Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1914-09-10


resistance, though he muttered some
thing about an outrage" Without ap.
poaring to notice him ! went to cab
standing beside the station and en-
/ gagged it. There We're other cabs. but
my man did not use any of them. He
stood on the platform for awhile look
ing about him. while | went TO Il cigar
stand, spent some time selecting a
weed. more time cutting off the end
and still more striking matches which
/ persisted in going out, to light it, In
this way consumed the time till l
saw my man start OFF down the track
in the direction of Albany. | knew he
was going to hunt for his hat
/ Going out to my cab, asked the
/ driver if there was not road beside
| the railway track. He said there was
| and, pointing to the man who was
walking on the ties. said:
81 wish you to drive eastward, ana
! be sure to keep that man in sight.
/ Whenever the road digrcsses from the
! track let me know beforehand and I
will get out ana walk till they come
/ together again"
handed him five dollar bill. assur-
| ing him that if he followed my direc-
| tionS closely there would be more for
! him. He put it in his pocket, | entered
the cab, and we rolled away.
We were obliged to drive a short
distance into the town before striking
a main road leading eastward and lost
| sight of my man for Il few minutes,
! but as soon as we passed beyond the
houses caught sight of him again, for
the track lay over open ground Our
road ran parallel with the rails for
| half Il mile, then struck a side hill
| covered with a wood. | alghted and,
/ walking in the cover, Swallowed my
man till near the open again, when
met the cab and re-entered it,
In this way | kept track of the man
| while he neaved the place where his
! hat had been Knocked out through the
window. ! knew he would recognize
| it, for when he had looked out aftet
| it he had doubtless done so to note the
| place whore it fell To tell the truth,
had marked the place myself by tax.
| ing in a certain knoll with single
! tree on its crest.
Seeing this knoll a short distance
ahead and that it separated the road
from the track. when | reached it
left my cab, directing the cabman to
remain where he was. / walked up
! the knoll till | ncared the top, then
craWled the rest of the way FOrtu-
natcly for me the grass was long and
when | reached the summit | could
see through it without being seen.
| There was the man about 300 yards
below me hunting for his hat,
There were bushes and long grass
and stumps beside the rails, and Ee
was having Il hard hunt. was SUI
| fciently sympathetic to help him and
| intended to do so provided he made a
| failure of it, but preferred that he
should find the hat himself There
was little likelihood that it had been
| picked up, for there We're no houses
near, and tie only person in sight was
a man working in field half Il mite
| from the track.
! | frlt like calling to the fellow that
| the suction of the train would carry
| the hat in the direction we were m0V-
| ing when il WAS lost. Il matter that he
! didn't seem to consider and kept look
| ing Il hundred yards or more eastward
of where | believed the article would
cease bounding after the cars. But
at last having hunted thoroughly over
the ground to the eastward, he turned
his attention to an open space covered
! by long grass to the Westward Sud
denly he pouuced upon it in Il deprcS-
sion within few yards of the track.
Snatchiug it up, he looked about him
to assure himself tnat lie was not OBJ
served then thrust his hand into and
about the crown. Having done this,
he brushed the dust away with his
sleeve, then put the hat on his head.
For Il few moments he stood looking
| first eastward, then westward. as if in
doubt rs to which way to 90. then
started eastward. | went back to my
cab ami SAW him coming on to the
road Il short distance ahead of me.
| When came up with him called ont:
Get in and I'll give You lift
How far is it to the next station|
he asked, hcSitatiug.
Too far to walk. Get in.
He did SO, ami we drove ON
asked the cabman the distance to
the station and something about the
town. He said it was three miles
away and was considerable of town,
chatted with my quarry rs We rode
! alou-, but asked him no questions
When we rode into the town. seeing Il
sign, "roliee Station, | directed the
driver to stop and, getting out OF the
cab, called on the man to follow ne.
/ lie looked Hurried, but oheyed. lie
had no sooner struck the sidewalk thar
clappcd my hand on his shoulder and
said
4 want YOU
He started, teigned surprise and
/ asked.