Year: 1874

ton Grove, expecting 70 hear al tnat famous
rendezvous, some tidings OF their comrade
Birch. They arrived separately, according to
their customary mode OF travel when returning
from an expedition long coming IN the last,
having stopped on his road. 10 hghten travel
ing merchant OF some eight hundred dollars,
who wss on bic way TO Little Fort to purchase
a lot OF goods.


Birch was not al the station. as they lad ex-
pected, but in the twilight OF the second day Of
their repose. they heard summons at the
outer door, which Oliver, the master Of the
cabin who rose to answer Il. recklessly offered
TO bet gallon of whskey, was the announce
ment Of the Dandy Captain. The wager being
taken up by Baker. the door was thrown open,
and the bet decided in favor Of the latter, by
the appearance Of Bridge. the co-propretor OF
the station. But though the opening of the
door did not produce Bob 8rch in person. it
produced tidngs OF him which were not unn-
terestiDg to the party. Bridge lad Just re-
turned from the station Of man named Saw
yer al Inlet Grove, in the adjoining county TO
the south, and bad left Elrch lying there help





about the head, and desperately wounded by a
stab IN the thigh i'e had been found IN tins
sad condition Oh the road, about ten miles DIS
tant from the Grove. ana must have died had
not one Of the clan. named Sloa;, discovered
blm and brought him in. lie had not been
sble 10 give any account Of Lie mishsp, but by
the assistance Of deaf old woman who formed
part OF Sawyers family. and who was skilled
in herbs and snples. he was mendlng fast, and
promised, soon 70 lie IL 8 condition to talk.
THIS newt created 8 sensation and various sur
misses were set atoat as 10 how the accident to
the Dandy Captain Lad come about. But
Blrch's misfortune was not all that Bridge had
brought in the way OF news. lie had learned
from Sawyer that Bliss. the poor lame man
whom Jack Baker had initiated while perform
ing the robbery a. Troy Grove had been ar
rested and charged with the robbery, and that
Dewey who had really been concerned IN it as
the protector % the enterprise. had been ar.
rested with him. TINS was matter Of some
concern, for IL wss pOg certain that Dewey
would prove staunch. and second installment
Of the whiskey was devoted TO assist in the In
vention OF measures Tor his extncation or re-
het. -is for Bhss, he being an honest man,
biz condition did not claim any OF their con-
sderation. and they allowed Ms case TO 60 by
With laugh, probably thinking az he was en-
tirey innocent. .Iustice would make it her
special business to extricate bim without re-
curing any assistance from them. who were so
unfit FOR any noble performance. mother in
stalment on the gallon o: whiskey sent the
party to Led heavy with reflection. and early
IN the morning which succeeded il was the
resolution OF Fox and Long 70 set out at once
for Inlet Grove. ard see their old COMPANION
once more.


Birch did indeed present sorry spectacle to
The eyes OF his comrades when they called upon
him. iis head all bandsged up, presented a
tagrant idea o: turban ; hls eyes were bruised
and bloodshot, and hIs attenuated throat and
arms, showed how rapidly he had waned, and
how serious had been bis hurts The fever.
however, had left him. and the clearness OF
his eve indicated he was again the master OF
his mind He extended his hand to Long as
be came %, and as be held il he nodded a
recognition TO Fox.


''A pretty hard case this John said the
sick man TO the Wolf, after the old woman had
dissolved the standing injunction she lad in
favor Of & short conversation.


- Yes see; but how dld il come about =
SAID the Wolf.


." suppose Baker and FOX have told you the
rgmsrole about the tanners daughter z" said
the invalid.


- Yee."


Well, it came out Of that


Those are the KIND Of things that always
produce trouble" said Long philosophically.
There is more need for man TO say his
prayers when he goes after a woman, than to
look after his knife when be fights against
Odds


Well never lost at those kind OF odds be-
fore. said the emaclated dandy while a gleam
Of vanity passed over his sickly features, and
should not have lost in this, If it had not
been for most unexpected accident"


There s special peril in every fold OF a
woman's skirt, and each one Of them is a chap
ter 81 accidents, said Long sententiously.


" Your ,ate experience IN Natchez. Jack. has
made you a msanthropic on that subject, re-
piled the sick man with a smile. "but in this
matter OF miue YOU shall see. When Fox and
Baker left me, put 10 at the tavern of a man
named ADAMS, who by the way had very
pretty little wife, who noticed had trick of
slipping into corners with hearty looking
young fellow, who ! afterwards learned was
the brother OF the girl who was the object of
my stay. l also noticed that this young fellow
had rival IN the landlady's attentions. in
chap in a short velvet coat with whom. also
she was not averse to giggimg behind the door.
After awhile, and out Of mere mischief. ven
tured to give her two or three pleasant punches
in the side, on my own account. and for this
pastime ] had the qualification to see her two
gallants look unutterable daggers at me. as
moved aoout the house. AS my views were
fixed in another quarter however and as did
not intend to waste my time upon the landlady.
enjoyed the sport very much. and made II
serve 70 Kill time, until the hour OF nv ap-
po.nsment with the farmers daughter. which
bad made for the middle Of the afternoon. /
met the grl IN snug piece OF woods, well out