was Appleton's fiendsh salutation.
Come on, Joe let's throw him over"
They approached the bush and tried to
loosen the foreman's hold. Atwood felt his
grasp relaxing, and suddenly letting go with
one hand he grasped Bangs tenaciously by
his long beard. This act was 80 sudden and
unexpected that the ruf1an only saved him
self from going over the precipice by selling
the bush with both hands. The struggle
caused Atwood to lose hold on the shrubbery
I'd it'll hio n har hand and. n1iak 1inhfniutr
he plunged 1t into Bangs wbiskers, from
which he now hung suspended like huge
Appleton tried to disengage him, but this
caused Bangs such agony that he roared like
an angry bovine.
Help p he yelled "help For heavens
sake pull him up. / can't hold on much
longer, and we'll both fall over the cliff"
"Wait minute; I'll fix him." cried Aaron
with fiendish oath, as he sprang up and
seized heavy stick.
Atwood saw his intention, and grosned in |
despair. Then an idea flashed into his mind,
and tightening his hold on Bangs beard, with
his left hand, with his right he reached
around and drew his revolver. AS Appleton
with the club uplifted Atwood rails
ed the revolver and fired, and with groan
the outlaw sank down on the edge of the |
cliff 4
"Now, you, Internal fiend," cried Atwood
to Bangs, "help me to climb up, or I'll send a |
ball through your head, and we'll 60 over
the cliff together" |
But there was no need to urge him. The |
ruff1an was nearly wild with terror, and de- |
spite the awful strain ON his whiskers, he
worked with an energy almost superhuman. |
When the danger was past and both men |
stood safe on the top of the precipice, the |
reaction was too great and Bangs sank down |
iEsensible. Atwood was conscious of sick
ening giddiness stealing over him, but know
ing that it would be dangerous to faint now, |
he recovered himself by mighty effort and |
sat down on a stone to rest.
With revolver in hand he waited for Bangs
to return to consciousness. When at last the |
ruffian sat up all his bravado had vanished |
and he proved himself what he was, an abject |
and arrant coward.
For Gods sake, Mr.. Atwood" he said, |
"don't put the law on me. 1t was all Apple |
toms fault, curse him, and hope you've killed |
him. He planned this attack and persuaded |
me to help him; but l guess you've fixed |
him, and I'm glad OF it. lfyou'll only prom
ise not to put the law on me Ill do anything |
you say. You won't have me arrested, will
you ?"
"I'll make no promise" said Atwood, ris-
ing. "Help me drag this fellow home now, |
and no treachery, mind, or I'll blow your |
worthless head off"
Between them they got the wounded ruff
an home, and doctor was summoned. An |
examination proved the wound to be dan |
gerous, though not fatal one, and the ply |
stefan declared that the man would probably |
recover He did get well in the course of
time, but he soon left that locality and was
never again heard of.
Bangs begged the foreman to take him
back into the quarry, and as he promised to
behave himself and do all he could 10 induce |
the others to obey orders Atwood reinstated
him. When he came back to work il was
noticed that he had shaved of his beard, and
though he remained at the quarry for years
he was never known to wear whis-
kers again.
After this the quarrymen behaved well.
Like all bullies, they were towards at heart,
and, having had ample proof that the little
boss" was able to take care of matters, made
no further attempt to evsde his authority.