Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-10-04

his horse. He paid little attention 10
them, and did not even notice which
way they had come. Nor did they
seem to notice him. One rode large
chestnut horse, the other white one.
On the forenoon of the second day
Little Calico cast shoe. and he
stopped at blacksmith's shop to have
another set; for the weather was cold
and the road hard frozen. While the
shoe was being fitted on, the same two
men whom he had seen the previous
day came up and passed the black
smith shop; and when he rode on, he
in turn passed them at tavern six
miles farther along. where they had
called for Il drink.
Still. he thought little about them;
they had not spoken to him, and ap-
parently gave him no more than
passing glance.
Either the little calico mare had
grown tenderfooted on the hard road.
or else the blacksmith had been care
less in driving the nails in her hoof.
Shortly after noon that day she went
lame. and before evening was limping
badly, and as result Grandpa Root
got on more slowly than he had
planned. The country was much less
settled than that near Portland. and
there We're long stretches of forest and
of tamarack swamp.
The route was familiar to the young
treasure bearer only as he remembered
it from his outward trip: but he knew
that he was approaching the Andres.
coggin river, and hoped to reach
tavern on the other side of the ferry
where he had spent night the prev
ious week.
The weather was cloudy, and by
five o'clock it began to grow dark.
The mare had then become SO lame
that he dismounted and led her by the
bride. He did not know how far on
1t was to the river. but supposed that
it was five of six miles. He passed
the road. and would have turned in
and asked the people to put him ~
for the night but as he wanted 10
reach Il blacksmith, he concluded To
walk to the ferry.
1t began To snow as he plodded on.
with Little Calico limping behind him.
and by this time it had grown SO dark
that he could not see objects more
than 100 yards away. Just then,
however, he heard horses hoofs be-
hind, approaching at canter. BY the
sounds, he Judged that there were two
or more horses. and he led his mare
out of the middle of the road to let
them pass.
The horses soon came into sight: and
having keen eyes i'm those days, Grand
pa Root distinguished them plainly en-
ough to make out that they were the
two travellers who had been on the
road with him ever since he had left
Portland. On first recognizing them.
he felt rather glad than otherwise, for
it was n dreary night and Il lonesome
road: he thought that he would speak
to them.
Apparently they did not see him un-
til they had come up within 100 feet
Then they both pulled up short. and
one of them said something to the
other in Il low tone
Thus far Grandpa Root had not en-
tertained a suspicion that they We're
pursuing him with evil intent, but
something In their manner of stop
ping and speaking to each other when
they saw him filed him with sudden
apprehension. He thought of his wal
letful of money: and In AN instant it
flashed through his mind that these
men had been following him all the
way, and meant to rob him.
He sprang into his saddle, his first
thought being that. lame or not, Little
Calico must do her best now to reach
the ferry. He did not carry Il pistol.
or even knife larger than a packet
knife. and he had no doubt that the
men behind him We're armed.
The little mare whinnicd with the
pain of her foot: but she ran at touch
of the spur, and ran WELL He hoped
to get away, but Immediately heard
the robbers horses coming on behind
him. They covered as much Us Il nile
in this way. going fast: and Grandpa
Root. glancing back. saw by the
sparks their horses shoes struck on the
frozen road that they were keeping
pace with him.
Pretty soon one of the men shouted
"Stop. YOU" he cried. pull up, or
I'll shoot you
At the sound of the strangers voice.
Little Calico laid her ears down and
ran faster; but even then they hung
close behind.
Throw down your money" came
the shout again, and then one of the
highwaymen fired II pistol. Little
Calico laid back her ears again and
ran hard: bur she was lame and tired
from the long day on the road. Grand
pa soon heard the horses hoofs be-
hind very plainly and begun to lose
hope of getting away. He looked
anxiously for light along the road
ahead. lf he came Ia house. he
thought that he would turn into IL aud
shout. Murder" and Help" but