. ....«..-«. i l I if" ,1".1...s;-'-r“ ~11’ a I 5'4, -I-.-1‘. .vvz' .. '?7'-rni— ~ A\ ‘6" v, "Hull q 'Muiuuiummumuu“ ‘* You’ve got me in a tight place, of course, so what is the use of talking about it,” retorted McKinney, angrily, for the stealmg_of the re- volver completely upset the plan which he had l'oi'incd. He intended to throw the road-agent off his guard by a ready compliance with his demands and then, watching a favorable opportunity, he hoped to get a chance to draw his revolver and " go” for the intruder “ red—hot.” The unexpected action of the Unknown frus- trated this clever scheme, and the judge came to the conclusion that the man was no common foot-pa'l—no vulgar bravo depending upon brute force only, but a fellow gifted With brains, and who could plan as well as act. . . ‘ "' I’m glad to see that you recognize the fact," replied the other, “ and we’ll get right down to solid business now. '“ Sit down and put on your thinking—cap; are you ready to open court?" . " To open court?” exclaimed McKinney, amaz- ed, not knowing what to make of this strange matter. “ That is what I said and that is what I mean. Are you ready to transact legal business right oll‘ the handler” “ Yes, I suppose so.” " \Vell, than. I want an order from you in this Black Cloud mine business.” The judge started in astonishment. This was something entirely unexpected. “ The Black Cloud mine business!” be ex— claimed. “ "hat’s the lead that I’m a'follering jest now. You’ve jest had an interview with O‘Ballalioe,_ who represents Larry Pendragon in this busi- ness, and now I want a hearing—I want some show for my white alley. I represent the other side, Mike Creagan and old man Blake.” “ Are you a lawyer?” demanded McKinney, totally nonplused at this unexpected turn of af- fairs. “ You kin jest bet your bottom dollar I am!” the road-agent cried. “ And the liveliest limb of a lawyer that ever wagged a tongue in a court-room. “ Oh, I kin do this business, right up to the handle, and to show you how well posted I am, let me tell you I know exactly what O’Ballahoe was after to—night.” “ You do, eh?” “ Oh, you bet! He came to git an order ap- pointing him receiver of the mine, and the sheriff stands ready with a big gang of fighting-men to put him in possession of the property the mo— ment he has the sanction of the law to go ahead. “ Now I would have settled this matter with- out troubling you if the Irishman hadn’t been smart enough to come with a body-guard. “If he had tried to make the riflie alone, I would have gone for him in some nice lonely place and relieved him of the order, but as that game is blocked, I want you to help me out by giving me an order appointing Mike Creegan to the receivership; then if Larry Pendragon and the sheriff want a fight they kin have it, but not with the, law on their side.” “ But this is ridiculous; I have already given an order.” “ Due to O’Ballahoe’s arguments and legal p’ints, I presume?” “ Yes, most certainly; he made out a strong case.” “ Any stronger than this?” and the road-agent cocked the judge’s revolver and leveled it di- rectly at his head. “ You give me that order inside of ten seconds or I’ll send your soul to everlasting fires!” A cold perspiration broke out all over McKin- ne . IIe felt that he was in the power of a man who would not hesitate to keep his word. At last the judge had met his master. “ Don’t fire, I will give you the order!” he cried. “ And let it be the last one you issue in this case, if you value your life,”the road-agent cau- tioned. Ten minutes later the mysterious Unknown departed with the paper duly executed, much to the satisfaction of McKinney. “ There’s trouble ahead for Larry Pen- dragon," the judge muttered. CHAPTER XXXI. IN THE CANYON. “YEs, yes,” the judge continued, staring blankly at the door through which the road— agent had departed, “there’s going to be a big- ger fight about this Black Cloud property than Pendragon anticipates. “ But who is this feller, and why does he take any interest in the matter? “ He‘s a stranger I’m pretty certain; I know all the men in and about Blakeville tolerably Well, and I feel sure I would have recognized the chap in spite of his disguise if I had ever met him. , “ He’s a mighty bold galoot, and it looks as if he was playing a lone hand in this game, but he’s only wasting his time, of course; he can’t beat Larrv Pendragon, although he may succeed in giving him considerable trouble. "The Silver King is too well heeled, and it would take a derrick to upset him.” The judge’s mind was not working as clearly as usual, and he felt he must