The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-02-22

auger hole, placed under 1T ten-gallol
keg, and withdrew the plug from 1T
lower end. Eleven other kegs awaite'
their turn. The men had brought pre-
cisely enough to hold the contents 0
one cask. If successfully the carg'
would bring six hundred dollars il
United States currencY-all clear profit
From the efficient way in which they
worked, concluded that the operators
were Ike" "Mose" and pete
Schram, notorious smugglers, living or
Grand island, whom l had often heard
of, but, never, to my knowledge, seen
All that / have described occupied
only few minutes in the doing, but
knew that it would take at least forty
or fifty minutes to fill the twelve kegs,
the tube being small.
Whiel considering my next step
recollected pair of stout, determined
| fellows named Bullamore johnson and
! Vert Van Wyclx, famous duck hunters,
of whose services had often availed
myself. If could get these allies in
time we should have no difficulty in
stopping the desperadoes as they
passed through the cut, an artifcially-
made channel, leading from Chippewa
creek to the Niagara.
This cut, one of the two mouths or
exits from the creek, was always used
by boatmen going to or from the big
river. The old natural outlet, on the
north or down river side of Hog island,
was too near the rapids for anything
except very light craft to try.
Softly regaining the shore, l got a
loaded revolver from my office, and
then hurried away to the shanty of the
duck hunters, and soon woke both.
They readily agreed to help me, and
brought their guns.
Its sure to be the Schram boys"
said Bullamore. mo one else round
here has grit enough for such a job
Them fellers has got rich since the be-
ginning of the war; but I'll be hanged
if l thought they'd steal whisky
Square. honest smugglin isn't no great
sin, s'pose; but out an out 'ubbin'-I
didn't think the boys wopli demean
themselves to that"
Ignoring Bullamores fashionable
distinction between robbing govern
ment and a private individual, | led to
the cut, which is about one hundred
yards long and fifty feet wide, sepa-
rating Hog island from the main land.
We sat down under the clay bank mid
way of its length. The night was not
so very dark but at distance of ten
feet the sharpest eye could hardly have
our gray-clad forms from
the background against which they
rested.
We knew what the thieves must in
tend to do. Their scow was so heavily |
laden that they would, of course, not |
attempt to row it out on the Niagara |
here. They would tow it up the Cana
dian shore couple of miles, conceal
part of their cargo, and use their long
sweep to row the scow diagonally
across to Navy island, whence they |
would probably send small boats for
the hidden whisky. So somewhere in
the cut they must put rope and two
men ashore. The third would stay en-
the scow to steer it while the others
lowed.
We patiently waited for more than
half an hour. Then we dimly saw a
'hadowy, black object floating slowly
,oward u.s.
Presently, on striking the current of
he cut. it began to move faster, and
We then saw a single row of kegs
'anged on it's deck. Two E1en were
sitting on kegs; the third, nearest the
;tern, noiselessly worked steering
,ar.
In minute or so, as the craft was
breast of us and the steersman trying
10 put it in touch with our shore, we
'ose to our feet, and l said:
Land right here with that whisky,
nenl I'm an excise officer"
go to thunder!" yelled one of the
elbows in reply. keep quiet, if you're
vise!"
Its the Schrams, sure enough!
hats likes voice, whispered Johnson.
hen he called out: 1.-THE games up,
oys! Run right in, or we'n fire on
QUIZ
"Hullo, Bullamore! That's nice work
or you, isn't it?" retorted Ike. Fire
way and be hanged"
Meantime the steersman threw the
cows head toward Hog island.
AS our design was to capture the men
yithout bloodshed, now fred pistol
hot over their heads. ;
''Guess both sides can play that
ame!" exclaimed one of the thieves,
nd three revolvcrs cracked, while !,
heir owners instantly crouched behind
he kegs.
BY mere chance, l presume, one of
he blindly aimed bullets grazed one
( Bullamore's ears, which so incensed
i'm that he threw up his huge smooth
ore and nulled the trigger Most of