The Van Buren press., 1895-08-03

/ AL IlXubs H8lU A1s II ouoW vo1ss
Boxes and barrels were quickly
opened, end each srobher eeon had :
l6Snll3 a clo> o>niuj{, SlanAoas. ammuni-
tion, eto. strapped On behind his sad-
de-. q
An this time Al hsd bod trying to
conjufe up some plan to outwit the
thieves and save tho money and prop
srty in his charge. He felt that his
own carelessness had brought this disas-
Ter ppop them, and would gladly have
embraced any opportunity mo matter
how hazardous, TO retrieve that repu-
tation for shrewdness and 6sgacity that
had won for him this position Of trust
anA responsibility, to whioh all the
other young men in the set cement had
sspireda But the robbers were well
armed. and far too cautions to allow
THAR victims any visible chance to turn
the tables upon them. When they had
eecnred as much plundef as they
thought safe to burden eir horses
/ With and swung themselves into their
saddles. Ais wrath aud dbspair knew
no bounds. He stood before the tent
covered wagon, with the lastern in his
hand, watching the rob9<rs Is they
ueuntsd, when the spy sun enly called
out to the leader:
atsoh, say. .scspl Islmost forgot about
It. but they've got soms good spirits in
that tent wagon, and we sst have .
drop before we Co., =
rs that SO, Bill~ resl pnded the
leader.
lxssNesdn't talse my wordfor 1T, cap,
replied the spy. "Here young fell
low," he ordered, turninl TO AL, go
snd bring oaezthat bots!eef brandy,
I'll make al right With uncle,
you KNOW And whf4 At went into
the tent With tho dttefn the man.
with crest Rloe, told ~ nlates how he
secured 4 ride with - h6Fs by malc-
ing 1Aen below ttis trad r was his
un6le. -
No sooner aid ths fellpw mention II
than Al stsrted for Ne brandy, his
first then6fit betne 1T plrhaps If he
le1ald fnd epough Jiqaor 1Ae robbers
would make themselves Ehopelessly
drnpk as soon e. they reached theft
avn cen6p aat w1lf1ksaamhering into
the wagon daring idea flashed into
his mind.
Reaching the tox containing the
apiRits, nsdisieeA zstss, heassasshed
among the hpttleA while the highway
men wcee lsug6inK uprcsrioasly stthe
narrative OF the sly. Bottle after bot
tie he snatched NJ Tsnd held II the
li9ht of the lantern.
"Come! sGomsi Non4 be all night
in there!" shouted one of tho robbera
Just then Al found what he wanted
~-asmall vial laheled: "Laudannm."
wait ftill ind It, won't yop?'
he sh0ated back, and, quickly empty
ing the lcontents of the vial into the
brandy bottle, he replaced the cork,
gaye the bottle good shake and came
ont with it in his hand. Here it's"
he said, in as quiet q manner as he
could command, as he handed 1t to the
spy. a4f4oysssaa ..ffass q, ,ff
The woods rang with laughter as tho
bottle went from mouth to mouth, and
leach robber drank to the health Of
| Bills uncle. All were In too good
humor over the success Of the expedi-
ton and Bills joke TO notice the agi-
tation which Al found Impossible to
conceal. He trembled lest Bills pota-
tions during the afternoon had drained
the bottle SO low that it would be emp
tys before 1t reached the leader, who
was the last to drink nl aGa gsdism
4 aThern'was enoughto go round, how
ever, and when the robber chief had
swallowed the last drop he dashed the
! bcstle Against stree.so~ sfl n;aaa
4 sesYodf. uncle. keeps pretty good
'iiquot, Bi1l,", he Laughed, .only ! don't
just like the flavor. Say, young fellow,
bring us out few bottles to take along
/ with uasiand we'lrbe OIL zar
isfs.All nRht!-, shid AL, now anxious to
detain them. qn'"fhere's plenty Of 1t,
4 and Il will be all the bother 4or the In.
dians II you drink 1t instead of them
Going back into the tent he opened
~ case 81 whisky, and, after polting
tabout as long az ne deemed safe, with
The robbers shouting to him TO hurry
up and not keep them, waiting, he
emerged with half dozen bottles ID
| hisAarms.a 9{i sitds tdpf1 ysbssBT
legally boyr' shouted the chief, de-
lighted at the prospect Of plenty II
liquor for some time to come. q s"You
know how to treat gentlemen, after
all. II you were little Grabbed at Hrst.
And now." he went on, as he and his
men slowed the bottles away In their
bundles, since you're SO clever Ill
give you a bit Of Iadyice. The next
time you comeihome from market with
. bag ofRold in your pocket, bswars Of
strangers, especially chaps IKE my
man Bill, here, who want to ride out
IN The, country to their uncles'.. ys's
I AT this they all roared with laugh
ter, and, putting spurs to their horses,
dashed out Of sight In the darkness
| AiEave q shout OF delightwhen once
the robbers werB out sof. hearing, and
lest he lose ~ tracko of them IN
the darkness and give them time u re-
cover from the effects of the laudanunn,
he hastily expiainedto the other ltoys
what he had done, and mounting four
of she best horses, they rode swiftly in
the direc tion the robbers had taken.
Scarcely a mile away, the prostrate
form OF one of the band was found
stretched across the road, and . little
farther, on their, horses grazsd in .
group by the rwaysides while the high
waymen, wrapped in deathlike sleep
lay curled up. under tha! trees. The
boys bound the sleepers' hands and
feet; then, returning to camp, they ,,n-
loaded one OF the wagons and, hitch
ing q team to it, came back along the
road and picked up the unconscious
rohI,ore r. WAS hard work pattiuop