Year: 1870

Give it up, or die! Quick"


My pocket-book. besides the three thou
sand-dollar package, contained full two
thousand dollars belonging to parties in
Norway. My instinct was born of my Of
fee. I Thought more Of the property in
trusted to my care than of myself. Just
then l heard wagon wheels in the distance
something coming up behind us.
Should / try and wait for the coming
team. or should try and gain the next
house? Just beyond was the brow OF n
hill. and at the foot of the hill farm
house. / struck my horse with the whip,
and as he leapcd from under the blow,
the ruflian caught the reins with one
hand, and graspcd my throat with the 9TH
er, his pistol falling upon the foot-board
rs he did So. As soon rs he had given
my cravat twist that stopped my breath,
he let go the reins and made n grasp for
my pockct-book. thinking, no doubt, to
seize Il, and then leap from the wagon and
make for the woods. And this he might
have done but for an accident ; for he was
perfect Hercules in comparison with
me.


When my assailant let 60 the reins l
had sense enough to catch one of them
the near rein and give it smart pull,
which movement brought the horse so
suddenly to the left that the wagon was
overturned, and we spilled out into mud
dy ditch-I upon the top Oft the robber. In
the course ofmy struggles my cravat gave
way, and i was for moment free /; but
the burly rascal caught mo by the lee.
and had brought me to earth, when the
team that had folloTed us drove up, and
frecognized Sumner Burnham and his
son-two Of the best detective officers in
the State.


My friend had not thought of the ap-
preaching wagon; but he saw it now,
and when be observed that 1t had stopped,
he would have leaped away but u was
now my turn to try the leg game ;and I
caught him by the ankle, and trippcd him
up and before no could regain his feet
Otho was upon him, and very shortly af-
terward old Sumner himself, with his two
hundred and eighty pounds Of compact,
Lcviathan corporosity, laid his huge hand





upon the williams shoulder.


"Well. we'll, my boy" said Burnham.
when he had looked into myhero's face,
"rm afraid I've interrupted another of
your little games. What were you up to
hcre?" Ash he spoke he snapped pair Of
handouts upon my war-worn veterans
wrists. .s 1884


The latter gave one more look into tho
face OF the ruddy face of the Cyclopean
officer. and then subsidized. 10


told my story in very few words,
after which Mr.. Burnham informed me
that my hero was notorious rogue. He
had never been to the war, bnt had enlist
ed four several times, and Jumped big
bounty each time. He had also robbed
sutler at Augusta, and done various 9TH
or wicked things. A telegram had been
sent from Portland to Norway, informing
Burnham that the rascal was on our out
ward-bouDd train.


.The telegram did not reach me-" said
Mr.. B., "until after the train had left
South Paris. tclegraphcd to Bryants
Pond and to Bethel. and was thinking to
wait for the next freight train, when Dun
ham, the baggage-mastcr. told me of the
man who had ridden of with you. When
he had described him knew you had my
man SO had only to find your track in
order to be sure of his"


will only add, that my wagon was not
seriously damaged, and that while the Of
ficers turned back with the bounty jump
ing. sutler-robbing hero, l drove on, and
delivered the money-package safely to its
owner and, furthermore, that from that
day to this. have made 1t rule never to
allow stranger n seat by my side upon
nv express-waCon.