The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1898-04-12

1.-The officers drew up alongside, ex-
amined my gig and pockets, and then
the spokesman said:
That's all right. You can go ahead.
We were just fooling.'
II told them that they could go ahead
ard would follow when l got good and
ready. OFF they drove swearing at
themselves and at me. and as soon as
they were out of hearing drove back,
picked up my keg and landed it safely.
1.-THE government knew well enough /
that there was smuggling going on up |
here, and they sent along a special
agent to spy it out. He was al smooth |
one, and he nearly got me. This, tel
low-his name was Dart-went direct |
to Dumas place and said that he had
| got into a little trouble in the states.
and he wanted Dumas to take care OF
him until it blew over. That fatteTed
Dumas pride, and the old man took
him in and made much of him. Dart ard
Dumas became great chu1ns. They
went duck hunting together, they
fished and drank together. AS soon as
saw Dart 1 suspected him, and he
wasn't slow in guessing what brought
tried to pump me by being hail fellow
and by cursing the customs officers.
was only a boy, but I wasn't so easily
caught as all that. defended the Gus
toms men and condemned smuggling.
Dart just winked his left eye in a know
ing sort of way. Fortunately, as ii
turned out, Dumas didn't give away his
tunnel. He admitted to Dart that his
; place was a headquarters for SNUG
glers, but he didn't commit himself any
: further.
II had made three successful trips
] while Dart was staying with Dumas,
: and | guess that my success had made
. me bit careless My fourth trip was
t the last smuggling expedition that
e ever engaged in. and it came 50 rear be-
ing my finish in all ways that it
g? thoroughly frightened me. 1t was a
y cold. nasty night in October. and
e reached Dumas place about eight
o o'clock. Dartwas sitting in the barroom,
: and joined him. We drank more than
I. the usual quantity of ale, and when
i Madore came in whistling to indicate
IT that my key was strapped on the gig
it said:
f. "'We,, Dart. I'm going just as soon
g as Madore can hitch up
k "I think I'll take little horseback
-e ride myself he answered, and see il
re can't clear my head of this ale
e, This disturbed me. for couldn't say
i'd anything for fear he might get on to the
lie right track and suspect my gig. / have
at since thought that Dart suspected tha'
;oI- lie n If1rr
Or the road, and he expected to detect m+
in the act. 1 hurried out to the barr
It. and drove out just as Dart came out o
II, the barroom to get his horse saddled.
ID, three miles down the road and jus
st after / had crossed the line / heard
be horse galloping behind me. l knew
a was Dart, and that he would overhaul
1 me unless | could reach a fork mil
to ahead and confuse him as to which roa
as 1 had taken. Whipped up my mare an
ret we flew. As looked over her head int
l the darkness 1 saw a light that wa
zig evidently a lantern just about where tn
} a forks of the road were Dart had CO..
ny nered me. knew it. AS soon as sa'
: that lantern / knew that revenue of
-as GERS were with it. 1 couldn't slip m
NJ htK DcCdQSO Tic Sl1 l1S WIZ toA . 49,
In an instant 1 had made up my min
an what to do. There was a fairly lew
his field on my left with no fence on til
nd road. Without stopping my mare
ar speed I turned into it. My gig bumpe
it. clean off the ground. 1t was roug
it riding, but l realized that it was N
gs. only chance. The noise that made g
nd ing across that field warned Dart ar
nat the other officers what had happene
sed and they yelled to me to stop. didn
he and then followed a dozen OF more sho
mas from their reviewers The bal
ped whistled over my head. don't kno
son how 1 got to the woods. l found
0ck score of old wood roads, and selectil
in one of them. walked my horse in al
the waited. l heard those fellows beatil
was the bush around me for two hours.
and had slipped the key out and conceal
airs it, but l didn't want to be capture
less even though they had no evideu
big against me. The officers gave it up, a
drove home at daylight minus the kt
% a NV mare was used up, and a friend
feet mine tipped me off that the game "
up. Dart was a special agent, and
Tug was going to dog me until he got e
ave dence enough to arrest me. thong
ale it all over, and l concluded that
pot stayed so near the Canadian line
.Du- temptation to smuggie bit would
my so strong that 1 should weaken, a
and probably end by being captured. IL
up saved a snug little sum. and with
Iged went to New York. l have lived tn
lose since, and 1 am heartily ashamed of
the early smuggling.
lsily 'sDart is connected with the sec
sed. service, and few years go | met
lged in the Hoffman house in New Nc
DOM Dumas place had been closed. and D.
RIDER after we had drink together in.
was membrance of Dumas old ale, said:
'arn4 "'Were you smugglin or not the nj
back we chased you into the fieldsT
Gus THAT question is outlawed.'
Gus swered, and you didn't catch me. L
mas talk about something else
who Coming over this railroad, whe