An Express Messenger's Story

In the euinmer oï 18Ü3 I was genitji a messenger on the Bri ish American (düw o lied Canudiin) expres. My lay bt-tween P. rtlaud and South Paris, though my office was in Norway a mile and u half distsnt from tho lat ter Htat'on, betweon wbioh two points I tr i vcled ih wy ou team. As tliroe aua Bometimss tlur Jine of stages oounect.-d witli tbe Gründ Tiunk road at Soutli Paris, througb all of uhieh our expicss did business, my route was au important and responsible oue. It was on Suturday, Augus! 2Otb. I aie my dinoer, and theu went into the Portland nL5ce to get my freigbt and my ordtrs for the country. After the f orters hud taken out the various arricies ooDMgBed to uiy charge, Mr. Prindle, ouragent, called me to bis desk, and exhibitcd a package, direoted to a party in South Paris, contaiuiug three tbousand dollars. Do you know that man f" he asked, poiutiug to the euperseription. ' Yes," 8f.id I. "Do you know wkere he Uves P "Yes." "Iiow fsr froni jour depot f" "A mile and a hall1 I should thick on the oíd Kumfurd road." "Well," bepursued, "I don't care to have rhia 'ay ver at the depot, and you had better deliver it yoursilf." I told him I would do so. I may hcre rcmurk that we had no regular office at South Paris. It was my custoni to deliver such matier s wu8 cunsigned to parties living in the viilage, uiüiiu a radiu of h!f a mile or so, Wbile packages going beyond thuse limite I usuully lefl witb the station mueter, to be called for. And so, even ai Noi way, it was understood by our patroi:s that we did deliver express matj ter beyoDd the liuiits of the viilage corporaiicm. As I wa leaviug the office I observed one of the poi ters, assistod by a clerk, lifring a soldier iuto the wagon of th.' KeniitLeo express. Said uldier's right leg was swuiiied in tbick bandajes fn.iu the kdee lo the toes, aud he hobbted ou orutohea; his uniform ws iru an i Boiled, and he appeared to be oue who had seco hard i-ervice. 'Poor fellow!"8aid the clerk, a he met me opon the sidewalk, "Uu's o-0 two mioou bi.lls tbrongh his leg- wonnded at üettjsburg. He star;td down frflin tl.u Ipteroational for the ■iepot ,u his crutches, bul he gave out hi.re " At tl at time, when the great battic was vet ii tfaing of the preBtnt, a horo cf G. ttyxburg hus un ol j.ct of iattireat to uie; aud I feit aluiost like taking off uy liat to ihe war-worn aud hutten d vettran ; I u! he had (aiued his seat, atid üs driven iwuy b-fre I had oppnrtunity to i-aluie him. At the depot 1 saw my freiijht fafely in the car, aüd ai ter we had slarted I took a turn through tho train. 1 fouud our Getyïburg hero n the forward car occupying u whole seat, wi:U the riui of his old slouched liat pulled down over his face, probably asltep. Poor fellow ! Bfl as weak and weary We arrived at South Paris at halfpast three p. m , where I found my team waiticg for ïiio- a cimuiun rxprem wagon, drawn by a hore which I c unidered rather superior to expresa horees in genera] As the ast paekage wa placed in the wagoo I obeerved the veter atj of Gettysburg hobbling tqwaid ine on the plaüurm i liad tiapped up the tail-board, nnd wus on iny way to m' my seat, whon he addressed ine : "Sny, my iriend, which way are you going V" "Just arouud the villago to delirer freight," I told üiiu. Ho looked disappointed. "I was in hnpes that I should firid somebody going up the old Rumforc road a pitee. My leg is about playee out,;' hu said. I remerubered the package I had to deliver on ttj same road, and I told bim if be didu't mind riding arouod through the vilíage, I would take liim as int 'ub tbe old Jorduu Flace. He saiJ tliat it would be a great !;elp to liini. 