True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1855-05-08

~ NNNStt 'uS bVgo hSht up W lhti
bed, and The cid man retired to his littl,
room below
The two hoys thought not Of sleep, Of
if they'did It was only to avoid it Hall
an hour had passed away, and they heard
their father suore. Then they heard .
movement from those below. Philip
crawled silently to where he could peer
down through crack, and saw one of the
men open his pack, from which, by the
rays of the moon, he took several pieces Of
raw meat, and moving towards the window,
he showed the sash back and threw the
pieces of flesh to the dogs Then he went
back to his bed and laid down.
AT first the boys thought that this might
be thrown to the dogs to distract their at
tention; but when the man. laid down, the
idea Of poison flashed through Philips
mind. He whispered his thoughts to his
brother. The first impulse of little Daniel
as he heard that his poor dogs were pois-
oned, was to cry out, but sudden press
urc from the hand of his brother kept
him silent.
AT the end Of the boys bed there was
dark window, a small square door, and as
it was directly over the dogs house, Phil
ip resolved to go down and save the dogs
The undertaking was dangerous one, for
the least noise would arouse the villains
and the consequence might be fatal. But
Philip Slator found himself strong in heart,
and he determined upon the trial. His
fathers life might be in his hands. This
thought was tower of strength in itself.
Philip opened the window without mo-
wing from his bed, and it swung upon its
leather hinges without noise, Then he
threw Of the sheet and tied the corner of
1t to the steaple by Which the window was
hooked. The sheet was lowered on the
outside, aud carefully the brave boy let
himself out uponi it, He enjoined his broth
er not to move, and then slid noiselessly
down. The hounds had just found the
meat, and they drew back at their young
masters beck. Philip gathered the flesh
all up. He easily quietcd the faithful
brutes, and then he quietly tied the meat
up in the sheet. There was light ladder
staudingnear the dog-housc, and setting
this up against the building, Philip made
his way back to lis little loft, and when
once safely there be pulled the sheet in after
him.
The strangers had not been aroused, and
with a beating heart the boy thank Cod
He had performed an act, simple as it may
appear, at which stout heart would have
quailed. The dogs growlod as they went
back into their kennel and if tue stra nrer
heard them they thought they were grow
ling over the repast they had found.
Atlength the hounds ceased their noise
and all was quiet. An hour passed away,
and so did another. 1t must have been
near midnight when the men moved again,
and the lad Philip, saw the rays of a can
die flash up through the cracks of the floor
on which stood his bed.-He would have
moved to the crack whore he could peep
down, but at that moment he heard a man
upon the ladder. He uttered quick whis-
per to his brother, and then lay perfectly
still.
The man came to the top of the ladder
and held his light up, SO as he could look
upon the boys' The fellow seemed to be
perfectly satisfied that they were asleep, for
he oni;returned to the ground floor, and
then Philip crept to the crack. He saw
the men take knives, and he heard them
whispering.
Well kill the old man and woman first"
said one of them, then we'll hunt the mon
cy. If those little brats up there pointing
to the scaffolD wake up, we can easily
take care of them"
"But we must kill them all," said anoth-
er Of the Williams.
eyes" returned the first speaker, ''but
the young ones first, they might make
noise, and start the old man up"
Philips heart beat with terror.
"Down the ladder outside! quickly" he
whispered to his brother. "Down and
start up the dogs! run for the front door
and throw it open-it isn't fastened. O.,
do let the dogs into the house, be as quick
as you can! I'll look out for father whilst
you CO."
Daniel quickly crawled out through the
little window, and Philip seized rife and
crept to the head of the scaffold. Two of
the Williams were just approaching the door
of his fathers room, They had set the
candle down on the floor SO that its light
should fall into the bed room as soon as
the door was op cned. Philip drew the