get out into the open air before he would be able to shape his thoughts so as to decide what he had better do in this matter. “ The brute has taken my revolver, too,” Mc- Kinney muttered, as he arose and extinguished the light. and then made his way through the darkness' into the entry. “ Curse his impudence! I paid fifteen dollars for it only last week.” And the judge swore to himself all the way down the stairs until he got into the street. McKinney was one of those self-willed, obsti- nate men who could not bear to come out second best in any transaction, and not for years had he been so completely taken at a disadvantage as by the mysterious unknown. “I must get even with the galoot,” he mut— tered, as he started for the hotel where he boarded. On his way up the street he encountered at in- tervals five of the townsmen, and to each man he put the question, “ Had he seen any stranger on the street during the last ten minutes?” But each and every man answered “no,” so it seemed as if the road-agent had managed to get out of the town without attracting any at- tention. At the hotel the judge got a bottle of whisky at the bar, and went straight up to his room. Helping himself to a liberal supply of the fluid he sat down to cogitate, and before long he came to a determination. “ It will never do to go back on Larry Pen- dragon!” he exclaimed. “He could do me a heap of mischief if he chose. No, no, by all means I must keep faith with him. “The order was extorted from me by force, and of course it won’t amount to a row of pins when the true circumstances of the case become known. “ I’ll just get on my horse to—morrow mornin early, and Without saying a word to anybody I’ ride over to Blakeville. “Then I can explain to Pendragon how the thing stands, and at the same time call upon Mike Creegan and explain to him that it won’t do his side of the quarrel any good to call upon road-agents to browbeat judges. Mike is no fool, and when I represent the matter to him in the proper light, I’ve no doubt he will see that this road—agent business is a big mistake, and in the long run will do him more harm than good. “ I’ll fix the thing 11 ina twinkling after I get on the round 1” was cKinney’s last exclama- tion as e retired for the night. Bright and early in the morning the judge was astir; partook of his breakfast, and then went to the corral and had his horse saddled. “.I don’t feel very well this morning,” he ex- plained to the hostler, “and I thought a gallop might do me good.” This was to lull suspicion, for it was not his custom to do much riding, except when business demanded it, and he had an idea the road-agent perhaps might have a watch set upon him. The judge was well—armed, having procured a I pair of revolvers from the hotel-keeper, which i the latter was desirous of selling, on the pre- tense of trying them. And when McKinney rode out of Del Norte, instead of heading westward toward Blakeville he took the road southward toward the San Luis vallev, but when he got well out of sight of the town‘ he swung around to the left and pushed straight for the mining-camp. And acting on the same idea which had influ- enced Pendragon when he set out on his noctur- nal ride from Blakeville to Del Norte, the desire to avoid being waylaid by any evil-disposed per- son who iniwht have reason to object to the journey, the judge took the old Indian trail over the mountains leading through the gloomy pass known as Hell’s Canyon. McKinney had never been over the road but once, and that was several years ago, so his re— membrance of the trail was rather indistinct. and after he got fairly within the canyon he be.- gan to regret that he had not gone by the regu- lar road through VVagon—wheel Gap. But he was too far advanced now to think of retracing his footsteps, and so he kept on. The canyon was as gloomy as ever, and al- though the snn was well up in the heavens, not a single one of its rays had strength enough to penetrate any distance into the dark ravine. The dusky gloom of the twilight reigned su- preme within the canyon, and the judge felt a feeling of aw 1, creep OVci‘ him as he advanced along the narrow way. _ A presentiinent of danger filled his soul, and even the horse he rode seemed subject to the de- pressing infiuences of the desolate ravine, for he slackened his pace into a walk and pricked his ears in a frightened sort of way as though he ex— pected to see some frightful object start up sud- denly from behind one of the massive bowlders that were scattered along the rocky way. McKinney, yielding to the apprehension that had so