Year: 1873

nothing; yet knew the sound I heard
was very near me. AS the hind wheels
came up I heard something tumble
from one side to the other of my wagon ,
md I could feel the jar occasioned by
the movement. It was simply man
in my cart! Iknew this on the instant.
Of course 1 felt puzzled. At first I inn
agined that some one had taken this
to obtain ride. Mynext idea
was that somebody got there to sleep;
but this passed away as soon as it came,
for no man would have broken in for
that purpose. And that thought gen.
tlemcn, opened my eyes. Who ever
was there had broken in. My next
thought was Of the suspicious looking
7 had seen at the tavern.
He heard me say that my load was all
sold ont, and of course he supposed that
l had some money with me. In this he
was right for had over two thousand
dollars. I thought he meant to leave
the cart when he supposed I had
reached safe place, and then creep
over and shoot me, or knock me down.
All this passed through my mind by
the time had got rod from the hole.


"In a few minutes my resolutions was
formed. My horse was kneo deep in
mud, and I could slip off without noise.
So drew my pistol, and having twined
the reins about the whip-stock, care
fully slipped down in the mud, and as
the cart passed Oh went behind and
examined the hasp. The outer door
lets down and is fastened by n hasp
which slips over the staple, and is then
secured by a paddock. The paddock
was gone, and the hasp was secured in
its place by bit of pine, SO that q
slight force from within could break it.
Ny whcel-wrench stood in q leather
bucket on the side of the cart, and l
quickly took it out and slipped it in the
staple, the iron handle just sliding
down.


"Now had him! My cart was al
most new, made of a stout frame of
white oak, and made on purpose for
hard usage. did not believe any or
binary man could get out. l got into
my cart rs roislossly as got off, and
then urged my horse on, still keeping
my pistol handy. I knew that dis
tance of half mile or further I should
come to hard road, and so I allowed
my horse to pick his own way through
the mud.


About ten minutes after this, I
heard a motion in the cart, followed by
a grinding noise, as though some heavy
force was being applied to the door
l said nothing, but the idea struck me
that the villain might judge where sat
and shoot up through the top of the
cart at me; SO l sat on the foot-board.


"Of course l knew my unexpected
passenger was villain, for he must
have been awake ever since 1 started,
and nothing in the world but absolute
villainy would have caused him to re-
main quiet so long, and then start up
in this particular place. The humping
and pushing grew louder. and pretty
soon heard q human voice.


"' Let me out of this! and he yelled
pretty loud.


~ lifted my head so as to make him
think I was in my usual place, and then
asked him what he was doing there"


Let me out and I will tell you, he
replied.


"'Tell me what you are in there for,
I said.


"'I got in here to sleep on rags he



"' How did you get in ? asked


Let me out, OF I'll shoot you
through the head


eat that moment my horses feet
struck the hard road, and 1 knew that
the rest of route to jackson would be
good going; the distance was twelve
miles. slipped back on the foot
board and took the whip. In fifteen
minutes we cleared the woods, and we
went at keen jump, the chap inside
yelling to be let out. Finally he stopped
and in few minutes came the report
of a pis toll ne-two-three- one
right after the other, and heard the
balls whiz over my head. If 1 had
been on my seat, one of these balls, if
not two of them, would have gone
through me. I popped my head up
Il