Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-08-03
"Think I can get it ont by nooa.

y
Cant you give me first show7 Tn
in an alfred hurry"
mo, can't. I've started the Other
already"
"Oh, well, s'pose I got to stand
it" and in he drove.
'Now's our timel" saic Dape.
So l raised the sheet at the back
end of the load and beckoned to the
ginner, who was closing the gate after
us. He locked surprised, but seeing
from my mysterious manner that some
thing was wrong, he soon overlook the
wagon.
"This isn't his cotton at ALL" 1
whispered down. "It's my fathers.
That fellow stole it last night"
''Stole us, too" put in Dape. "He
doesn't know anything about that,
though. And he's sitting on our
Clothes"
The ginner looked incredulous, but
soon saw from our manner and dress
that we were speaking the truth.
"keep still till [ can send for some
gunsl Well arrest the scoundrel!'
he said, and hurried on to the gin.
house, while the wagon continued its
way through the yard among scatter
ing cotton bales.
This Clubhouse stood on posts six
or eight feet high. At the door was a
platform about even with the top of a
wagon-bed, where cotton was unload
&c. When the wagon was against this
platform, our driver stopped and threw
on the brake. Then we heard him
step off upon the platform.
'Now for our clothes!" whispered
Dape.
We began to dress, sitting on the
cotton, but had only jerked on my
shirt and pantaloons, and was tugging
at boot, when the sheet, or wagon
cover was suddenly thrown up, and
the wind carried it off the bows.
There stood tall, shaggy bearded
man, in slouchy black hat and yell
low "slicker," or rain-proof coat,
reaching to his heels. The consterna-
ton on his face, when he saw what he
had stolen, was ludicrous. His mouth
flew open, and he stood staring at us
stupidity.
II arrest your exclaimed the gin.
ner, grutfiy, as he hurried out and
caught the thief by the arm.
"Arrest me?" and the man came to
himself suddenly. "Stand back!' he
shouted, giving the ginner violent
push. The next moment he threw off
the slicker, snatched pistol from his
pocket, and with an oath and threat,
leaped from the platform.
Out came two bowie knives, and he
tried to cut one of his horses loose;
but seeing two gin hands coming with
guns, he dashed round the house,
sprang over the fence, and fled through
the woods, with everybody, including
Dape and me, in pursuit. But I don't
think anybody was half as eager to
overtake him as he was to get away,
for he had very disagreeable man.
ner in hourishing his pistol.
"Now what?" said l.
sect the cotton ginned, said Dape.
Good enoughr" said I; and we
easily bargained with the ginrer; he
keeping out enough, besides Lis toll,
to pay for the bagging and ties to wrap
the bale. He also gave lis feed for
the team.
With the seed and the bale loaded
into our wagon, we started for home,
sixteen miles away, early in the after
noon, and soon met father and another
man on horseback. The disappear
ance of wagon-load of cotton and
two boys had made sensation in our
neighborhood, and the roads were
now being secured in every dir iiection.
Father was greatly amused with the
story of our adventure. "Why," said
he, 'that man was no thief; he was
regular philanthropist. We couldn't
have picked cotton to-day, anyhow.
And he's hauled the load for us and
made US present OF lis horses. Good
horses, too. And whenever he comes
to my place for his horses, there'll be
chunks of fun"
1t was after dark when we reached
home. The next morning the cotton
thief's horses were turned into the
pasture.
Nov if the owner wants them, let
him come and prove his property"
father remarked, as he put up the
bars.
| Ine owner did not come to claim
the horses, but they were missing
week later, and found next day at a
house in the woods about seven miles
from the gin. The man who lived
there was earnestly sought by the
sheriff, but could not be found. His
wife, when questioned, declared that
Che horses had returned home, and
must have jumped out of the pasture.
Not long afterward the family disap-
peared, going off between two days.
A country neighborhood clings to
joke tenaciously, and Dape and have
not yet heard the last of the night
when we went to guard the cotton
and were stolen ourselves. Youths
Companion.
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