unexpectedly come upon him, drew one of the revolvers from its holster, and raising the hammer examined the workings of the cylin- der. The tool was in perfect order, and as the cylin- der clicked around the judge felt a little easier in his mind. “ I’m a fool to be alarmed,” he muttered, “ but this infernal canyon is enough to give any one the blues. It’s the ugliest hole I ever got into.” Then he let the hammer of the revolver down, but still retained the weapon in his hand as though he feared danger. And there was danger for Judge Jake McKin- nev in Hell Canyon that morning. Just ten steps more the horse took and then from behind one of the giant bowlders rose the figure of the road-agent, no mystic light shining from his face this time thou h, for he wore the lain, black mask which so e ectually concealed is features. A cocked revolver was in his hand, and he was only some thirty feet distant. Involuntarin the judge checked his steed and raised his revolver, forgetting that the hammer was down. “The top of the morning to you, judge,” quoth the Unknown. in the harsh, disagreeable vci re which was evidently assumed to disguise his own natural tones. “ Go slow with that shooting—iron, McKin- ney,” the road—agent continued, “or I shall be oblived to put a hole through you.” “ Vhat do you want with me ?” cried the ‘udge, angrily, perceiving that the Unknown ad succeeded in getting a decided advantage. “ Merely a little friendly talk, that’s all, just to give you a iece of advice.” “ I reckon ain’t hunvefing much for any man’s advice,” replied Mc inney, gruffly. “ Mebbe thar ain’t any man in the world who ought to be as hungry as you this minute,” the other retorted. “ \Vell, I don’t know about that.” “ I’ll make it plain to you in a brace of stakes. You are on your way now to see Larry Pen- dragon. I persuaded you to give me an order last night appointing Mike Creegan receiver of the Black Cloud property, and you are going to see the sheriff for the urpose of telling that the order is N. G., no g , and for him to go ahead and boost the Creegan party out of the mine if he can; ain‘t that the racket?” The judge was astounded, the road-agent had guessed his game. “No use to try and lie out of it, judge,” the man continued, perceiving that McKinney was at a loss for words. “ That’s the rifile you are going to try and make, and that is why I am waiting here to try 'and persuade you to go home and let things run as they are.” “ You infernal sconndrel!” yelled McKinney, yielding to a sudden fit of rage and cocking his revolver. . His blood was up, and he had determined to give battle to the footpad. . But just as the judge succeeded in cocking the pistol the road-agent fired. The report of the shot reéchoed through the canyon, and it was followed by a groan of agony from the lips of .McKinney, and at the same mo- ment the revolver dropped from his hand. The road—agent had put a ball through the jud e’s wrist, completely disabling his hand. I\ cKinney was game though and with his left hand he plucked the other revolver from its holster. But no sooner was the weapon produced than the road-agent fired again and with the same re- sult as before. The left wrist was pierced by the leaden mes- senger and down went the pistol, and the horse unrestrained this time by the hand of its master started, and McKinney, unable to manage him came heavily to the ground. The road-agent came up and placed his revol- ver to the temple of the judge. “ \Vhat do you say? is it a die?” he cried. “Mercy, mercy, for Heaven’s sake don’t kill me!” pleaded McKinney, groaning with pain and with all the fight thoroughly taken out of him. “ On which side are you in the Black Cloud fight .3” “ Neither, I’ll give you my word I’ll have nothing more to do with it at all. I give up whipped. Spare me and I’ll draw out of the game. I’m no hog and I am satisfied.” “ Now you are talking; you’ve struck the right thing and let me post you a little on this racket,” the road-agent remarked. “ Larry Pendragon ain’t so solid a man as ou think. He’s a big speculator and though 0 and his friends claim that he’s worth six or eight mil- lion, yet whatever money he does possess is so invested in various enter rises. some good and a lot bad that it is mig ty doubtful if he was called upon to put up a million in ready cash, he could raise the money. “ Besides that, Larry Pendragon has ten foes to one friend, and if the word gets out that heis going down-hill thar’ll be a lot ready to jump on 1m. “ He’s going to lose this Black Cloud mine fight. and all the money in the world wouldn’t be any good