A SHORT STORY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 13634, 13 April 1908, Page 3

A SHORT STORY.

SOL SLOCUM'S TRAP. • ■ BY J. R. HAMMOND. "Sol," said old Daniel Reyburn, to one of his hired men, or, rather, boys, for lie was but a boy, «ither in years or siae, though he carried an older head on his shoulders than a groat many . srpwn mcii, "I want you to catch Charley, and put, my saddle on him. Be careful about fixing tho blanket so jt won't hurt his back, a"nd vide i ovV>r to tho post otiico and get the mail. Also, call at the blacksmith's shop and »co if them ploughs are sharpened, and tyll the blacksmith to make me a clevis like the one on, that two-horse plough, a iid two J»vi> rings, and to bo sure to have thoni r^ody wlion. I send after the troughs. I -don't want you to ride Charley hard. You've pot plenty of i {!■<•(» t'.> >«ot bark be tor? night without going .faster than a \v»lk, rind I'll ex~ yeot .vpu back in time to help about '.vilking and feeding.", * < Having «lo]iverod himself of the above VW'ewliat elabbrstr instructions, Royhum tvnikod hack inio the hqus&j while Sol ciiught Charley, saddled him, anti ' rode off on his errand. $!#&„ .Sol Slocum, though an orphan, anajfeprobably.. in consequenco thereof, , having, no one duly authorised to restrain his little injpottiomties, was ono of the most irrepressible, little imps that ever lived » and preyipus to hip entering Reyburn V service had raised t{io nag of rebellion and waged open gaHare against every family m which to toad, been omployod, and frequently in less than a week, sometimes in less thaj^o day, after entering it, Tho Very moment a disposition towards coercion, pr crpwding him, as he i termed it— --that is, requ-iring mpre service from him than h© thought just and ogmtaqle— -^vt;s manifested by^anyineiiibe| c^ffthe family, a spirit of {nsubordiilatipn was aroused in his breast, -and there was no. more peace in that family as long, as Sol remained a member of it ;■ but, as a general thirig, his disPbed\e«ice procured for him the^privi- ] lege £d departing ;at, once, a privilege that he invariably tbpk advantage of. - Return was well aware of his rebellious- disposition when he employed him. In fact, one of his acquaintances, on hearing that be was talking about hiring him, had taken it upon himself te get pn.his hprse and , ride five miles 'to warn against taking sueh,,at. "rantankerdus little cuss," as he termed him, into his family. 'If you have a moment's peace from the time he enters your family till he leaves it, you will be luckier th6n |myone Mrh,P has ever employed him yet/ said his friend, in conclusion. yfy have seen how careful and particular Reybwrn was in, giving Sol his instructions when sending him on an qrrand* » > This same friend pf his who had put himself .to sp much trouble to warn him against employing Sol, had on a certain occasion employed, him himself, and the second day 'after, he came, wanted to send him on an errand,' he said, to him— , ♦ "Sol, I want ypu tp catch a hprse and' go tp town* and£f dp thus and sp. SoI7 left to tbe exercise of his own judgment, took the first bridle and saddle that he came ,to, selected the best .saddle-horse? in the lot, and struck put jfor town. During his absence it was discovered that he , had " taken ohn's horse, Bob's saddle, and Mary Ann's bridle, and without the consent of either, in consequence of which audacity a first-class stprm was brewing and ready tp burst uppn him on his return. . b " •* • •' • The first explosion he encountered was from John, who met him at the gate in a state of mind bordering on the furiqus. 1 "Whaj in thunder are you doing on my horse?" roared the infuriated young man. "Riding him," said Spl ; "dpn't you see I am?" "Well, sir," he roarded again; "the next time ypii ride him without my permission \you'll get yPur. head punched." , „ , Vuttlna his thumb 1 tp his n6se, and twirling iv- -i M*t!;ers in the young man's faro, hf tude mto the lot, where he ent<>Mri;tred liob, who shouted-p- . "IM like to know, sir, what ybu'ro dping m my saddle?" "You're not blind, are youi 1 " saJd Sol. "Don't you see* I'm using it?" "Who -gave you" permission to use it?" said Bob. "Nobody/ .