“Yes,” replied Rube, “some people always praise their shoes up, but I always run mine down.”
One by one the visitors dropped out, and at midnight John McDuffie, Jesse Hildreth and Frank Marshall were left in charge of the prisoner. Carter, not feeling well, had retired to Glass’ store, just across the street from the jail. He had possession of Rube’s rifle and money.
George Ford, in whose cabin the capture occurred, found, after the departure of the prisoner, a greasy cloth sack, and knowing it to be the property of Rube, carried it to Linden, arriving some half hour after the prisoner. He deposited the sack on the steps of the court-house and reported the fact to the colored men, who informed McDuffie. It was said to contain provisions.
About four o’clock A. M. Rube complained that he was hungry. McDuffie said:
“You will have to await the usual hour for breakfast. I can not get anything to eat now.”
“Where is my grub sack?” said Rube.
“George left it on the court-house steps,” said Frank.
“Mr. McDuffie, please send Frank for it. I have some ginger snaps and some candy in it, and I will give the boys some; I reckon they are hungry, too,” said Rube.
McDuffie consented, and when Frank returned he did not even look to see what was handed Rube. For full half an hour the wily prisoner sat eating ginger snaps and candy from the sack, which he occasionally shared with the colored men. Watching his chance, Rube suddenly pulled from the sack one of his trusty pistols, and covering McDuffie, who sat only about ten feet away, said:
“If you make a move I will kill you.”