to him. " I’m fighting for Mike Creegan and old man Blake, and I reckon from what you have seen of me that you’re (pretty well satisfied I am a man of my word, an , I saw that the Silver King was going to come out ahead in this matter I would ill him with my own hand, jest as sure as you and I are hyer in this canyon this minim ” “ I don’t doubt you in the least and as far as I am concerned I’m out of the game.” “ It would have been money in your pocket if you had come to that decision a few minutes ago, but you ain’t badly hurt, though I reckon you won’t sign any more orders for a while. It was 1:37 calculation to fix you in that way if you show fight and I’m all prepared with bandages to make you comfortable until I kin send some- body to help you home.” Then the road-agent came up to McKinney and carefully banda ed his wrists, much to the astonishment of t e judge who had never before met or heard of such a considerate foot- pad. . This job performed the road-agent caught the judge’s horse and tethered him to one of the bowlders near McKinney. “So—long!” and then from behind a rock where he had him concealed the Unknown led out his horse, mounted him and rode off. CHAPTER XXXII. THE vISION. ESTELLE DEL CARMEN sat alone in her luxu- riously-furnished boudoir. It was situated on the second story of the Del Carmen ranch, a front room facing to the west, and fl‘Oillllt a door led into the sleeping apart- ment of the spoiled beauty. The sundown hour had come, and Old Sol was rapidly descending behind the far western hills in a blaze of glory. In a softly—cushioned easy—chair by one of the windows sat the mistress of the ranch. There was a cloud upon her brow and hard, unnatural lines around her mouth. Her eyes were fixed upon the beautiful sunset, but she noted not the glorious display that at- tended thc exit of the god of day. Estelle Spader’s thoughts were far away. Two Weeks had elapsed since she had gone forth on what had proved to be a fruitless quest. As the reader has probably surmised, the lovely widow of the old cattle-king had been the myste- rious. closely-vailed woman who had called upon the Irish lawyer, seeking information of the lost young man, and at the same time making in- quiry in regard to a person of whom O’Ballahoe had never heard—John Denver, a name which had struck the lawyer as being extremely per culiar and much more likely to be an assumed ap llation than a real one. nspired by the lady’s liberal offer, O’Ballahoe had Spared no pains to succeed in his task, but not the slightest bit of success had crowned his efforts. No such a man as John Denver had ever made his appearance in Blakeville as far as he could discover, and in regard to young Blake he was satisfied before he began his search that he would not be able to obtain any information about him. As to the mysterious woman’s idea that he was alive and in communication with the Black Cloud mine people, that was ridiculous on its face. An idea which could only have been hatched up in the brain of a visionary woman. The headstrong woman had told the lawyer not to spare expense, but O’Ballahoe, who was a sensible man for all his eccentricities, and a tol- erable honest one in his way, had wisely asked himself what good could come of wasting money on such a fruitless quest. Indeed, he had arrived at the conclusion that the woman was not exactly right in her mind— a monomaniac, in fact, upon this subject, and that John Denver had no existence outside of the busy brain of the woman. ' O’Ballahoe, it must be remembered, had no knowledge whatever of his patron’s reason for visiting the East. Pendragon was of a secretive nature and al- ways acted on the idea of not allowing the right hand to know what the left hand did. And as the lawyer too had been pledged to se- crecy by his unknown client, there was no chance for the Silver King being called upon to tell what he knew in the matter. Not the slightest hope that any information could be obtained was the lawyer’s opinion, and bluntly he expressed the opinion that there wasn’t any use of wasting more money in the matter. Estelle Del Carmen had returned to her man- sion in a terrible state of mind. She hardly tasted the luxurious dinner which was always served punctually at five. The Del Carmen ranch boasted a firstrclass French cook, and neither its viands nor its wines could be surpassed west of the Mississippi, as all who had partaken of the hospitality of its fair mistress, and who were qualified to be judges, could testify. This prairie-flower had developed wonderfully since the time when she became the