Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1858-01-08

sas1sn
huge bowie knife in it, | could see the
blade CLEAN in the pale moonlight and !
saw Karl run his thumb alougthe edge
and feelthe point. My heart beat fear
fully, my breathing was hard. It was
with the utmost cxertion that could
continue my snoring, but | managed to
do it without Interruption Slowly and
noiselessly the foul wretch approached
Eme-oh. his step could not nave AVA
kened a hound land his long cleaning
knife was half raised | could hear his
breathing plainly. and | could hear the
grating of his teeth, as lenerved himself
for the stroke.
i The villain was by my side, apd no
4 measured tile distance from his h9n1,s2
| my heart with his eye. In. his left band
he held a handkerchief all wadded up.
That was to stop my mouth. Every nerve
in my body was now strong, and my heart
stood still as death OF course, my
snoring ceased; and at that instant the
huge bowie knife was raised above my
bosom quick as thought brought my
pistol up--the muzzle was within foot
Of the robbers heart-he uttered quick
! cry--l saw the bright blade culver in the
moonlight, but it came not on me.
pulled the trigger, and the last fear was
passed. | had thought that the weapon
might miss fire, but it did not, There
was a sharp report, and as | sprang up
and backed, heard a fierce yell, and at
the same moment the robber came for
ward, his head striking my knee as it
came down. Weak and faint | sank
back, but sudden tip of the canoe
brought me to my senses; went aft and
took the paddle. As soon as the boats
! head was once more turned right, / turn
ed my eyes to the form in the bottom
Of the canoe, and I saw it quiyer-only
a spasmodic movemcnt--and all was
still.
All that night / sat there at my watch
and steered my little bark, ! had my
second pistol ready, for / knew not that
the wretch was dead. He might be
waiting to catch me off my guard, and
shoot me. But the night passed slowly
and drearily away and when the morn
ing broke, the form had not moved ]
then stepped forward, and found that Gus
Karl was dead He had fallen with the
knife true to its aim, for he struck very
near where my heart must have been,
and the point was driven so far into the
solid wood that / had to work hard tC
pull it out, and harder still to unclasT
the marble fingers that were cIaspod will
dying madness about thc aslndir.
Swiftly flowed the tide, and ere the sur
again sunk to rest | had reached ioaans.
port. The authorities knew the face o.
lsns Karl at once. and when told them
my story, they poured out a thousand
thanks upon my head. A purse was
raised, and the offered reward'put within
it, and rendered to me. | took the SIM
pie reward from the generous citizens,
while the remainder | directed should be
distributed among those who had suffered
most from the robbers usurpations.
| found Kemp sick and miserable. lie
was burning with fever, and the doctors
had shut him up in room where well
man must have sufocatcd.
"Watcrl watcrl In Gods name give
me water" he gasped.
I" IIavn't you had any?' ! asked.
He told me no. | threw open the win
dows-scnt for pail of ice-water, and
was on the point Of administering IL, when
the old doctor came in. He held his
baud up in horror, and told me 'twould
kill the sick man. But / forced him
back, and Kemp drank the grateful be-
verage. lie drank deeply and then slept.
Precipitation poured from him like rain,
and when lie awokc his skin was moist,
and his fever was turned In eight days
from that time, he sat in his saddle by
my side, and together we started for Lit
tie River. At Walton's settlement, /
found my horse wholly recovered, and
when offered to pay for bis keeping
the host would take nothing. The sto-
ry Of my adventure on the river had
reached there ahead of me, and this was
the landlords gratitude.