Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1901-12-13
} A NIGHT
} WITH THE
} GOLD ESCORT
BY s. H. VEDDER.

l don't know that | ever felt greater
regret for dead and gone holiday
than on the occasion of leaving Too
warra, the station of my old friend
Charlie Wilson, after the happiest of a
happy two months with him. 1t had
been gorgeous time! On horseback
from sunrise to sunset, with the glow
of life in ones veins, the scent of
waffle blossoms in ones nostrils, the
blue sky overhead. and the low, mu-
steal hum of the day animal and insect
world that thronged the deep scrub
around one-the days went very well
then.
Twas merry in the glowing morn among the
cleaning grass
To wander a.Iyeye wandered many mile
And blow the cool tobacco cloud and watch the
white wroaths pass,
! Sitting loosely in the saddle all the While
Or, again, when the fun grew fast
aud furious and there was work to be
homework that wanted men to do it,
mon with nerves and Sinews of steel
! then
Twas merry mid the blackwoods when we spied
the station roofs
To wheel the wild scrub cattle at the yard
| With n running fire Of stoekwhips and running
fire Of hoofs,
Oh, the hardest day was never then too nara
But it had come to an end. The last
dawn had risen over the gum tree tops
that backed the homestead, the last
sun had set behind the belt OF timber
that frinced the far bank of the lagoon
and now Charlie and | were driving
uuietly into Moruya in the cool OF
starlit January evening, where was
TO coach Oh the following morning tha'
would take me to Aralven, BraldWoou
and Tarago, whence | should entralil
to Goulburn and Sydney. Inc DRIVE
from Toowarra into Moruya was apou'
twenty miles, and Charlie inVaflapis
drove me in overnight so that hllgh'
sleep at the inn and start OIL afresh ps
coach in the early morning Oh NY
hundred mile journey. r.,
On this particular night we both Zen
tired and conversation had Ragged con
siderably. We were great chuiils an'
felt sorry to part-he more especlalis
so seeing that he was going PACK 10 lii'
solitude of an up country station wv
both looked forward to bed, ana ever
the tired horses quickened up nun
as the lights of Moruya came 10 we"
and we ratified down the one long
sleepy street that the township CUM
boast of.
presently we drew up at the Verahu'
Of the low. struggling inn in front .
which we noticed the dark nGnres Vi
small knot of men. Charlie had scale
10 rained In the horses when Il TAN
nov.arfully built man in the UNIFORM
sergeant of police stepped iol a.
into the belt of light thrown from 'n'
r. Mr. Fame there?" be asked II
tomas that 70 me sounded menaclhg
their deep cultural ring. n
was Mr.. Fame, and the effect OF tn
.;,zled veteran in front of me ana Ill
unexpected question woke NE ~
| .ense of mental activity. Like h"'I
nv thoughts ran back over III! pas
ls,,nods and I wondered for when 0
thop, was to be brought to justice
roaIIv couldn't think of anything Vi !"
oagressiyelv criminal nature, ana W"
framing an expostulatlon "heh III
next remark soothed me. A.. oor,
81 want to ask you, sir ton' ,ne .o
Govt of tha. copciliatory 'sir?'), 'whe'n
o. Won would have any objection
coming on in the coach tohishl VI W,
tho Gold escort? We have some sol
tbot we want to deposit in the DAM q
,,,,on +be first thing in the morhlhs
II will only mean that we silaii -
Arolven for breakfast, ana you w
40 tbe whole morning there 10 res
% tho regular coach will 60 on as usu'
:. . o'clock after dinner. nope ~
won't mind coming on, SIT.
on,r one other passenger pesiues SUu
On,f and he has agreed to go on. " ID
do you say, sir? , ,,dr,t ,il
:. ~ al, ms was dead tired; put
,.so tbere was nothing TO pe uoA
w.. 20 assent with the best grace po
sible. ,,,,ob NJ
.srhank YOU. sir, very mucn. ~
.onas rne accountant of the bank nel
yin he ready in half an hour ; iii rn,I
and then If you and the other se en,,
:, ~, , will kindly be ready too we eo'
- start off at once. ve
shortly afterward Charlie anu ,',o
seated at the dining room ~ - tin
,na the most of the short space % ~
,aft 70 me. Charlie ate MS sup "a ,
ie more lelsurely manner, as ne i nau
aoanb TO catch. and would go lu.e 'on
:, I'D, nad LATER, returning to the s'a''oA
'n prnsentIy we were joined p' -, i
No. passenger, who BUSTED III ..r w.
o'n rleosaut smile and CHEEKY ~,
arap,nr" as he took his seat 0pp0''
10 us. - ,,adium heigl
He was a man OF i1e shonlders a.
With exceptionally broad snou II,s ia,
= o m,'n active, powerful frame ,o ai,i w "
" above the black pointer ,an nleasir
' .vban the face Was ~