bride of the old cattle-king. If she had sold herself for gold, as all the en- vious neighbors asserted, most certainly she had made up her mind to get all she could out of the bargain. The few weeks that had elapsed since her in- terview with the Silver King when she had an- nounced that it was her belief that John Denver had not perished in the waters of the river when he escaped from the New York State prison, had wrought a wonderful difference in the a pear- ance of the mistress of the richest ranch 1n the San Luis valley. She had become haggard and care-worn, just as if years of trouble had passed over her head, instead of a few short weeks. And the inmates of the house had noticed the alteration and wondered greatly at it, for it seemed strange to their 10wly minds that one so highly favored by fortune, with not apparently a care in the world should allow herself to be troubled by anything. But there wasn’t one in the house that dared to even hint to the mistress in regard to the mat- ter. They knew the imperious nature of Mrs. Del Carmen too well. She paid like an em ress and exacted the most implicit obedience. er orders must be obeyed without question, and woe to the unfortunate wight who attempted to ask the why and where- fore of any command issued by her supreme majesty. She did not ask for either friendship or respect for she regarded all the inmates of the house as being so far below her in the social scale that there couldn’t be anything in common between herself and them. But it was not alone the weight of apprehen- sion upon the mind of Estelle e1 Carmen that had caused her to appear ten years older in as many weeks. She was the willin(r slave to a vice which has ruined far stronger Iiumans than this belle of the San Luis valley. She was an opium-eater. When the dark thoughts came over her and she trembled with apprehension as she thought of the dire vengeance which her coolly-planned schemes had provoked, in the subtle drug of the far East she found consolation and forgetful- ness. She had been a slave to the evil, and, in al- most all cases, fatal habit for years, but she had been careful how she indulged until lately, but now, seeking to for et the terror which was con- stantly in her min , she had sought the fabled waters of Lethe in the dru so dear to the al- mond-eyed sons of the far ast. Upon going to her own apartment she had summoned her maid and given strict orders that she must not be disturbed. “The end will soon come,” she muttered, af- ter she had carefully locked the door and sunk into the easy-chair. “He is not dead, I am sure of it; I can feel that he is hovering near me, weaving some ter- rible web to insnare me to destruction. “ What fools are they who say that money is all-powerful in this world! ‘ It is not; man created money, and man is more owerful than gold. I have all the wealth thatt e heart of a woman can desire; I ouoht to be able with the aid of in money to crus a sin 1e foe as easilyas the bir devours the worm. ‘ I am on the topmost round of the ladder, he crawls in the dust at its foot, and yet I cannot even, think of him without trembling with ter- ror. By this time the bri ht sheen of the sunset had faded away and t e dusky hues of night came steadil over the earth. The lady c osed the curtains so that the room was darkened, and then took the powerful dose of opium which she had prepared. Sinking back in the chair, she gave herself up to the effects of the dru . A dreamy languor stole over her; she became powerless and yet still conscious, for the dose was not stron enough to lull her senses to com- plete forgetf ness. And then came a horrid sight. Before her eyes appeared a face which shone iii: the darkness as a blazing star shines in the s y. (To be continued—commenced in No. 114.) THE WINE. BY GEO. WALEO. “ Come, drink of me!" said the merry wine, Sparkling vintage of storied Rhine. As it sat on the table rich and red: “ Come, drink of me!" it tempting said. “ I bring to the check a healthy look; I steady the form by sorrow snook; I drive from the heart the troubled sigh, And cause to sparkle the saddened eye. “ One qluaff of me and forget the maid \\'ho ias faithless proved, the fickle jadei Come, drink! Come, drink! come. drink of me, And all thy sorrow will turn and fieel “ Come! life is short. and death full sure; Come, drink. and finda Speedy cure For the wound and pain of Cu id 3 dart— Come. drink, and forget thy fa se sweetheart !” Tales of Railroad life. BY J. C. COVVDRICK. The Dorking Bank Thieves. CONDUCTOR Boss’s story was voted a pretty good one, and at the call