Page 59

  view page image:

  now flashed upon him; and whipping out his knife, with a cry of joy, he quickly severed the ligaments, even to the one that held the gag in his mouth. The moment Jake Wilden was free— for this was the elder brother—he sprang to his feet, and then bounding up from the floor, uttered a loud peculiar noise, which we can liken to nothing but the discordant whistle of a steam engine. Then drawing a long breath, as of relief, he bounded up again, cracked his heels together, and shouted: “Hell, dad, whar is they? I'm cantankerous—I'm for a fight—I'm mad— I can whip the hull beastly crew—I can, by—! whoop!” and before his father had time for a reply, he darted along the hay-mow, caught up his rifle, which the robbers had left in the very place where they found it, and rushed out of the barn, again giving utterance to another of his discordant screams, as though his lungs were overcharged with pent up sounds, which must perforce find vent or collapse. The father now turned to his younger son, and, on cutting him loose, he went through gyrations, and gave vent to sounds, in all respects so much like his brother, that one might easily fancy the elder was repeating his ventilating and gymnastic exercises. As Bob was as eager for a fight as Jake, he was not long in finding his rifle, and the outside of the barn, whither he was followed by his father. “Which way, dad?” cried Bob— “case I'll hev to fetch a cuss or die.” “That way, thar, to the right,” said his father. “Yes, and thar's Jake, as I'm a sinner, streaking on't across the open lot like chain lightning greased. Come on, dad, and let's see what your legs can do at fifty;” and away they both started in pursuit of Jake, who was in pursuit of his father's guests, who were in pursuit of the robbers, who were striving to make good their escape. Literally speaking, the three Wilden's and the two guests, were all in pursuit of the horse-thieves; but we mentioned them in the order they were running, forming an unequal line of a half a mile. And this line was just long enough to reach the woods—so that at the very-moment when the two last—Bob Wilden and his father—set forward in the chase, the horse-thieves, among whom were Jarvis and comrades, were entering the outskirts of the forest, and disappearing from their nearest pursuers. Thinking it worse than useless to follow them longer; under the cover of night and an extensive forest, the two persons who had reaohed the wood in advance of the Wildens, waited for the latter to come up, in order to hold a consultation and determine on further proceedings. In a few minutes Jake Wilden joined them, puffing and blowing like a porpoise, or an overcharged Mississippi steamboat boiler; and after giving vent to another of his peculiar lung-puffs—if we may be permitted to coin a word expressive of what we mean—he exclaimed: “Whar's the thieving skunks by this time?—whar is they, I say? I'm outlandish—I'm cantankerous—and I want to lick the hull capoodle on 'em, all by myself, I does. Just set 'em afore me one't, and take notice how the fur flies, will yer? O, I'm slick—I'm greasy— I'm biling—and I wants to fight something, jest afore I lays down and makes a die on't—I do, by—!—whoop!” “Well, you'll have to catch 'em afore you can fight 'em,” said one of the two whom he addressed; “and I dont think it's likely you'll do that to-night, being as how they've got into these here woods.

  Page 60

  view page image:

  But ef you was so fierce for a fight, why didn't you do something when they was about?” “Do thunder!—why, how in h—l d'ye 'spose I could do anything with my arms and legs all bound, and a gag in my mouth?” “So, then, you were bound, eh?” said the one who had not before spoken, and who made use of better language than his companion. “Pray, tell us how it happened!” “Tell h—l!” grumbled Jake Wilden. “All I knows 'bout it is, that me and Bob had been out to help Ira Pottenger hunt up a diamond as he'd drapped down in the road thar; and when we got back into the barn, we was pitched upon afore we knowed it, and used up quicker nor I can tell ye about it. O, ef I'd jest a knowed them thar skunks was in thar, wouldn't thar a been a heap of fun? May be not; but you mought bet your old bob-tail colt on't, Mr. Munger, and I reckon you wouldn't lose, nother.” “Yes,” rejoined the other, with a vexed laugh, “it's all very well to say I might bet my colt on your exploits; but it unfortunately happens that I've got no colt to bet, as the thieves have played their game and got him already.” “Yes, and I'll hev thar hearts' best blood for't, and other things,” cried Jake, with a burst of fury. “They may git away to-night, and be—to 'em!— but my time 'll come one of these here days, and then look out for a breeze. The—scamps aint a-going to catch me, and tie me down, and gag me, and steal all the hosses I'm set to watch, and then git off without no trouble! No, by —! I'll hev the heart's blood o' the best of 'em, or I'll lose my own—so mark that, now, and don't forgit it—for it's big Jake as sez it.” By this time the father and brother of Jake had come up to the party; and mmediately a consultation was held, regarding what was best to be done. It was of course decided as useless to pursue the outlaws any further that night—for in the deep wood it would be impossible to tell a man from the trunk of a tree a yard from the eye. And then, how could the pursuit be continued on following day, since it was not known who were the robbers?—not one of them having been seen, so as to make it possible, if the right ones were found, that they could be recognized and identified. The truth was, it was believed by all the settlers, throughout the Great Miami Valley,—that there was a league, or hand of men—who passed themselves off as farmers, doctors, traders, store-keepers, and mechanics—whose real occupation was to steal horses, make and pass counterfeit money. And to sustain them in this belief, the settlers had the evidence of several circumstances of a suspicious character, some of which were, that certain men, owning horses, and living among them, never had one stolen; and that several persons in the country, who had at different times, in different places, and on different charges, been arrested, were always proved to be innocent, through the testimony of certain men who had till then maintained a high place in the esteem of all honest persons who knew them. And here was the difficulty in attempting to bring the guilty to justice: there was no positive proof against them, and nothing of course could be done on mere suspicion. By a wonderfully adroit management, not one of the League had ever been taken in the act of stealing, or passing counterfeit coin; and so all that the honest settlers could do, was to suspect certain neighbors of having a hand in the crimes that were daily being enacted against the laws of the

