The Van Buren press., 1895-03-09

except very light craft to try.
Softly regaining the shore, ! got .
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.
"It's sure to be the Schram boys
said Bullamore. mo one else round
here has grit enough for such q Job.
Them fellers has got rich since the be-
ginning of the war; but I'll be hanged
II / thought they'd steal whisky
Square. honsst smugglin' isn't no great
sin, s'pose; but out an out robbin'-I
didn't think the boys would demean
themselves to that"
Ignoring Bullamore's 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 It's length. The night was not
SO very dark, but at distance Of ten
feet the sharpest eye could hardly have
distinguished our gray-clad forms from
the background against which they
rested.
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 1t 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 arope and two
men ashore. The third would stay cn
the scow to steer 1t while the others
towed.
We patiently waited for more than
half an hour. Then we dimly saw a
shadowy, black object floating slowly
toward us.
Presently, on striking the current Of
the cut, 1t began to move faster. and
we then saw a single row Of kegs
ranged on its deck. Two men were
sitting on kegs; the third, nearest the
stern, noiselessly worked q steering
oar.
In minute or so, as the craft was
abreast of us and the steersman trying
to put It in touch with our shore, we
rose to our feet, and ! said:
LAND right here with that whisky,
men! I'm an excise officer"
go to thunderl" yelled one Of the
fellows In reply. keep quiet, If you're
wiser
"It's the Schrams, sure enough!
That's Ike's voice." whispered johnson.
Then he called out: 1.-The games up,
boys! Run right In, or we'll fire on
your
"Hullo, Bullamore! That's nice work
for you, isn't it2'' retorted Ike. "Fire
away and be hanged"
Meantime the steersman threw the
scow's head toward Hog island.
As our design was to capture the men
without bloodshed, I now fred pistol
shot over their heads
"Guess both sides can play that
camel" exclaimed one of the thieves,
and three revolvcrs cracked, while
their owners instantly crouched behind
the kegs.
BY mere chance, presume, one OF
the blindly aimed bullets grazed one
Of Bullamore's ears, which so incensed
him that he threw up his huge smooth
bore and pulled the trigger Most OF
the shot ratified against the kegs, but q
smothered and somewhat forcible ejac-
ulation showed that stray pellet had
hit one of the thieves.
Yet the boat did not sheer In TO sur
render. She was fast nearing the
mighty Niagara. We became fright
ened.
"Men, don't throw your lives away!'
implored, as we kept pace with
the scow. "Come in, and surrender.
II you run out into the river, nothing
can save you from going over the
falls"
"You tend to your own business and
we'll mind oursl' was the defiant
answer. suppose they did not know
they were so near the river. But in
another moment the clumsy hulk had
cleared the cut and entered upon the
current OF Niagara, which strikes
against Hog island and takes strong
outward trend.
Doubtless they thought they could,
by Tightening their boat, work their
way diagonally up and across the
stream to q safe position; for now, as
the island hid them from view, we
could hear them pitching the whisky
overheard and shipping their sweeps.
In only one way, however, could they
possibly save themselves.
Putting his hands, funnel-shape, to
his mouth, Van Wyck hailed: Turn
your bow down stream, you fools, and
scoot ashore just above the old channel!
That's your last chance!''
No reply was made to this friendly
advice, and we heard the men begin to
pull desperately. But not for one min
ute could they hold their own against
that tremendous rush of water. A
light skiff needs strong arms to get
ashore there. Every instant they were
swept fu rther down and out, while the
sound Of their rapid oar strokes grew
fain ter and fainter.
1t was impossible for us to aid them.
They would be at the head of the cat
aracts before we could bring a boat
from the village and start to rescue
them which at best would be des-
perate venturing Of our own lives. The
plashing of their heavy sweeps was
still audible-but not long. Suddenly
sharp snap was heard, and we knew
that one Of the over-strained sweeps
had broken short off! At this, break
ing their silence, they shouted again
and again for help. Too late! No hu-
man power could save them.