Grass Valley telegraph., 1854-08-17
The Bankers Prfsouer

The Bankers Prisoner.
1t was dark, tempestuous night. The
wInd howled and swept with furious blasts
through the old forest and around the ancient
castle. whose towers had withstood the storm
of two centuries. The snow tell thick and
fast, whirling like maelstrom eddies, orpiling
up in huge and almost impossible drifts and
everywhere wheeling with the noselesS flight
OF 4 bird, from cloud to-soil, blanchng all it
touched with the tints of death. 1t was such
night as the doerS of evil deeds delight in
its darkness aud storm so thick and fierce. Sc
cureng them from the fear of detection. hid
lng them from every eye but the All seeing.
Gustave Gaehler, the present lord OF the
castle, was seated alonei in his chamber. Ills
wife and daughters were absent in neigh
boring city; his only son. youth OF twenty
years, and the two dOmestics-who. at pre-
sent. constituted the rather slender guard of
the trownng battlement-had retired at an
early hour. weary with the chase that had oc
cuped them since sunrise. Midnight had just
been tolled by the clock, After counting the
strokes and leaning back for moment in his
luxurious chair. the while holding his head.
as though by pressure he would dispel the
lasstude that had stolen over his senses, he
bestirred himself took few brisk turns across
the room, and resumed at the same time his
seat and his occupation.
He had that day late in the afternoon re-
ceived heavy sum of money, and was busted
now in counting it over intending to deposit
it early on the following morning in the bank
of kiel. 1t was rather risky In those dayg4
which date as far back as 1743-for the own,
er of even so strong a hold as his, to retain /
long upon his pr misses a golden treasure Of
such weight.
The thick, dark forest-,on the edge OIL
which his castle stood, and which stretched in /
gloom miles beyond h;m-was the rendezvonsI
of daring band of brigands But that theE
aaR44ES wie 1T s ss H6ns5 #as received End
escort be could muster was 80 few in nm ser. +
the banker would not have suffered it . re- /
main single night under his roof Bun The !
bold chieftaln. who for five years had leen |
the terror Of the country. eluding every eff /
fort to secure him. and perpetrating evry I
week robberles such as might befit the fingrs /
of tiend had learned that for one night te |
mighty sum would be in the bankers castle.
and knowing well. that if oace secured in th +
vaults of Kiel it ould be beyond his power
he determined to obtain il at once, and under
cover Of the darkness and storm led his band
with stealthy PAGES to the spot.
The silence of death had reigned for some
time in the old castle. Gaehler had nearly
finished his work. when suddenly he was star
tied by a noise; it was heard but an instant,
and ceased so suddenly he could not deter
mine its character. A brave old man he was,
not easily frightened and he concluded it
must have proceeded from mouse or some
other truant animal, and proceeded calmly to
secure his treasure in the massive iron chest
which had stood for years beside his head
board.
But scarcely five minutes had elapsed ere
he heard the noise repeated, and this time it
continued longer. and more distinct. too,
Hastily turning the key, he hurried to the
door, and after cautiously listening for mo-
ment, became convinced it proceeded from
below. He Immediately lighted a dark Ian
tern, armed himself with his cutlass and dou-
ble-barreled gun. and descended with noise
less step the grand staircase. determined to
ascertain The cause OF so strange noise at
that late hour. He soon found that some one
was hard at work on the outside striving to
make breach in the wall immediately be-
side the great entrance door. which was guar
ded on the inside by strong iron bar. He
perceived that they were making the opening
nearly on level with the bar. and inferred
correctly that their object was to insert their
hands and thus lift the old iron sentinel oui-
etly from its post and effect an easy entrance
Having satisfied himself that such was the
state OF the case in less time than it has Ia
ken us to tell it. he at once awakened his son
Ind servants, and revealed to them their per-
j. Without the least noise or sign that
might betray alarm to the robbers, who still
we're heard proceeding cautiously with their
desperate work. they arose. armed themselves.
md seeing that the windows and side and
'ack doors were we'll harricaded, and that no
attempt had been made elsewhere. Gaehler
stationed one domestic in the rear Of the
mansion as sentinel. to apprise them should
he 'ee nr'gands divide their forces in the homes
d succeeding there more easily. The other
was sent to the armory for strong rope. and
9rdered to reioin him and his son at the front
'ooi e,!, DIS soon as he had procured it.
., otleIice and darkness reigned throughout
.ne CaStle The dark lantern alone indicated
- SnoSe within, the progress making bv those
EI'noGt IN their deep laid villainy as thov
anG'eG' N Inc most perfect security. As soon
Is I tne IanKer saw that mans arm was thrnst
nrough the opening in the wall. and that tho
Oooer hand sought to raise the iron bar
Vnlcn secured the door, he was at once m
ne alert. He quickly made runninc knot
i his rope, passed it around the wrist of tho
o6ber. strained it tightly. drew the arm fnr.
her through, and fastened the other end of
ne rope to the iron balustrade in such man
er that the robber found himself pinned to
ne inner well, unable to stir an inch.
"a nreathless hush for few moments snc-