Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1913-11-12


found out which weeks the Cariboo
stage carries specie, and how many
thousand dollars month in amalgam
comes down from the Skyline camp.
He even dragged out Of me that old
Surly Brown, the miser, has fifteen
thousand dollars buried under the
dirt floor * AIS cabin-which reminds
me that if Browns home becomes the
scene of mining stampede, I'll have
showed great gift OF faith, and got
both his photo and the negative to
show there was no i'll feeling. I'm
pastoral, harmless. simple. raised for
pet
Leaving Kate hid in a ruined shack,
halfway to the ferry, was down by
eleven p. N. to the bank of the river.
hailing old man Brown. So soon as
he'd brung me acrost, sent him to
ride for all he was worth and collect
our constable. which cost me eighteen
dollars and a horse The money is
severe, but I'll get even on horse
trades.
From midnight to one a. m. / put
in the time cussing Dale; from then
till two a. m. felt that nobody loved
me; from two a. m. to half past,
was scheming to take the robbers
single-handed. At two thirty-fYe Dale
rolled up with nine men from Skyline,
mounted on Billys ponies, besides
O'Flynn. and Ransome Pollock, who
may be good for burnt Offering but
isn't much use alive.
OF course, having raised the coun-
try. I'd got to make good. producing
a business proposition and robbers to
follow. Iron has no sense of humor
anyhow, and can't see jokes unless the
prices Is wrote plain on their tickets.
He's come to this earth after dollars
If a batch of robbers is liable to cost
him fifty dollars a day, and only
fetches tifty-one dollars a day on the
contract, his mine is better money, so
he rolls his tail and takes away his
men. That's Iron Dale seven days in
the week.
He's right smart. too. at holding
business meeting, so when I'd ate
cranberry pie, which is a sort of com
pliment from the mine, and the boys
has some of Browns tea as donation
from me, the convention sits down
solemn TO talk robbers.
Moved and seconded that hold-ups
amt encouraged in her majesty's do
minions, and we hands these robbers
to the constable as his lawful meat,
but we got to get 'em first
Resolved that there's money in It.
The owners of them cattle had ought
to be grateful and show their graft
tude. cause otherwise the stock is
apt to scatter. Proposed that we hit
the trail right away, with Iron Dale
for leader. Carried, with symptoms
of toothache disabling one of his men
Dale told off OFlynn and Brans-
combe to stampede the cattle just at
CLINT of dawn. sending 'em past the
cave. and shooting and yelling as if
there was no hereafter. That should
interest the robbers, and bring them
out of the cave which overlooks our
pasture. Looking down at a sharp
angle, they weren't likely to hit our
riders. whereas our posse, posted in
good cover with a steady aim could
attend to the robbers with prompt
ness and despatch.
Crossing the ferry our main outfit
left Billy and Branscombe to start
drifting the cattle southwark, while
we rode on to take up our positions
around the cave. In the ruined shack,
halfway to our home, Kate vas to
have a candle. screened so that it
could only be seen from our trail We
passed my fence, we crossed the half
mile creek, we gathered speed along
the open pasture, and then Kate's yell
went through me like knife. The
robbers must have had a man on night
herd. and found her by that light!
Dale's hand grabbed my rein, and
with growl he halted our whole
outfit Steady" says he, you fool!"
Then in whisper. as his men came
crowding in: 'Dismount! Ransome.
| hold horsesl Sam, take three men
afoot round the rear of that cabin.
take the rest to close in the front
Siwash. and Nitchie Scott, find enc
my's horses and drift them away out
of reach No man to whisper, no man
to make a sound. until | lift my hand
at that cabin window After that, kill
any man who tries to escape. Get "a
move on"
! So, with me at his tail, he crept
along from cover to cover, waving
hand signals TO throw his squad into
| place. The enemy's five horses at the
door were led of by Billy's Siwash
arriero, and Nitchie Scott, so gently
/ that the robbers thought they we're
| grazing. BY that time Dale and me
/ was at the window gap on the north
side OF the shack. but the candle was
/ in our way. we couldn't see through
/ It's glow, and il wasn't till we got
round to the door hole that we'd a
view Of what was going on inside.
My wife stood In the nor'west, right.
( far corner. A man with gray chin
whisker and a mournful smile, with
his gun muzzle in her right ear, was
showing her head against the wall
Bull was talking as usual explaining
low his tact was bettern Whiskers
gun at persuading females. Ginger
was trying to assuage Bull. The
greaser was keeping a kind OF look.
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