* "We11,. -sir, the next time you want a saddle let 'nobody' furnish with oiie of his own. I don't choose to have Tom, Dick, and .Harry using mine/ On going to supper. Miss Mary Ann informed him, in the most dulcet of tones, that she Would thank him tp let her bridle alone hereafter. Badgered and , brewbeaten thus, lib would stand on .the defensive at first, but long pr&dtice had given him a facility- at rotprt, a mastery pf sarcasm, and ft volubility of impertinent slang that enabled him speedily to gain a position where he could act on the pffensive, when he nevet* lest an pppprtunity of tendering himself as disagreeable as possible. ; t.> In spite of all the vvarnings of his friends, and their predictions that he couldn't stand him a month, Reyburn had employed him, and had kept him pver a year, and by kindness, united with firmness and the exercise pf ftpm-' mon gengo, had bptind the boy tp him as with hooks of steel. , Returning from the post office and blacksmith shop, Sol had reached within a mile of home, when, 1 in passing a house, a woman ran out and asked him f he wouldn't go for the dector for ler. as one of her children had mfo broken his leg by a fall From a hoVse, that her husband was ,away from home, nnd she had nobody she could send. Knowing if Reyburn was there himsnlf ho would not piily consent to his going, but ho tho first to propose sending iiim. Sol answered without a moment's hesitation that ho would .go. and. turning his horse ribout, started fo>- iho doctor's liouso, some five miles nff. On reaching there .he- was told that the doctor had gone to see a pati- . oht somq throe or iopr miles still farther off. Though it was .now night, he strnck out on the doctor's trail, and in tho course of an hour or bo succeeded - in overhauling him. Onca more on the road homeward, .ho lost vo timo on, the ,way ; still, as ho travelled nt a moderate gait, it was near midnight when he roached home. Putting his horse' in the barn, anrl foedmg him, ho was just in tho act of tartijij? for the' house, when be caught ■sight of two men sneaking along in the shadow of tho barn in tho direction of . a ;>v inflow that opened into the haywow. Sol drew b»ck so as to conceal himself while watching their motions. Cropping stealthily ajong, half-bent, closo to the side of tho barn, as though fearful of being discovered, the foremost one, pn reaching a $pet, directly under the,window, straightened himself un, placed lus'<llkhds on the windowsill, uuHed himself up, and disappearet in the hay-mow. His , cpmpanion fclowod immediaiely after, and both were lost to Sol's view.

. "Well," said Sol, after the last cyio hnil dißJippoarnd in the hay-mpw. "I'd like to, know who them fellpws are, and

what they're up to> and I'm going to try to find o\\L'' \ x ' , . And, suiting the' action to' the word, he climbed up ou a beam that ran from nQar where he stood across the barn and .jutted out over the hay-mow in such a waj' as made' it an easy task for him to crawl on his hands aha knees to a position where lie could overhear every, word that might be said, with but little, if any, danger of being discovered himself. Crawling along as noiseless as a cat, ho finally reaciied the end of the beam without a mis-step or misadventure of any kind, where, perching himself, lie patiently awaited developments. Borne considerable time elapsed before anything was said, *atid X Sol had about come to the conclusion that ho was fooling his time away roosting out in the barn on a beam, when he had a good bed at the house---* hat the men were merely a couple of benighted travellers who had concluded to suvp a few pennies by lodging in acrwvoi>iont fos-.rn—-' and \\jj-; just in two act of beginning -a rotrogade wovcirent, designed to carry him io the other end' 'of' the beam, nhon ho heard one of them- ask— »\ 'flOy,- long will it" be yet?" and he rocognisod tne , voice of a sinister-look-ing fellow who had recently been in Keyborn's .employ. . , ! '•(Two or threo hours, I guess,", was the answer. > . Sol's idea of a retrograde movement wa3 abandonod iov the present,. Curiosity, prompted him to remain at least long cjnough tp, find, out what it was that was expected to transpire in two or three feom*s., . "I wish." continued, the