  Page 61

  view page image:

  community. And of late these crimes had become bolder, more startling, and more numerous; and the honest settlers, alarmed for their personal safety, as well as that of their property, had found it necessary to organize a society for the extinction of the depredators. And to guard against placing themselves in the power of their enemies, it formed a part of their constitution that no one should be allowed to become a member, but such persons as were known to have lost horses, or been otherwise troubled with marauders, previous to its organization. Hence the caution, as the reader has already seen, of those who were members, with regard to giving strangers, or those known not to be members, any information concerning the society, lest it might be used to their disadvantage. As yet this society had never acted in concert—it having been but a few weeks since its organization; but the events of the night of which we are speaking, were well calculated to stir its members up to prompt and decisive action. Knowing it was to meet on the following night, it was judged advisable by the party in consultation, to wait quietly till then, lay the whole facts before the meeting, and be guided in their further proceedings by the judgment of the majority. And in taking this course, it was thought not improbable that another good might result from it—inasmuch as it was certain that one of the outlaws was wounded, and it was not possible, by keeping a sharp look out, that some person might, in the course of the day, be discovered with a bandaged arm. It was finally agreed, therefore, between the Wildens and their guests, that there should be no further pursuit of the outlaws till after the next meeting of the Anti-League Society. Scarcely was this settled, when all were startled by a loud cry, followed by shouts, reports of fire-arms, and soon by a rustling of the bushes of the forest, near where the party stood, as if some persons were approaching them. Silently drawing back, under cover of a thicket, they had just fixed themselves in a position where they could see and not be seen, when a man burst out of the wood, and started to run across the clearing, in the direction of Wilden's house. But scarcely had he advanced forty yards beyond the limits of the forest, when four others came bounding after, in hot pursuit, and spread themselves out to the right and left, evidently with the design of completely cutting him off from the wood, should he change his course and attempt to regain a cover. “Dod rot it!” said Jake Wilden, in a low tone, “I do believe it's some o' them cussed hoss-stealers. Let's arter 'em, and gin 'em thunder!” “I'll go my death on that move,” returned the younger brother. “Here's arter 'em, then,” rejoined the senior Wilden; and the next moment the whole party was in motion, and each selecting his man, all darted forward in pursuit of the strangers, Jake and Bob at the same time uttering loud whoops, not unlike those made by Indians when rushing down upon an enemy. The moment the four pursuers of the foremost runner heard these cries in their rear, and beheld the party giving chase, they appeared to become alarmed for their own safety; and changing their course, they sought to gain the forest to avoid being overtaken. Three of them being near the wood, succeeded in their attempt, and escaped; but the fourth one—a giant of a fellow, not unlike Jake Wilden in his huge proportions—being farther in advance, and nearer the foremost runner than the others, was completely cut off from gaining a cover, and therefore had

  Page 62

  view page image:

  no means to avoid a collision with his adversaries, but to outrun them on a dead race. It so chanced that Jake Wilden had singled out this giant for his object in the pursuit; and being a fleet runner, and fresh withal, he bounded on after him, rifle in hand, and soon began to gain on him, and leave the others behind. Perceiving how matters stood, the giant redoubled his exertions, and kept directly in the tracks of the first fugitive, who, not having noticed the change in the pursuers, believed himself the sole object of all their exertions, and consequently strained every limb and sinew to escape. But in the same ratio that Jake gained on the giant, the giant gained on the foremost; and a quarter of a mile, hard running, brought the three advance parties near together, but considerably increased the distance between them and those behind. “Stop, you bloody thief!” now thundered Jake, “or I'll lodge the insides of this here rifle into the place yer set down on—I will, by thunder!” The giant seemed to pay no heed to this call, but still pressed forward with all his might. Not so the foremost fugitive, who, thinking the language was addressed to him, and now believing it impossible for him to escape, suddenly came to a halt, and drawing forth a large Spanish knife, threw open the blade, by means of a spring, and otherwise prepared to sell his life as dearly as possible. But judge of his surprise, when, instead of beholding the huge fellow close behind rush upon him, as he had expected, the latter suddenly bounded one side, and went panting by, followed by another as huge as himself, who appeared in the act of raising his rifle to shoot him down. Such, doubtless, was his intention; for the next moment the snap of the lock was heard, but the piece did not go off; and with a “D—n the thing! I can do without it,” it was cast upon the ground, and the same voice, addressing the now stationary personage, with whom the speaker had come along side, demanded to know who he was. “My name is Butterman,” was the reply. “Good!” cried the other; “so you're one of us; and now, arter being pursued yourself, you can join in pursuit. Who's this fellow ahead?” “Don't know—only I know he belongs to the villainous gang of horse-thieves.” “Good agin!” cried Jake, who by this time was considerably past the other, and still running hard. “I told 'em so— I knowed it—and I'll give him thunder yit!—whoop! hurray!” “Who are you?” cried Butterman. “I'm Jake Wilden.” “Is it possible, and I not know you! And who are those behind?” “Dad, Bob, and two other friends,” answered Jake, who by this time was too far beyond the other to permit of any further conversation. “And I have all this time been running away from my friends,” soliloquised Butterman—“thinking they were enemies! O, what an ass! But I am sure they fired upon me, and gave chase, when I run that fellow in among them. I do not understand it; but here come those, I suppose, that can explain the mystery;” and Butterman turned to the others, who, running toward him, were fast lessening the distance between himself and them. Meantime Jake was in close pursuit of the flying fugitive, more than ever eager to overtake him, since he had learned, to a certainty, that he was one of that gang whom he now hated with a bitterness which blood alone could appease. And if truth must be told, he did not regret that he and his intended victim were now

  Page 63

  view page image:

  by themselves, as it were, where he could wreak his signal vengeance upon him without interruption—it never once occarring to him, that his foe was his equal in strength, and that, in a hand-to-hand encounter, the latter might possibly get the advantage, and become master of the ground. No, he thought nothing of this; he only considered that he had been tricked, overpowered, and disgraced, by a portion of that same band of which the pursued was a member, and his whole soul was now concentrated upon one dark desire, revenge. We have said that Jake had gradually been gaining upon the giant, who was no other than big Ben Thrasher, the man who had been deputised to poison Butterman's spring—but whom the latter, warned of his purpose, had watched, and fired upon, and chased through the country, till, having run him in among a portion of his own band, they had in turn tired at and joined in pursuit of him, with what result the reader has already seen,—we say Jake had gradually been gaining upon Thrasher, and when, at last, only a rod or so divided them, the former, indignant at what he conceived to be the latter's cowardice, tauntingly exclaimed: “You're a thundering coward, you over-grown lummox! to be running away, this here way, from a feller as wants to lick ye beautiful. Thar's nobody near— so turn about and stand up like a man, ef you've got the spunk of a owl in ye!” “You're right, old boy,” growled the other, coming to a halt; “and I'll jest stop and see what you're made of.” “I can lick you, and all your cussed band!” shouted Jake, as he came within reaching distance of the other; and quick as lightning, dealt him a blow with his fist, which staggered him back a couple of paces, and which, bestowed on a man of ordinary physical strength, would assuredly have knocked him down. “Thar's two on us as can play at this game,” cried the other, as he furiously gave back a blow, that in turn staggered. Jake. Jake instantly recovered, and bounding forward, with a yell of rage, struck right and left at his opponent, who returned the blows in the same manner, neither appearing to gain any decided advantage. For a few moments the blows on both sides rained fast and heavy,—each one of which, if rightly directed, would have brought an ox to his knees—but which, in the present instance, failed to prostrate either of these well-matched young Samsons. But at length, the near approach to each other clogged the blows, and each simultaneously grappled his opponent, and then indeed came the “tug of war.” For a few moments there was a terrible struggle, then Thrasher was thrown violently upon the earth, and Jake Wilden fell heavily upon him, for the moment fairly knocking the breath from his body. “Now die, you ugly lummox of a horse-thief, and be—to ye!” cried Jake, grasping the other by the throat, and endeavoring with all his might to strangle him. In vain Thrasher resisted, and attempted to remove the vice-like grasp of his opponent from his throat; he had been too much stunned by his fall; and already the other had too much weakened him, by the advantage he had gained in seizing his throat while in a state of comparative inaction. Every moment he now felt his strength deserting him; the blood seemed ready to burst from the swollen veins of his countenance; his tongue already protruded; and his eyes seemed emitting sparks of fire, as the force of strangulation almost pressed them from their sockets. Vainly had he clutched,

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20