for some one to tell an- other, Doc. Farmer, who was one of the group, said: “ \Vell, boys, as you all seem to be in the humor for telling stories, this evening, suppose I tell you about a little adventure that I had one night?” , “ Go ahead, Doc., and let’s hear it.” “ I am not much of a story-teller,” the speak— er began, as he raised himself upon his elbow on one of the lockers where he was lying, “ but I’ll give 'ou the facts of the case, as Ross said, the best can. “ One night in the fall of ’82, when I was pull- ing the Night Express on the Great Western, I had my engine captured by four thieves. “It was about one o’clock in the morning when I pulled into the town of Dorking, and af- ter unloading and loading the express and mail matter, I dropped the engine downt’o the water- tank to take water before going on. “ While Jim. my fireman, was filling the tank, I took my torch and got down to oil around a little, and I was almost done when some one suddenly pulled the throttle open, and the en- gine started ahead. “ Instantly droplping torch and oil-can I sprung aboard, on y to find a pistol preming against my head, and a masked man ordered me to mount the box and run the engine. “I refused at first, but the man threatened me with instant death if I did not obey, so I had to take hold of the throttle. “ There were four men aboard, all wearing masks, and I noticed that they had with them a large tin box that was locked with a brass lock. ‘ I looked around for Jim, the fireman, but as I did not see him I concluded that the sudden start had thrown him off, as it had. The four men had uncoupled the engine from the train while it was standin at the water—tank, cre t stealthily aboard on then ulled the thrott e. If I had not caught hold an got on, I suppose they would have run the mac fine to suit them— selves. “ ‘ How far do you want me to run you?’ I asked. “ ‘ We want you to take us to Littleton, and stop just about a quarter of a mile this side of the station and let us off. After that you may go where you please.’ “ ‘ All right,’ said I, ‘ but one of you must act as fireman for me, and keep up the steam.’ “ ‘ I‘ll attend to that,’ said one of the men, and he picked up the shovel. ‘ You tell me when to heave in the coal, and how much, and I’ll do the best I can to keep her hot for 'ou.’ 3 “ ‘ All right,’ said I, ‘ I’ll show you. You fel- lows have got the best of me this time, and there’s no use of my kicking; so I’ll give you a good ride and a fast one. and then come back after the train.’ “ ‘That’s the way we like to hear you talk,’ said the man with t e pistol. ‘ I guess we’ll get alonor with you without any trouble.’ “ wo of the men were seated upon the fire- man’s side of the engine with their tin box be— tween them, the third was acting as fireman, and the other one was standin near me with his pistol in hand. I tell you it looked like a mig ty serious job for me to undertake to do anything with them, but I did not give up try— ing to think of some plan to capture them. I knew that some sort of dark game was going on, and felt it my duty to prevent these men from escaping if I could possibly do so. But how? That was what puzzled me. “ Littleton was the regular passing point for my train and the IVestern Mail, and at first I thought instead of stopping a quarter of a mile from the station, I would rush right in and see if I couldn’t get help to capture the men. But I soon saw that plan would not work. I felt cer- tain that if I attempted it I would be shot down like a dog, and I had no desire to die just then. No, that plan would not work. W'hatever I did I must do alone. “ As the engine dashed along I carefully re— volved my situation in my mind, examining it on all sides. My train had the right of road over the W'estern Mail, and consequently that train could not leave Littleton until I arrived there; so the track to that place was clear, and I had no opposing trains to look out for. " I knew, of course, that my conductor would report by telegraph as soon as the engine was missed, and that orders would no doubt be sent to Littleton to keep the track clear and to look out for me. You see no one could tell whether the engine had run away, or I had sud- denly gone crazy and started her off; and of course the dispatcher would give me a clear road. I was in no great danger myself, but I wanted to capture my unwelcome passengers. “ There is no telling how I would have come gut}; had I not been aided by an unforeseen acci- en . “ My engine had an old-fashioned glass water- gauge, and when we were about three miles from