| OCR Text |
Show THE STOLEN BRANDT. 43 to have filled with alcohol for daguerreotype purposes. At Westport, I purchased a quart of the best quality of old cognac, filled one of them for medicinal purposes, and carefully packed my flask in my daguerreotype boxes. One day during our camp at Salt Creek, one of our Indians being ill, I opened my flask and pouring out about an ounce, replaced it. I noticed, however, that a chemical action had taken place, turning the brandy exactly the color of ink. One of our mess saw me open my box and appropriate a portion of the contents of the bottle; I am not certain but that I tasted it myself. The next day I had occasion to go to my box, when to my utter astonishment, my flask of brandy was gone. I immediately suspected the very person who afterwards proved to be the thief. Keeping my loss a secret, at dinner I carefully watched the. countenances and actions of the whole party, and the effects of liquor were plainly visible on the person of this man. " How excellent," said I, " would a bottle of old cognac be as a digester to our tough old buffalo bull.- Gentlemen, how would you like, a drop ?" " Bring it forward by all means, Carvalho. You have, I verily believe, Pandira's box; for you can produce everything and anything at a moment's notice, from a choice Havana to old brandy." "With your leave, gentlemen, I will procure it. I have two flasks exactly alike; one contains poison, a mixture of alcohol, and some poisonous chemicals for making daguerreotypes; the other contains the best brandy to be had on the Kansas River." I went to my box, and turning up my hands with an exclamation of surprise, announced to the mess that the "bottle containing the poison, and which I laid on the |