first speaker, "the thing was ovqr with." "■WhatJ"' replied the other. "YouW not scaled?" .. . "No, I'm not. scared, hut, l'd a great deal rather bo counting the money than lying hero thinking, pyer the murders; that have to be commritted before, it can bo reached. Say what you w,ill, this thing of " murdering .an old nvan ; and an old woman in cold blood, who,' had they been my own f atlrer »nd [ mother, could not haw been kinder to ! mo than Koyburn ,aiid his wife were, is an ligly business,, Sol Slooum, too, though a wild little cuss, is as goodhearted a boy as ever Hred." ( 'Pshaw!" exclaimed the other, some-, what contemptuously "you're green at tho business yet. Wait till jou've had' my experience, . and you won't mind such a job as we have on'l\and now any more than eating when you're hungry. You - think there's no mistake about the money?" . T^ •'% know there's no mistake. There may have been some change since I left ; hut ■ 1 saw the man pay him the five thousand dollars, i^ counted, saw him put it in his t^tink, and heard him sayl that he hadn't confidence enough' in the bank to deposit it there; and that he should be. his own banker until he could meet with an opportunity of investing it. Recollect that I. don't vouch fpr the money being there now, only .that I saw it put there ; and if, after killing Reytairn and his wife, the money can*t be found, you mustn't go back on, me on that accouAt. I'm not, responseible, for its removal." H'ad-' Sol's hair been of tho, sort that on^ terrifically thrilling occasions involuntarily erects itself Hke quills on the "fretful porcupine," here, was at firstrate opportunity for a display of that kind; out his mind. Was so intently occupied during; this blood-curdling cpnrersation in devising* ways and means for thwarting the scheme of these coldblooded wretches,", that,, though the opportunity presented' itself, he failed to arofit by it., -hv, -. \'- : . ' 6&\ « Slowly, cautiously, noiselessly, as Tfcitf nember of the feline persuasion could aave accomplished the task, lie worked limself back to the other end of the aeam, dropped to the floor, crept out if the barn, and then went on, a brisk run up to the. house. Gliding into the louse as stealthily as he had crept out >f! the barn, he made his way to where Eieyburn's double-barrelled shotgun vas hanging, tcfok it down, and slipped >ut again with Put disturbing any pf the inmates, and then hurried back to she- barn. ;>; > Now, right underneath the window :hrough which tho robbers had crawled into the ba*rn was a large cistern some ;welve feet dcep_, and with about five : eet pf water in it. It wfts-epvered with i trap-door, some fivs feet square, made >f oak plank-. Sol raised this trapdoor from over the mouth: of the bis-*-kern and propped it up on the far side :rom the barn, in such a way that when ;he robbers went to jump from the barn window,. should they chance to overleap the cistern, it would tfatch them and jause them to slide back. .into the cisbern. This he did in so noiseless a Manner as not to attract the attention rf the robbers, who were^lying within & few feet of him, and almost directly sver his head. i ' » The next thing was to give them a big* scare, so as to causa them both to rump from the window simultaneously, thereby increasing the chances of precipitating themselves into 'the cistern. To this end Sol ' worked iris, way tp a point where he knew he could be easily heard by the robbers, , and commenced talking in. a low tone, a* if engaged in conversation with someone. Presently he heard ono of the men say — - , "What's that? Don't you hear somebody talking?" '„, . ; As, soon as he found out he had, attracted their^ attention,. ,ja<nd. was satisfied they were listening, Sol said, in a. louder tone — . tt < # * '.