Littleton it suddenly burst, filling the cab with scalding steam and water. "‘ The same thing had happened once or twice before, and I had braced a small board up against the gauge to keep the water from bum- ing me in case it ever happened again; and that board partly protected me, while my four sengers received the full benefit of the scalm shower. “ Seeing that this was my chance, I grasped a wrench that was lying near me and sprun upon the men, regardless of the burns I receiv , dealt two of them a. crushing blow upon their heads, knocked the third one down with myfist, and then grappled with the fourth. He was only a little cuss, and I soon laid him out senseless. Then the one that I had knocked down with my fist was coming for me again, but I quickly set- tled him with a blow from the wrench, and the battle was over. “ Then I shut off the stop-cocks in the gauge- pipe as soon as sible, poured some oil over my scalded hands, and then looked around to see where I was. And finding myself only about two miles or so from Littleton, resolved to run on to that lace. “then arrived there every one at the sta— tion was wild to know what had hap ned; and when I had seen my prisoners secure y bound, I told my story. “ The train-dispatcher gave the Western Mail orders to follow my engine to Dorking, thus saving it a considerable delay, and with my prisoners still with me I started back. “ When I reached Dorking the whole town was wild with excitement. The First National Bank had been robbed of about eighty thousand dollars, and the thieves had escaped. “ But when I turned the big tin box over to the bank oflicials, together with the four prison- ers, there was great rejoicing. “ I backed my train into the switch and al- lowed the Western Mail to pass, and then went on ‘i‘ Two weeks later I received from the First National Bank of Dorking a check for a thou- sand dollars. “ The fireman? Well, his fall from the tank to the ground shook him up a little, but he wasn‘t hurt much.” Shot with a Pack-saddle. BY A GOULD PENN, ESQ. OLD JONAS MILLS was one of the early pioneers in what is now the great Buckeye State. At what time he left his Virginia home and float— ed down the Ohio is not recorded in the family history, but as early as 1708 his little cabin stood in a clearin , a few miles from the north bank of the river. is only companion was a son, James, all that remained to him of a once numerous family, and together they had taken a quarter section of land, and proceeded to farm it in the rude manner of those early (ln s. The necessaries of life were cw and easily ob- tained, but of luxuries they were deficient, un— less salt maybe classed as such, and this only could be obtained by great trouble. Some fifty miles from their cabin, near a stream, called to this day Salt Creek, were numerous salt wells, which were operated by the general Govern- ment, and supplied the settlers of all that region and the frontier troops. One fine morning James was notified by his father that he must go to Salt Creek for a sup- ply of salt, so, putting an old pack-saddle on his iorse, he struck off into the wilderness, with his trust rifle on his shoulder. “'ithont molesta— tion rom beasts or Indians, he arrived at the salt works, and made his purchase, and in due time reparcd for his journey home. “ ello! whar’s my pack-saddle?" he exclaim- ed. on finding that article missing. Thereupon be instituted a diligent search among the workmen, but without success, until finally he was slyly informed by a young girl who lived at the settlement that the workmen had stolen his saddle, and burned it under the salt kettles. This piece. of information aroused Jimmy’s an- ger not a little, but deeming that a fuss with the reckless salt-boilers would not be desirable, he mounted his horse, using his sack of salt for a saddle, and struck out for home in no very gracious mood. It had been customary with old Jonas and his son to make these trips alternately, and when next a new supply of salt was needed Jimmy begged of his father to relieve him of his turn, to which the old man consented. So he set about making preparations, prepared his outfit as usual, strapping their only remaining packosaddle on the orse. Arriving at Salt Creek. in due season, be pro- ceeded with his business, not noticing the smiles and winks that ssed among the boilers, who had a lively recoilgction of the old pack—saddle. But, Jimmy was calm and innocent, and seem- ingly had forgotten his former misfortune. inas- much as he took no care to conceal his pack- saddle from the mischievous boilers. Jimmy made free to call on the black—eyed girl who had treated him so kindly before. and was passing the time very agreeably when, whiz! bang!