Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-10-17

DER" He 5crkoo BE thumb over h1D
shoulder. ibid you never ny the 10y,
Captainf You have 70 live mighty strict
while II lasts, but lie good lay I . good
layl" The speaker smiled, sourly, ht the
recollection. Highly respected by rich
and poor, there was nothing good enough
for such brace Of saints a Johnny and
me. Fat collections every Sabbath, and
the poultry and butter and cheeses, why,
we lived like couple OF kings, except for
the liquor. Your parson must be cruel
sparing Of the bene-bowsc. That was where
the shoe pinched. But at last our chance
came along, for girl Of the place was go
ing to be married to some bloated cit In
Winchester. Her men-folk were out O.
the way, and who fl TO escort her and
her mother-and her dowry--as the two
tall parsons? So, one ON each side, all for
fear Of you, Captain, we logged along till
nightfall And here we are, land
offering you third Of the swsg and
what could be fairer9"
"You dogs Of Egypt" began Captain
Jacobus, in q voice that made the glasses
ring, would you make terms with me
BY the heavens you blasphcme you shall
strip yourself of every doitl IT'S you and
your like bring disgrace upon the names
Of the Kings gentlemen. Are we to keep
the road, with ours like you swapping at
our heels? What You would decoy
two poor ladies upon the Kings highway,
and drag the very rings from their fingers
You would poach on the manor OF Captain
Jacobns, take possession Of his inn, sharp
him at the cards, and shoot him through
the head afterwards, II he hadn't been a
match for the hulking pair of you rum
clapper-dogeons All that you would do;
and, when he gets upsides with you, you
have the bravado to inform him Of 1t to
his face, and to offer him share A
share! To mel" anti the orator interpo-
lated some highly stimulating oaths. "A
share! You shall see, now! Empty
your pockets on the table. Take of that
ring-of with it--that or the finger.
pair of you! Quick about it. Am / to
dance attendance upon you, while you
make toilet? Put the clothes on the
fire. Sol"
The two men, constrained by the brace
of grinning pistol muzzles, stripped to
their shirts and obeyed in silence. The
face of the elder was flushed to dusky
red; his eyes shone in his head trickle
of blood from his bitten lip streaked his
white beard and the younger tottered to
and fro, with death white face, hugging
his wounded hand.
"Now," said Captain Jacobus, ''you
shall lade my horse for me, by thunder 7"
Keeping his eye on the two, he moved
~ tLa nd xs,hio tla Tn,
stantly there was clatter of hoofs, and
his black mare came trotting around the
corner and trampled into the room. The
Captain stood by his horses head, rating
the shiverlng wretches like dogs while
they strapped on the baggage /; and when
they had done he led the animal into the
road.
"IIold my stirrrup, Gideon!" said the
Captain to the hapless johnny and in
Guiding them both in final exhortation,
1.-The landlord takes your nags for the
reckoning. But if ever meet you out on
the pad, I'll shoot you down like vermin,
so sure as my name is Captain Jacobus.
Stand clear!"
And with bound he was gone, leaving
the two half-clad rascals prey to the
humiliation OF impotent fury, and the
most deadly discontinue of body, amid a
scene Of the dsmalest disorder, the last
sparks of their clothes flying up the Chin
ney in the icy draught, and the gray
light of the winters dawn paling the
candles.
1t is upon record that Captain Jacobus
took it upon himself to restore all the
trinkets, and, according to his rule in
such cases, one-half the money, 10 the
rightful owners thereof; and that the
other half went into the bottomless pocket
of King Charles the Second, then living
very privately in the city of Cologne.