The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1909-02-16
thought you were wrong in foreteillng
it would be dark night"

IL WOuI0 DC Dark nl8nt.
Shutting the window as softly as he
had opened it, Jim and his friend, each
taking a short, well-worn pipe from his
pocket, sat down to smoke. From an
other pocket came flask. They made
themselves comfortable, and seemed to
forget all about bed
At any rate neither of them attempt
ed to go to it. They sat on and smoked
and drank occasionally, and whispered
together in hushed tones. At last the
clock struck two. One of them rose,
drew aside the window curtain and
looked out.
A suppressed shout of exultation
broke from him. "Wade! Wade the
night has changed. It's raining and
the moon is gofie. l knew rain was
coming"
"Man alive, don't make that row."
retorted the other. eve don't want the
house woke up"
Putting away their pipes and TASKS
they opened the window with crafty
gentleness and dropped down on the
ground outside it, one after the other.
The night was very dark; no light, nor
glimmer of it, was to be seen anywhere.
Making their way round cautiously
to the coach house and stables, Jim pro-
duced a master key which undid the
locks. The stable door he undid was the
one that had the valuable horse in it,
and he was surprised to find out what
an easy lock it was. Then, while the
other man kept watch he hastily and
noiselessly attached the horse to their
own gig, using the harness he had adj
mred so greatly. The rain was dash
ing down smartly, which tended to
deaden other sounds. When all was
ready they cautiously led the horse
and gig out of the yard and to dis
lance beyond it, and drove away at a
spanking pace.
So far they were well satisfied with
their nights work, and congratulated
themselves on the valuable prize they
had captured in the horse and harness.
It's true the horse appeared to require
the whip pretty frequently. and Jim,
who was driving, did not fail to admin
lister it,
"Lazy beggar! He has stuffed him
self out with corn" cried he. ''You
shall fast all this day, my gentleman,
and that will bring you into working
order. What pelt it isl" Cooking up
at the pouring rain.) "Should say this
was the clearing shower"
"What'll the job bring us in, Jim?'
Twenty pounds clear. | reckon. ! I'd
an old hack thrown in to complete the
bargain
d. 1,o6 nn Il f1,o~- I, Lon =,
-ng over the past nights adventure
there, as related to them by the land
lord. They had no fear Of the high
waymen themselves-not they; such
gentry do not prey upon one another
"Hang it. Jim, can't you drive
faster?" cried Wade, suddenly.
Jim made no answer. lie was begin
ming to feel somewhat puzzled; for, un-
less he was greatly mistaken the beauti.
full horse betrayed unmistalable signs
of giving in. Their own wretched ami
NAL could do as well as this. Presently
it stopped-stoppcd dead from exhaus
ton.
"What the devils the matter Will
him?" demanded Wade.
''Be shot if I know. He seems dead
beat. It's so dark one can see nothing
Wish that moon would come out; the
rain has ceased"
swell. this is a pretty go!" exclaimed
the other. as the horse, in spite of whir
and word. refused to move. "Drough-
up, before ones half beyond Gargcr
with stolen horse! You must have
been mistaken in the worth of the ami
NAL, jim; never knew you mistake one
before"
He jumped out of the gig aud begar
feeling the animal with his hands. A
the same moment the coy moon burst
out from behind the clouds and shont
down in all her splendor. Jim felt ths
horse, stared at it and stared again
The other ore in the gig was also gazing
curiously. Simultaneously a shout o
dismay, followed by an imprecation
stolen their own horse!
Some mutual recrimination ensued
Wade accusing Jim of having made /;
mistake and opened the wrong stable
Jim vowing by all that's blue that h,
had opened the right one.
,, "Any way, we've got the harness,
pleaded Jim.
The remark caused Wade to turn hi
eyes on it; its silver points were glitter
ing in the moonlight. a closer glance
and then another angry shout brol'
from him.
Look here, you fool, here's a crest
'Hey-what?" cried Jim, turning
round.
Sure enough the silver-mounted har
ness bore family crest with its Latin
motto, and could no doubt be identified
> anywhere. Certainly this nights an
!, ticipated spoil was not lucky in an.
way.
Next morning the landlord of the I'M
: was intensely surprised at the disap
pearnnce of the travellers and at III
spiriting away of some harness that be
longed to the young Viscount Dare. II
stood in the stable yard talking with hi
hostler.
. "But for me his lordship's boss woul
= ha' gone. too" cried the ostler, stolidly
. when l see one O. they two gents q