~—a crash as if a bomb had burst near them, startled them to their feet. Everybody rushed to the scene, which proved to be an explosion beneath one of the huge salt- kettles. J immy knew the cause, and astonished the al— ready amazed bystanders by peals of laughter. “ \Vhoo ing his anghter. “ Whoop—eel ha! ha! I say. fellers, salt has riz, ain’t it? ha! ha! ha! can’t ye lend me a pack— saddlc. boys, to ride home on? You’ve shot your- selves with mine!” The truth was soon made plain; Jimmy had filled his old pack—saddle with powder, and the men had stolen it and thrown it into the fire, causing an explosion that threw the furnace into ruins, and wounded several of the jokers. Their indignation was unbounded. and they were about to make a case of lynch law. but Jimmy, not at all scared, handled his rifle so threaten- ingly that they concluded to postpone their vio- lence, and eventually all hands took a drink from Jimmy’s calabash, and called it even. “ Shot with a pack—saddle !” was long a popu~ lar term in that portion of the country. and the salt~boilers were careful not to try any more of their jokes on “ green ’uns." Jimmy became a noted scout and hunter in that region, and the black-eyed girl kept his cabin. . !” yelled he, jumping about, slap- ands on his knees, and roaring with Science and Industry. OVER 5,000 patents on churns have already been granted by the Government. THE manufacture of artificial ivory from bones and scraps of sheepskin is a new industry. H AVERSTRAW. N. Y. . is credited with being the greatest brick manufacturing center in America. TOWER clocks, costing from Sill Ill to 85,000 are sent from this country pretty much all over the world. IT is stated that small candles. remarkable for the purity and brilliancy of the light they give, are imported into Europe from China, where they are made from wax supplied by mi— nute insects bred for that purpose by the poorer class of Chinese. PAPER from the yucca, a hairy plant found in Arizona, New Mexico, and Lower California. is becoming popular in Great Britain. It is readi- ly bleached, and has a fiber almost as strong as hemp. It can be manufactured at about the same cost as paper made from mixed cotton and linen rags. THE Connecticut Senate has passed the bill providing a State bounty of ten cents to any person planting. protecting, and cultivating elm, maple, tulip, ash. basswood, oak, black walnut. hickory, apple, pear, or cherry trees, not more than sixty feet apart. for three years, along any public highway. THE quantity of pig iron on hand and unsold is greater now, according to statistics collected up to the opening of last month. than at any time in five years, and in spite of the shutting down of numerous furnaces, the production last year was 290,000 tons more than in 1880, and nearly as much as in 1881. La Nature gives the formula of a new alloy which is especial] adapted to many important uses in the arts. t melts at the low tempera- ture of 160° Fahrenheit, or considera ,ly below that at which the magical spoons of ong ago melted in a cup of tea. Its com ition is: Bis- muth, 48; cadmium, 13; lead, 1. : tin, 20. The alloy will Withstand severe pressure. To test the purity of water there has been found no better or simpler way than to fill a clean pint bottle three-fourths full of the water to be tested, and dissolve in the water half a tea- spoonful of the purest sugar—loaf or granulated will answer—~cork the bottle. and place it in a warm place for two days. If in twenty-four to forty-eight hours the water becomes cloudy or milky, it is unfit for domestic use. BY means of a sim 1e and conveniently worked device of coiled spring, an English inventor has succeeded in dispensing with the need of driving sewing machines by hand or foot: a few turns of a handle winds 11 sufficient power to keep a machine going at 111] speed for over an hour. It is comp etely under control as to the rate of stitching and stopping, and can be applied to any existing machine at moderate cost. THE officers of the to ostation at Newport, R. I., experimented Wit some torpedoes on the ice a few days ago. The water and ice arose in a vertical column some 200 feet. The holes blown in the ice clear about thirty-five or forty feet across, and it was shattered for some dis- tance beyond that. These torpedoes were said to be charged with about thirty—four pounds of un cotton each, which is estimated to possess a orce equal to 200 pounds of gunpowder.