The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-02-21

| VI lhOAUHS DTOOico OFCl VIC Y'OhtS
of that terrible night. Whether walk
ing or sleeping, the dying shrieks OF
the unfortunate men seemed ever ring
ing in my ears, and | now thought OF
a dozen ways in which / might have
averted their fate. Vain regrets! The
mischief was already done.
Late in November of that year, l
heard that the wives of Isaac and
Moses Schram, whose mourning for
their departed husbands had been, my
informant said, extremely violent, but
brief. had sold off their household eff
fects and mysteriously disappeared.
For unknown reasons the widows had
so artfully covered their tracks that no
one was able or cared to trace them
beyond Buffalo. l could not have told
why this news comforted me, but 1t
my depression.
One October afternoon, six and a
quarter years afterward. | was sitting
in the Office of Minneapolis hotel,
when | noticed respectably-dressed,
farmer-lille man glancing alternately
at the register and at me.
After few words with the clerk, he
seated himself by my side, making
some commonplace remark about the
weather. He seemed a well-infoEmed.
agreeable fellow, and we were se,3n Sr2l.
gagged in conversation,
By and by, apropos OF field sports.
he said: Stranger, the clerk tells mo
you're out on shooting trip. Now, l
live about twelve miles out of town,
and we're just overrun with prairie
chickens. If you like to come out and
put up with us it won't cost you cent
and you'll have loads of fun"
Thank you glad of the chance, "
said |. "And what is your own name,
my friend?" for he had repeatedly used
mine.
Well" he laughingly replied, IF
you call me Peters you won't be far
out of the way
Soon l jumped into Mr.. Peters spring
wagon and away we went, behind a
pair of lively trotters. After an hour
and quarters delightful spin, my
driver stopped beside handsome farm
house, and ushered me into the great,
CHEEKY kitchen, where bright-faced
woman was busted in preparing supper;
while two sturdy-looking men, each
dandling child on his knee, sat wait
ing.
do you know who this is, boys?"
asked my conductor. as both rose.
The men had no more than glanced
at me than they placed their babies on
the floor. rushed across the room and
warmly grasped my hands, while one
of them fairly shouted:
Guess we do, Pete! It's the man
that did US the best turn of our whole
lives'
Then the woman who had been
cooking, and another one, who had
meantime come in, heartily joined in
the hospitable greeting
Friends" said, you must mis-
take me for some one else. never be-
fore saw one of you. What good could
have ever done you?''
The women laughed merrily. 'fTell
him, Pete, said one.
Then Mr.. Peters. Strengthening his
face, said: 1--WE three men are Ike
Nose and Pete Schram!"
At this astounding announcement
such a feeling of joy thrilled me that
for time | could not speak. At last
managed to exclaim:
"Why, men. what miracle is this?
1t is more than six years since the
Schram brothers went over Niagara
falls"
No, they didn't said he. "Pete
got couple of duck shot in his Shout
der from Bullamore's gun, that's all.
We managed more by good luck than
anything to land on the middle edge
of Streets island, which is actually in
the rapids.
! Then" he went on, 1--WE showed the
boat off and let her go over the falls, on
purpose to make you folks think we'd
gone, too; for we knew our profitable
trade was knocked in the head, as
we could never go back to Chippewa to
buy whisky after being such fools as to
steal a cargo.
80 we made up our minds to clear
out secretly to Minnesota. We wrote
to our wives by a roundabout way and
| bought this six-hundred-and-fo rty-acre
section of land, and finished paying for
it as soon as the women came with the
bulk of our money. By that time we
had the house ready for them.
But, Mr.. Schram," l asked, "how
did you know it was l who tried to ar
rest you? You couldn't see me-"
"Why, man alive, don't you remem-
Der saying: I'm an excise officer?'
We'd seen you round the distillery
scores of times too. Do you live in
the old village yet?''
mo. l removed to the county town
some time ago. But Bullamore John
son and Vert Van Wyck are there yet.
l haven't seen them for couple Of
years, though. They're prospecting since
| they turned teetotalers."
"Teetotalers! Well, that is news"
exclaimed Ike. 1--WE sent old Bulla-
more and Vert each good breech-
loading duck-gun last year. More than
that; we've paid the Chippewa distillers
full price and the Canadian excise duty
on all the whisky we stole that night. :"
Good for your said l.
Better still; we're sending CON
science money to Uncle Sans treasury
every month now, and we'll keep it up
till all our smuggling's paid for. We