Chewing such bitter cud as this, I had probably ridden a good mile,
when suddenly I heard the sound of human voices, and looking up,
discovered three men, mounted, and just in front of me. They had
hauled up, and were seemingly awaiting my approach. A buzzing
conversation was going on among them. "That's he!" said one. "Sure?"
was the question of another. A whistle at my very side caused me to
turn my head, and as I did so, my horse was caught by the bridle, and I
received a severe blow from a club above my ears, which brought me
down, almost unconscious, upon the ground. In an instant, two stout
fellows were upon me, and busy in the praiseworthy toil of roping me,
hands and feet, where I lay. Hurt, stung, and utterly confounded by
the surprise, I was not prepared to suffer this indignity with
patience. I made manful struggle, and for a moment succeeded in
shaking off both assailants. But another blow, taking effect upon my
temples, and dealt with no moderate appliance of hickory, left me
insensible. When I recovered consciousness, I found myself in a cart,
my hands tied behind me, my head bandaged with a red cotton
handkerchief, and my breast and arms covered with blood. A stout
fellow rode beside me in the cart, while another drove, and on each
side of the vehicle trotted a man, well armed with a double-barrelled
gun.
"What does all this mean?" I demanded. "Why am I here? Why this
assault? What do you mean to do with me?"
"Don't be obstropolous," said one of the men. "We don't mean to hurt
you; only put you safe. We had to tap you on the head a little, for
your own good."
"Indeed!" I exclaimed, the feeling of that unhappy tapping upon the
head, making me only the sorer at every moment--"but will you tell me
what this is for, and in what respect did my good require that my head
should be broken?"
"It might have been worse for you, where you was onbeknown," replied
the spokesman,--"but we knowd your situation, and sarved you off
easily. Be quiet now, and----"
"What do you mean--what is my situation?"
"Well, I reckon we know. Only you be quiet, or we'll have to give you
the skin."
And he held aloft a huge wagon whip as he spoke. I had sufficient
proof already of the unscrupulousness with which my companions acted,
not to be very chary of giving them farther provocation, and, in silent
misgiving, I turned my head to the opposite side of the vehicle. The
first glance in this quarter revealed to me the true history of my
disaster, and furnished an ample solution of the whole mystery. Who
should I behold but the very fellow whom I had chased into town the day
before. The truth was now apparent. I had been captured as the stray
bedlamite from Hamilton jail. It was because of this that I had been
"tapped on the head--only for my own good." As the conjecture flashed
upon me, I could not avoid laughter, particularly as I beheld the still
doubtful and apprehensive visage of the man beside me. My laughter had
a very annoying effect upon all parties. It was a more fearful sign
than my anger might have been. The fellow whom I had scared, edged a
little farther from the cart, and the man who had played spokesman, and
upon whom the whole business seemed to have devolved, now shook his
whip again--"None of that, my lad," said he, "or I'll have to bruise
you again. Don't be obstropolous."
"You've taken me up for a madman, have you?" said I.
"Well, I reckon you ought to know what you are. There's no disputing
it."
"And this silly fellow has made you believe it?"
"Reckon!"
"You've made a great mistake."
"Don't think it."
"But you have: Only take me to C----, and I'll prove it by General
Cocke, himself, or Squire Humphries, or any body in the town."
"No! no! my friend,--that cock won't fight. We aint misdoubting at
all, but you're the right man. You answer all the descriptions, and
Jake Sturgis here, has made his affidavy that you chased him, neck and
neck, as mad as any blind puppy in a dry September, for an hour by sun
yesterday. We don't want no more proof."
"And where do you mean to carry me?" I enquired, with all the coolness
I was master of.
"Well, we'll put you up in a pen we've got a small piece from here; and
when the sheriff comes, he'll take you back to your old quarters at
Hamilton jail, where I reckon they'll fix you a little tighter than
they had you before. We've sent after the sheriff, and his
'spose-you-come-and-take-us,' and I reckon they'll be here about
sun-down."