The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-28

Young Condy Cullen was descended
from q long line Of private distillers,
and, OF course, exhibited in his own per-
son all the practical wit, sagacity, cum
ming and fertility Of invention which
the natural genius of the family, sharp
ened by long experience. had created
from generation to generation as a
standing capital to be handed down
from father to son. There was scarce
ly trick, evasion, plot or maneuver that
had ever been resorted to by his ances-
tors that Condy had not at his finger
ends; and though but a lad of 16 at the
time we present him to the reader, yet
be It observed that he had had his mind.
even at that age. admirably trained by
four or five years of vigorous practice
in all the resources necessary to meet
the subtle vigilance and stealthy cir
cumvention Of that prowling animal
gauger.
It might be very amusing to detail,
from time to time, a few of those keen
encounters of practical cunning which
take place between the poteen distiller
and his lynx-eyed foe. the gauger. They
are curious as throwing light upon the
national character Of our people, and
as evidences Of the surprising readi-
ness Of wit, fertility of invention and
irresistible humor which they mix UP
with almost every actual concern of
life, no matter how difficult or critical
1t may b,,. Nay. 1t mostly happens
that the character of the peasant in all
its fullness rises in proportion to what
he IN called upon to encounter, and that
the laugh at or the hoax upon the gau-
ger keeps pace with the difficulty that
ds overcome. But, now to our short
story.
Two men in the garb of gentlemen
were riding along a remote by-road one
morning in the month Of October, about
the year 1897 or 1928. They had nearly
reached a turn in the way. which
skirted the brow OF a small declivity
that lay on the right. In point Of fact,
1t was a moderately dncEned plane or
slope. rather than a declivity; but, be
this as it may, the fiat at its foot was
studded over with furze bushes, which
might almost imagine it possible to
walk upon their surface. On coming
within ABOUT $50 yaris Of this angle the
horsemen noticed a lad not more than
16 jogging on toward them with keg
upon his back.
The eye Of one Of them was immedi.
ately lit with that vivacious sparkling
of habdtual sagaclty which marks the
practic ed gauger among 10000. For a
single moment ne drew up his horse, an
action, which, however, slight in itself,
intimate d more plainly than he could
have wis he'd the obvious interest which
had just been excited in him. Short as
was the p ause, it betrayed him. for no
sooner haN the lad noticed 1t than he
crossed the ditch and disappeared
around the angle we have mentioned,
and upon the side of the declivity. To
gallop to the spot, disrnount, cross the
ditch also md pursue him was the
work of few minutes.
I'VE have him." said the gauger. 1--WE
have him-one thing is clear, that he
cannot escape U.S."
Speak for yourself. Stinton," replied
his companion. "As for me, not being
an officer of his vnajesty's excise, de-
cline taking part in the pursuit It Is
a fair battle, so fight it out between
you"
He had scarcely concluded when they
heard voice singing the following
lines in a spirit Of that hearty iilarity
which betokens a cheerful contempt of
care:
Oh! Jennie. she sea, you are my true
You are all the riches that do adore;
solemnly swear now I'll neer have
My heart it is fixed to never love more.
The music changed to a joyous whis-
tie, and Immediately they were con-
fronted by lad dress,e,i in an old red
coat, patched with gray frieze, who, on
seeing them, exhibited in his features
a most ingenious air of natural SUR
prise. He Immediately ceased to whis-
tie, and with every mark of respect,
putting his hand to his hat, said in a
voice, the tones Of which spoke of kind
ness and Difference:
God save ye, gintlemen."
81 say, my lad" said the gauger
"where is that customer with that keg
on his back?-he crossed over there
this moment"
when, where, Sir?" said the lad,
with a stare of surprise.
''Where, when? why, this minute and
in this place"
'And was it a whisky keg, Sir?"
''Sir, I am not here to be examined
by you." replied Stinton. "Confound
me If the conniving young rascal is
not sticking me into a cross-examination
already-I say, red coat, where is the
boy with the keg?"
GAS for boy, did see a boy, sir: but
the never a keg he had-hadn't he a
gray frieze coat, Sir?"
HE had"
''And wasn't 1t a danny bit short
again he's at me. Sirra, unless you
tell me where he is in half a second, /
shall lay my whip to your shouldersw
1.-THE sorra a keg seen, then, sir-the
last keg ] seen was"
"Did you see a boy without the keg,
answering to the description I gave
your"
"You gave no description of 1t, sir
but even II you did-when I didn't see
1t, how could tell your honor anything
about it?"
Where is the fellow, you villaln?"
exclaimed the gauger in a fury, where
is he gone to? You admit you saw him; ;
as for the keg, It cannot be far from us
but where is hep
'Bedad,I sawa boy with short frieze
coat upon him, crossing the road there
below, and runnin' down the other side
of that ditch"
This was too palpable lie to stand
the test even of "a glance at the ditch in
question, which was nothing more than
a slight mound that ran along a lea
field on which there was not even the
appearance of shrub.
The gauger looked at his companion
then, turning to the boy "Come, come
my lad" said he, il" you know that lie is
rather cool. Don't you feel in your soul
that a rat could not have gone in that
direction without our seeing it?"
Bedad an I saw him." returned the
lad, "wid a gray coat upon him, that
was little short in the tail-it's better
than half an hour agone."
Torturing Disfiguring