-.. "I know they'r^. here, because I heard them laying. Itheir plans, which were to murder you andjMrs Reyburn, and ns maji^more .as, they, might think necessary to accomplish their designs, and tjjen ro!j) the house.. You take, the shotgun and go round to the corner of the barn, ami when tj^/nva out at; the door,, .shoot them. I'll take the revolver and climb up here, and plug ono of them as he lies", if:lc»n." , Making »i movement ,as.if\to carry this ,plan into execution, the robbers sprang to their foet, $imulsanaously fnshod to tho window, and, leaped put, side by sidoj neither waiting to give the jothor precedence; and just as Sol emerged from thn barn Jie had the satisfaction of tfeoSntf two heads disappear into tlie cistern,. ■:, and. tho ,next moment of hoaring a splash at the. bottom. , ' ; « ' . < .Stntioniqg hiin^lf within n few foet of tbe mouth of the cistern, Sol awaited in silencij the issuo of ovonts. At first all was silent ns the cravo. No sound , issuing from tho de'itbo of tho cistern broko tho atillttess of tho midnight air. Five, ten, fifteen muiufps passed*. and not n movement or a wb.is.per could be heard. Sol began, to tltjnk Way bo they were boib drowriod. But' the thought didn't' disturb hisVoruanimitv to a percoptiblo extent. • "With his shotgun on his knee, nnd his eye rivettod on tho mouth of the cistern, ho 'sat motionJo3s as a statue. > Afto.V sthe lapso of f^>ii<Vs fifteon or twenty minutes sounds began to bo heard, fnrnt «^id indistinct at firsts then louder and more distinct, showi^e; , themselves into rurs«A^nt their luck, j end' suggest! n« plans for their escape. Aftcfr somo discussion foUpwiricc a suggestion of one of, Ihfm that tho other should ta-ke him pm his' shpulders nnd raise him no thnt ho could ronch tlio top nf tho ejutern, witlvtiis hnnd«.Mvln»n np could d:"»w hjn>soli <^»ut, % ond then Jut something' down to enable the other to

como up,' the other finally consented, and v moment after a pair, of bf&ww hands were seen io grasp thi« t.-i ti the cistjern, immediately foHp,w»i /by a; head itself ahoye ,tha top. "Stop there P' said Sol, at the/isa^ue poking the muzzle pf his shptgun within a few inbh^s of the fellow's right eye, inquiring of, him. as he did so if his brains were of any value .to, him. "Because," said he, "if they are, tfcey are a, good deal safer down below' than #hey are^ up Rere.f r , The head dropped back more suddenly than it had been elevated 1 . Some two hours now elapsed, without a second attempt at escape being made, t)ut Sol was still on the .alert, with his eye fixed on tlie mouth of the cistern and his. -finger on the trigger of N hij3-^un>' Suddenly,,, and without previous warning, he saw . a single hand fasten itself, on the top of the cistern,- and then, .quick aln^ost as a .flash, another hand was in which was clutched a reVolver; but the ne^ct moment an explosion was. heard > and the revolver fell irom the shattered, hand of the robber, back jnto the cistern, followed a inbmenjb 'later % by the. owner ,\ The object of tne fellow, as he,afterwards acknowledged, was to raise hi^nself sufficiently to, get sight of whoever was stanaing guard over the cis- . tern, and fire his revclver at hlin/ prpvided it would go off } and if it, missed fire 'throw it at liis head before he had recovered- from his suprpise, and then draw himself out of the ciste?n and , finish him. We have seen how- he had ■ miscalculated the vigilance .pi his' guard. j ' . : No furUier attempt at escape was made.\ The night waned away and morning dawned, -and found Sol in, $he same of watchfulness. * • . „ Great was the surprise of old^in^R^ Heyburii, who, had. experienced bohsiderablevun^asiness on account of Sol's failing to return the night Jbefore, when, on gping down- to the barn in the morning; hfe saw hirh sitting' F near the cistern mi the position ,we * hayd J described, and still greater wheh/made acquainted with the circumstances narrated above. ; ' . j.«. -; As the fellpws were already as wot as water could n^ake them,- it was thought best to leave thenK itf soak until the\auth6rf£i6EJ were notified.p| jbhe cirouinstancoa, -- and ,, let ; tftein.^, £*fee charge "of- tnem where they wereT ** On heing released from their trap 4 it, was discovered that one of them was a noted desperado and .bank robber, 4 for' whose apprehension a thousand dollars reward had been offered', and which was soon after awarded and paid to Sol Slocum. * Notwithstanding this .windfall!, Sol continued to make Reyburn's his home, and finally married ono of iho old man's daughters, and settled, down, as quiet, steady; and prosperous a farmer and as good a husband as can be found. , > - * -