Year: 1870

rs stout, and as strong, and as free


for use as my OWN. = Had the fallow


taken all this trouble of deception


for the sole purpose Of getting a


ride. 1 could not believe it. Had


he done it for the purpose Of excit-


ing sympathy that he might beg


with better success? He did not


look like a man prone to beg. Then
Why was it?


I had been in my present position
/ of messenger nearly two years, and
| as I never went up on my route
without more or less money entrust-
ed to my care, / had learned to be
suspicious. This man had been
present when Prindle gave me the


money package Of three thousand
collars, and had probably overheard
lhe agents directions. He meant
20 roo me, or he had come with me
lor that purpose. I loosed into his
lace, and now that 1 regarded him
no more as q war worn veteran and
hero, discovered him to be an ugly
repuIsiYe looking person. And he
was powerful fellow, to boot
should say, almost twice as heavy
as myself. But 1 was not to remain
long in doubt.


We had entered a secluded part
Of the road, with deep wood upon
my left hand; when my companion
drew a revolver from his pocket and
pointed the muzzle towards me.


Give me that packet-book Of
yoursw he commanded. Don't
make no words! Give it up or die!
Quick


My pocket-boOk, besides the three
thousand dollar package, contained
full two thousand dollars belonging
to parties in Norway. My instinct
was born Of office. I thought more
Of the property entrusted to my care
than OF myself just then heard
wagon wheels in the distance-some-
thing coming up behind US. Should
[ try and wait for the coming team,
or should 1 try and gain the next
house. just beyond was the brow Of
the hill and at the foot of the hill
farmhouse. l struck my horse with
the whip and as he leaped from un-
der the blow, the ruffian caught the
reins with one hand and grasped my
throat with the other, the pistol fail
ing upon the footboard as he did so
As soon as he had given my cravat
a twist or two that stopped my
breath, he let go the reins and made
4 grasp for my pocket-book, think
ing, no doubt, to seize it, then leap
from the wagon and make for the
woods. And this he might have
dore but for an accident, for he was
a perfect Hercules in comparison
with me.


When my assailant let 60 the reins
I had sense enough to catch one of
them-the near rein-and gave it
a smart pull, which movement
brought the horse so suddenly to the
left that the wagon overturned, and
we split out into the muddy ditch
l upon the top Of the rObber In
course of my struggles my cravat
gave may, and l was for a moment
free; but the burly rascal caught me
by the leg, and had brought me to
the earth, when the team that had
followed us drove up, and l receg-
nized Sumner Burnham and his son
two Of the best detective officers
in the state.


My friend had not thought Of the
approaching wagon; but he saw it
now, and when he observed It had
stopped, he would have Ieaped away
but now it was my turn to try the
leg game; and / caught him by the
ankle and tripped him up; and be-
fore he could regain his feet they
ware. upon him, and very shortly af.
! terward old Sumner himself, with
his two hundred and eighty pounds
Of compact, leviathan, corporosity,
laid his huge hand upon the villains
shoulder.


well, well, my boy said Burn
ham, when he looked into my herO's
face, "Fm afraid I've interrupted an.
other of your little games. What
were you up to here's As he spoke
he snapped pair Of handouts upon
my var-worn veterans waists.


The latter gave one more look in.
to the ruddy face of the Cyclopean
officer, and then subsidized


l told my story in a very few
words, after which 1Ir. Burnham in.
formed me that my hero was & noto-
TiOus rogue He had never been to
the war, but had enlisted four seve-
raj times, and Jumped" a big bOun-
ty each time. He had also robbed a
suttler at Augusta. and done various
other wicked things A telegram
had been sent from Portland to Nor
way, informing Burnham that the
rascal was on the outward-bound
train.


"The telegram did not reach me,
said Ar Burnham, until after the
train had left South Paris. ] tele-
graphed to Bryant's Pond and to
Bethel, and was thinking to wait
for the next freight train, when Dun
ham, the baggage master, told me of
the man who had ridden of with
you. When he had described him l
knew you had my man; so had on
ly to find your track in order to be
sure of his


[ viii only add that my wagon was
not seriously damaged, and while the
officers turned back with the bounty
jumping, sutler-robbing hero, drove
on, and delivered the money pack
age safely to its owner; and further
more, that from that day to this 1
have made it a rule never to allow q
stranger a seat by my side upon my
express wagon.


The Man Who Smokes"


The fact that General Grant