80, with the as-istanct.' of the stalion baggEf;tmistcr, I belped him to tbe seat. Ho was a lurgf, heavy man, and uu tic seemcd unable to help hiinsell in climbing, the labor of hoiítÍDg him up was r;ot a liglit oe. "I thall corae down easier," Lo eaid laughing. "All right," I replied, as I took my scat by liis side. I mudo ijuck work of ddiveriiig my stuff in tlie village, and when wc bad struok the old road beyoud I asked my compaiiH.ii bis name. He ssiiJ n was Joliu Smit!). Tlicn I led him to teil me of bis experience in the aimy, and moríP'irticulaily at Getlytbnrg. " Hctaid be was a Jlaine boy, but was not in a Mnii.c regimenl. Ho was iu Ohio ben ïeenlisted, and joint-d a regiment in at Sate. I Bsked him which one. Hu l old me the Forty-eighth. This stapg.red me; I procceded with iy qacctioi s and ere long bad gaint-a Vom him all he knew of tiettysburg, md more too. I don 't like to be gold ; ,nt I had been oíd now, rtaiuly. Tho niun by tny ■! was a huwbug. ín tb first plnce I knew tha! tbo Fortv-eighth Ohio wos at Vicksburg, irnb Graut, while Gettvsburg waf being fl!Ught. And teen I had bea.d ibo viole siory oí Gottysburg froiu wundéd officer. wbo had comt fr m h field ; and this man r Btory ws? uot like lbo stcry they had told. I had made up niy mirid that the fcllow was Sucker," or a "Sp-.Dge," wben I wlfi íiiterrnpt, d in my BicditaioiiB by a gud dnlor-h oflhe wagon, Mieofihe wheels baviog dro.ped uto a luUc;h hnlu npon tliHt side on bich tlie rworn an,1 sbati. r d btro sut, I expeeted, when I h urewerdmjrown balance, to ee hlm pitvhsd fu, n his perch ; but uot so I that bandagc-d ieg, whicl. firat bnd b en as usrlt-M ai a ded tuau's leg, suddcnlv traKl.tcntdou(; theswathed fnol ws piar.ted flatly and squarcly upoi. the digu.í-ed limli he held btmaclf, and regained his equiübrruin. I preteudd not lo notico ; but I had noliced and rcflectcd. That ritrht leg so tarefully nursed, was art stout"; aud as btr Dg, and as fruo for une as tny owu Had the fcllow taken all this trouble of (ioneption for the solé parpóse of guttin ando? I cüuld nol beiievo it Had he done it for thü f,urpose of excitin ympailiy tbat be wight beg with bette SUixfttM ? He dd nut look like a wan prono to beg. Tüen why waaii ? I liad been in niv picse-it position of nenger nearly two yr, aud as I neyer went upon my route without laOie .r J,-s8 nv.ney entrusted lo my oare, I bitd learned to be iuspioioui This man lit.d b.en pr. senï when P. indle gav0 mv tho mouey paokage of thro thousand dollars, aud had probubly ocrheard the ageot's dirootioDB. lle meant to r..b me or he hud como with me for tht purpose. I looked into his faoe ; and ñow that 1 regardcd him 110 more a a warw..rn retarao and hero, I discovered hiiu t.) bo an ugly and repulsive lookii.g peraon. And he waa a powerful fcllow to boot- I thould say, almost twice as heavy as mjself. 