Year: 1870

instead Of being a go-between Of set of
fools and knaves.


He asked some other foolish questions,
and | answered them in like manner.
He seemed very much agitated all through
our conversation, fact | could have ac-
counted for, had he exulted at the pros
pect of the capture of old Browler, but
which in view of his apparent liking for
that man was to me inexplicabe, and so I
gave it up.


He was very civil though and gave me
a crushing dinner with claret, and box
at the theater afterward, which put me
on good terms with all but his brains.


He said he would follow me to town
and hunt up Van Colt instantly, and all
would be right I therefore posted back
to the city at twelve p. m, on Friday,
and entered the Office at ten a. m, Satur-
day.


There was an awful row directly Bax-
ter gave me credit for more wicksdness
than l ever knew Of and it was not until
[ threatened to whip off my jacket that
he became bearable.


Where was Browler!


Arrested Put in the ststion-hou,e
Thursday night"


"Good gracions who did that ?"


"I did," said O'Neil, swinging him.
self around on his stool. "Do you object
hey?"


"No, he deserved it, and his sisters
too"


you're a fellow of sense I; all the
rest set me down for n stupid. If q man
is not to be punished for robbing you Of
your house, home father, property, and
making you go to work in such con-
founded stable as this il, | should like TO
know it !"


Although [ appeared very just and
stern, | must say was little sorry for
the old fellow, after ALL 1t would come
hard on him in his old age to be put 10
breaking stones, and all that. Baxter
said that he heard that they had to put
five bullets into him before he gave
in to the officers. He and his sisters
barricaded the dining-room doors and
windows, and laid in stock OF Colt :
revolvers, and they only brought them to
terms BY squirting chloroform through the
keyhole


O'Neil was very savage against him,
and vowed he would push him to the
wall, and would put on every screw the
law would allow him to. He was very
rough on Browlcr's sisters too. He said
they doubtless instigated the plot, and
harped on their brother 50 that they final
ly badgered him into gratifying their
sel6shness He said he always hated
their way of sneaking about town at
home, with their drab dresses and the
pots of two-penny jelly and cruel for the
poor folks They pretended to talk well,
and know a geat deal, and used to be 50
confoundedly philanthropic, always up to
libraries, and cooperative wash houses
and that sort of thing. He managed TO
get up quite a feeling among us, in spite
of the sympathy We felt for his prisoner,
and when he described the poverty Iii.
family was brought to through the ras.
calty of Browler, We swore to stand by
him to prevent any rescue that might be
attempted by roughs who might be hire
by his sisters


When we got out Of O'Ne,l's hearing,
though, we could not help slipping back
again. Even Baxter was not quite 50
hard on him. And when we looked at
his vacant desk, and closed inkstand, and
remembered how gentle he always was
with us and our bunders, and how he
would oftentimes stand between us and
the officers for any blame that rightly
belonged to us,.and how blind he used to
be to our cuttings up, We could not help
thinking that we had no cause OF spite
against him, for he never was anything
but kind and obliging to US. If his shin
ing old bald head ever bobbed up at any.
thing we did, it would only be to wag
once or twice, but never harsh word
came from him. He never used to make
us pay for postage stamps, and If his
monthly balance came out within twenty
four hours las it did about once in ten
he used to stand us bottle of claret
which we used to drink standing, out o!
paper cornucopias.


After wo got pretty blue by talking il
over, Browler's friend boldly proposed
We should visit him at the station-housc
This was pretty emphatic, and we We're
all silent, but Baxter said we had better
do it, as it would be onr only chance ol
telling him what We thought Of him and
his villainy. Then something was said
, about carrying some chicken and Rhine
wine, and Baxter assented on tho ground
that it would remind him what his kna-
very had deprived him Of


| had not told O'Neil that knew tn
whereabouts OF his father, or in fact any
thing about him whatever, as ! did not
know how Browler might like it. aud as
it could not affect O'Neil to wait a little
We did not ask him to 60 with US to see
Browler, OF course, as it would only mak g
it more disagreeable all around.


We provided ourselves with a permit
from the deputy sheriff, and with trem.
bling legs and humping hearts sat down
in row on the edge Of the waiting-room
sofa, to have ourselves announced To
Browler. who they said was in No. 10.


The worst one in the whole house, %
said Baxter, under his breath its
where they put the violent ones. They
probably have got him shackled to the
wall, with his arms and legs stretched out
spread-eagle, they call it"


| never knew fellow Of seventeen Ia
know as much as Baxter did


"If | were an officer here, | think |
would try the water punishment. Two
quarts would make Browler tell where
the money is-he's got such fine bald
head"


To this we made no rejoinder; We
were all too busy staring at the long rows
of clubs and pistols hung up against the