The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1896-04-16
OUTWITTED.

FARMER Harris mad long Deen re-
nowned for his thrift and independ-
ence, but the neighbors declared that
Joe would never make such a
In some ways fate was against Joe.
He was an only son, and his mother
and five sisters had spoiled him. He
vas a bright boy of his age, too, and a
good one, but his father had not much
confidence in his molly-coddled son
| Joe had an idea that he was as capa-
BILE as NEST boys, but his father would
always say: when I was half Joe's
age 1 was my fathers mainstay."
One August day Mr.. Harris had Il
slight sunstroke after working hard in
the fields getting ready a load of fresh
corn to be taken to market in a neigh
boring town on the following day.
This was a predicament, indeed. as
his men were not to be trusted, and he
had small confidence in Joe's ability.
However, he had to make the best of
1t, and send Joe with one of the hired
men to help.
The journey was accomplished with
l WV tthN eott ia oht " " li3N
great delight, sold every ear of corn,
and as the crop was an extra fine one,
he realized quite a sum of money from
his large wagon load, and he sold the
three jars of butter his mother had
made to the hotelkeeper. 1t was about
dusk, and Joe. who was feeling very
good after his days work, wished the
distance seventeen miles instead of
seven to the farm. There was n foot
path which crossed the fields at a dis
lance from the high road, and by
walking he could reach home before
Andrew, the hired man, who rode.
Strange to say, he met no one or the
road. and yet he was sure he had
heard footsteps. Then the thought
that he was being followed entered
his head, and he started to run again,
but the footsteps still followed. AS a
last resource. he jumped the hedge at
the side of the path. hoping that. in
the dim light, his pursuer would miss
him. But there was no such good luck
in store for him, and in another mo-
ment a burly rutfian had jumped the
hedge and demanded the bag of mon
ey.
AS quick as q wink Joe picked up a
stone and flung it at the man, hitting
him in the head and knocking him
down. Then, without waiting to see
what harm the blow had done, he tool
to his heels, retracing his steps. in the
hope of meeting with some assistance
on the high road. He had gone but a
few steps when he ran into the arms
Of a huge man, who, being outpaced
by his companion, was ready to catch
the boy as he saw him coming. There
was no use in calling for help, and
Joe's kicks and cries We're to no prr-
pose other than to anger the ruifians.
He might have effected his escape had
not the other man, nursing a black
eye, returned at his moment. That
was the last be knew until he came
to himself, some hours later. He was
in a cornfield, and the moon was shin
ing brightly above him. The bag of
money was missing. of course, and to
go home without it after what he had
said to his father. was not to be
thought Of. He would follow the men.
and perhaps a chance to recover his
money might offer.
1t must have been about noon when,
hungry and tired, Joe stopped at n
farm house and asked for a drink. The
k~indhearted farmer. seeing that the
lad was hungry, made him sit down to
a hearty dinner, and Joe told his story
to a sympathetic family.
Two tramps passed here about day
light" volunteered the farmers daugh-
ter. Can you describe the men,"
He could, and his description tailed
exactly with that of the tramps seer
by the farmers daughter, especially
about one man having a black eye.
They had taken the road to the north,
she said: but they were w~icked-look-
ing men, and she advised Joe not to
attempt to follow them.
The men were far ahead. but by
making careful inquiries at a country
store he learned that they had stayed
in the village some time, and could not
be more than a couple of miles away.
This intelligence spurred him on. and
in two hours he caught sight of the
pair crossing a field some distance
ahead. Keeping well in the shelter of
fences and trees, he followed as close
as he dared. 1t was q sultry day, and
the sun scorched everything with
which it came in contact. They were
now approaching a river, and Joe
looked with longing eyes at the cool
water.
To his great surprise, the two men
stopped on the bank, and after talking
for some time, they removed their
clothes, an piling them in a crevice in
the stone wall, they prepared to enter
the water. The younger Of the two,
the n whom Joe had decorated with
a black eye, looked suspiciously in
every direction before he went down
the bank, but, seeing nothing to alarm
him, he went ahead with his bath. APP
parently neither of the men could
swim. The splashed about in the shall
low water. while Joe, with fast-beat-
ing heart. crept, under the shelter of
some bushes. warily toward the pile of
clothes, for he was confident his mon
ey was concealed in them. If he could
only get it and get away without be-
ing discovered!
This seemed likely to be the case,
for he had the bundle Of clothes in his
arms and had risen from the ground
and cleared the fence before an excla-
nation FROM one of the men an
nounced that he IA discovered. Joe
threw the clothes. with the exception
of the trousers he felt to contain the
bag of money, into the river. as he rap
idly crossed the little footbridge. At
the end of the bridge the road had
lately been covered with broken rock,
and here Joe was able to make good
progress away from his barefCoted
pursuer. The man had paused Il nc
ment when he saw his clothes splash.
into the water, but evidently consider
ing that the clothes We're of less value