13ut I was uot to ro mam Lufi iu doubt. We had enteredasecluded part of the ruad, with a ileep woud upon tny left hand, hen my companíon drow a re volver froiu bia pocket acd poiuted the inuzz'e towards me. "Give me that pocket book of yours ! ' he commanded. Dou't make no words ! Give it up ordie! Quick !" My pocket book besides the three thousaod dollar packnge, ooutained full tu o thonsHiid dollars belonging to par lies in Norway. Mj insliaot was bom oí o luce. I thoughi more of tLc proper ty (Dtruated to my car-3 than of inyselt. Just then I Lcard wagón wlieels ui the ditauce- somethiug coming ur. behmd us. Khould I try and wait f ■ r the comiug team, or should I try and pain the Dezt house. Just beyond eras the brow of the hil! aud at (he foot of the biil a furm-houèe. I gtruck mv horsa with the whip uud as he le.ped (rom uncler the blow, the ruffiancauht tliu reiua with one hand aud grauped mv throat with the other, the pisiol fallinc on the fooiboard as he did so. As soon as he had piven my eruvat a twist or Bfii that topped my breath, he let go he reina anJ mado a grasp íor mv pocket book, ihiuking, lo doubt, to seize it, (ben leap froin the watron and mnke for the woc.ds. Aud this he uiight have d ne butfor an auoident, for ht was a perfeet Hercules iu comparison with ut e. Wbeu my assnilant lf go the reius I tad neusa snough to catcb oue of tbem- thj uear rein- anJ gi.ve ït a smart pull, w. iob rnoveimut lir..u,,it tho uorso m', ituddeoly to ihe left tlmt the wag,.n uver-torued and wo spilt out in'o u mud.ly ditch-I „pon lop of the jobber. In liie course of my btrugyle my cravHt Save way, and I was lor a njoinent free : but tiie I.urly rjscal caugbt my legi an(i had brought me to tb .ai th, wben ' the ttam th.tt fi.Üoue.l usdn.vo up, and I recogn zed Sunoar liurnljanj and hit. S.1II- two oi ihe best detecti?e officurs iu tbe Stüie. My frieud had not thouglit of the appioachitg wagou; but he saw it now and when he obrerved it had stopped' he wuuld bave leaped away ; but uow it rus ni y turn to try the leg gaine; and I cautín bun by tlio ankle audtrippec) him up; iind before he could n-gaiu Lis feet Otho was upon titm, and very hortly aftrrward o!d Sunner bimself, witb his twobiindrcd aid cfebt; pound of ooinpact, leviathan cciporosity, laid hi huev hand upen ibe villain's thdulder "Well, well, my boy," 8aid Burnham, when he luokrd into my hero'g fiCe 'Tui üfraid Pve inlerrupled finother of your littje games. VVbat were you ud to here ?" As he spoke Le snapped a pair of handcuffs npon my war-worn veternn's wrists. 'J he latter gave one more look into ihe ruddy fiice of the Uyclopean offlcer, and theu subsided, I told my gtorv in a very few words, ufier whieh Mr. Buruham informed me' that tny hero was a notorious rogue. He bad liever been to the war, but had enÜMted four times, and "ji;mped" a big bounty euch tiiue. Ho had also robbed u sutler at Auru.sta, and done various othcr wieked thins. A telegram had been fteol from l'orthind to Norway, informiug Burubew the ruecal was on' tho outward-bouud Iraio. "Tho telegram did not reach me," Baid Mr. Burnbam, "until after the train had left Souih Pari. I telegraph.-d to Bryant's Pond and to Bethel, aod I wa thiukiiijí lo wuit iur ihe ucxt freiffbt tram, wheu Duuham, the bagage manIer, told me of' ihe man who had riddn üffwilhyou. Wlien he had desciibcd him I kuuw you had my man ; bo I had only to find your track in order to be sure of him." I will orly ad.] that my wagon was ot Htsridusly dimiagfd, and while t he officers turncd back with the OBftTiiinpiitg, eutler robbiog hero, I drove on, and delivcrcd the money-package siif.lytoitB owner; ond funhermonj, that from that day to this I havo made t a rule never to allow a stranger a eeat p my side upon my express wagon. Thp Valley of Airgiuia ha never preentpd a mire flattcrinc appunrance har. this spring. The wheat erop gen I rally is fine, the oats looking well, the grui-8 luxriaut, and tbe corn promismg.