The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-12-17
PILLS PROMISE.

the stream AT about O'clock in the
evening of a starlight August night
two men rowed a. boat along the shore
anchored near the point, and got ready
their fishing tackle
They lighted plies and began to talk
The shore was a desolate one; no living
thing, save bats and nighthawks, were
Stirring, and there seemed little danger
Of listeners Yet, if it had not been
quite SO dark, the fishermen might have
seen that there were two living things
near them.
a big tree had blown down on the
shore years before and the barkless
trunk still stretched across the water
two boys.
Being also fishermen they were about
to give g, friendly greeting to the new
corners when something that was being
said caught thhir attention, and they
kept quiet Though the men spoke in
low tones the night was so still that
their voices were carried distinctly over
the water. The boys on the log could
hear and understand
It's an easy way OF maxim money if
it's done right-as 1 do it." one of the
men was saying. WED make a good
thing out of this; there's a lot of the
opium. An there isn't much danger
either
Don't know about that-seems to me
there's danger enough" muterred the
other man.
There's not much" went on the first
speaker, who sat in the boats stern.
THE officers at the patrol station are a
careless lot-asleep half the time. An
the people about here are afraid of
me; they'd rather see any amount of
smugglin' than do anything to get me
down on them. Make up your mind,
Sandy, for the sooner we do it the
better. Let's say tomorrow night
there's no moon now to trouble US.
This is a good place to slip over, right
here Well only be a few minutes
roWin' across an there'll be a horse
an wagon waitin' for US on the Yam
kee Shore
Sandy finally gave his consent, and,
after some more talk the man who
seemed the leader, said: 'AIl right,
then. Now let's leave this fishin';
only came because L wanted a quiet
talk with you
The anchor was drawn up, and if it
had not been for a black bass the boat
night.
Tbs black bass, as it swan along by
the shore, happened to notice the bait
upon one of the hooks that were in the
water near the big log. 1t seized the
bait, and being a very active fish, like
all black bass, it gave the line a sud
den, quick jerk. The pole was loosely
held, for just then the boys were think
ing little of their fishing, and this jerk
r.
and strike the log. The owners en-
deavor to catch the pole only added
to the noise.
''Hold on cried the man in the boats
stern, what is that? Quick. Sandy!
Row up to that log. There's some
thing moving on it."
The boy tried to scramble ashore,
and might have succeeded had not one
of them, in his haste, slipped and fell
into the water. His companion stopped
TO pull him out and both were captured.
The men lighted lantern they had
with them and examined their pris-
oners. This one, that's just had a
ducking is Master Dugro, an the other
one is young Hardie," said the man in
the boats stern. Nov, boys suppose
you know me, Joe McGregor, an you
know that I'm not man to NEEDLE
with. You've heard our talk, and now
you've got to promise to keep quiet
about it. An if you break your prom
Use, I'll make you wish that you had
never heard of me! I'm going right
along as if you hadn't been here to-
night, an you see that you do, too!
Do you understand? Now promisew
The boys were so completely in the
power of this man-whom they knew
to be a desperate fellow, suspected of
all sorts of crfmes-that they did not
hesitate. Both took a solemn oath of
secrecy.
Remember said McGregor, as they
were allowed to jump ashore, IF 1
hear of any informing I will know who
has done it, an I'll have my revenge.
You will learn what it is to get Joe
down on youi'
The boys hurried over the fields to-
wards the village.
well, were in luck" said George
Hardie, the larger boy. 81 expected
would drown us, after catch
ing US listening in that way he's equal
to anything.
Phil Dugro, a slender lad of Is, was
trembling violently; he had had a chill
ling bath in the river, and besides he
was greatly excited II wish that we
''McGregor's smuggling ought
to be stopped
ooh, don't worry about that; it's no
business of ours"
We'll. however that is" said Phil,
we've promised to keep quiet about
it; so now there is nothing we can
do"
But after they had parted in the
outskirts of the village Phil continued
he was almost a traitor to his coun-
try
Phil Dugro was the son of lieuten-
ant of cavalry, who had been shot and
killed in western Indian fighting. His
widow came back to her eastern home.
bringing with her the baby, who had
grown into this STRIPPING of is.
The widow hoped that the son might
go to West Point, but at that time
Mrs. Dugro feared that the appoint
ment could not be brought about.
On the night of the meeting with
Gregor. Phil slept uneasily, being trou-
bled by many dreams-fights with
smugglers on the river, with Indians
on the plains.
The next day he was restless. In
the afternoon he saw George Hardie.
who assured him that it was best to
forget all about the night before After
supper he and his mother were on the
piazza.
did my father ever have anything
to do with smugglers?' suddenly asked
Phil. He was thinking that it was al
most time for McGregor to be starting
out across the river
Mrs. Dugro thought not
Would he have considered it as ne
cessary to fight smugglers as hostile
Indians or invading soldiers?" he con-
tinued.
Perhaps not; still, one ought al
ways TO try to prevent law-breaking.
The government looks out for US in
many ways, and we should defend its
rights whenever we have the oppor-
tunity. Your father believed in this