The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-06-16
was agurgling rattle in his throat-the arm


ed silver spoon or two that was out of US
in counting-house.'
"He is past rising up" said /; che is dead.
She dropped the light she carried, and ut
tered shrek, staggering back, until sh,
reached miserable rickety chair, on whicl
was the candle that had illuminated the eel
lar Of the wounded man, before l reached it
and the consequence was that that light wa
distinguished. Another wailing shrek cam,
from her lips-l heard the rush of her foot
steps, and was alone in the dark.
| Ofcourse, Imadc an immediate attempt t
find the opening covered by the blanket
| through which had come in, but somehow
| missed it, and could feel nothing but tht
cold damp wall 1t must be somewhere, how
ever, and if groped round the wall | mus,
come to it, and did.
"Hilloa" cried; "hilloa!--light here, ligh'
somebody show me OUT"
All was still. The faint echo ofmy owr
voice was all heard; and really began tc
feel anything but comfortable in that place
which, after what the woman had said, there
could be no doubt at all was the secret home
OF criminals, one of whom had seen die from
the injury received while pursuing his unlaw-
full career.
ooh! must come out into the first cellar p
| thought, elf pursue the passage. There
was no obstacle in coming, and there is not
likely to be one in returning"
Still, however, Invent on very carefully, as
i'll fully expected pit-fall at every step
In the intense darkness that surrounded, it
would have required more nerve or reckless
ness than | at all possessed to have run on
| kept my arms extended, and the passage
was sufficiently narrow to allow me by SO do
ing to feel the walls on each side; and so on
went, hoping each moment to find that l had
reached the blanket, and wondering that the
passage appeared to be SO much longer in go
ing now through it, than it had done when
was guided BY the hag.
| suddenly paused, for was certain heard
the sound OF voices.
"You will" Iheard man say; "you will
Oh, we shall see about that. I'd rather cut
the brat's throat at once, as -
"Hush! would you murder yourself." said
a female voice; "let her 60 for the twenty"
"No--not for two twenties won't," reioin-
ed the male speaker.
"My mamma-my mamma. Oh! where's
my own mammal" said a child in wailir G
voice of great anguish; "oh! n Y own mamma
take me to my own mamma"
''The devil seize the brat," shouted the
my knite!-her teeth and hair will pay me.
My knife, l say"
The child shriekcd-the woman cried out
something that could not hear, and / grew
desperate. In vain ran my hands over the
wall for some opening--I could find none;
and as last resource, raised my voice to as
high pitch as could, and shouted
'Beware!"
The effect was instantaneous--every sound
was hushed, and the silence that ensued was
like that OF the grave.
listened intently, and as did, perceived
ftom some distance off slight flash of light.
[. increased as jammed myself up as close
t, the wall as could. The only weapon !
h ID with me was penknife, and that open
III and held in my hand, resolved, even with
sach Inefficient means, to sell my life as dear
ly US possible.
saw a man slowly advancing, with Ian
tern in his hand, and carrying likewise large
knife with a double-edged blade, of about
twelve inches in length. | fled.
don't think had been seen, nor do |
think he was sufficiently near me to notice
the sound which my footsteps made upon the
damp carthen floor of the passage-but he
came on in the same track with me, as
could find by the slight CLEANS OF light that
shot across my path. reached, at length,
the cellar in which lay the corpse ofthe house
breaker; and then although could not see it,
/ felt il, for had halt stumbled over the CORY
couch On which he lay.
made my way to the head of the pallet
bed, and crouched down, with my penkniie
still in my grasp; but in a few moments that
[ had to myself, thought of another plan.
1 got upon the bed ana raised up the body
to sitting posture, hiding behind it. held
it by the arms, 50 that had command OF
those long, lank, and rapidly stitfenlng limbs
ot the corpse; and | guessed that the dead
and blood-besmeared lace was a horrible
spectacle.
Iwaitea-but had not to wait long for the
blanket was soon violently pulled down from
the entrance Of the cellar, and d man with u
night lamp entered and the reason that in its
progress | had seen but SO dim a light, was
lhat the glass had been turned towards him.
He now, however, with a full glare projected
it into the cellar. protrudcd the corpse a
little, and waved the dead arms. With a
shout OF terror he dropped the lantern, and
He'd
To spring from my uncomfortable position
and dsagreeable companionship was the
work OF II moments and rejoiced to find that
the lantern had not been put out by its fall
The most cursory examination ol the place
showed me that there was another mode OF
exit than the one which in the dark had SO
recently chosen, and which had led me down
different passage altogether to the one IN
which the old woman had acted as my guide.
With the lantern in my hands, now proceed
ed rapidly, and soon reached the cellar into
which had been introduced, and where had
been so politely requested to take an oath.
There was such an amount OF hubbub and
confusion in the liar, that my entrance was
not noticed for few moments, but then man
sprung towards me crying,
"Wno's this who's this !-he has come to
his death"
"No." said my old friend, the hag; sits only
the doctor. Let him 60"
Invent to the Observation-Disclosures it could
be caIled-and ascended, still carrying with
me the lantern, which no one appeared to take
any notice OF my having; and with feeling
of great satisfaction, found myself upon the
classical pavement of Monmouth street
Il beg your pardon, sir, y said young wo,
man, speaking in very polite accents, and
good English; "but you will not want that