The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-06-26


bench, and some tools and billsts Of wood ly-
ing about together with dozen or 40 Of big
square paving stones. which seemed 10 have
been brought In from Holborn, which was
than undergoing repair.
The Jew produced a bunch Of keys from
his pocket and calculated. AHA, ha, ma tear !
shall show yer do pootful gootsh 4" began
fumbling At the lock Of the chest 10 open H.
but somehow il would not open, and deaed
all hs efforts, ill the fellow began 10 ourse
the lock, and work himself intoa passion
with Il, IIe stamped and bawled. and ana
lhemAtEed some Absent old woman, who, he
swore bitterly, had been meddling, and had
hampered the lock.
Al FIRST, the fellows antics amused me but
all at once Il struck me that the passion was
unnatural and fegned and now the queer
reports that had heard Of London traps and
yilluinies rushed 10 my recollection and
began Immediately to suspect that all was
not as il should be. turned towards the
door, intending 70 regain the shop, VIXEN Il
suddenly ilew open, ard figure in the guise
Of an old woman, supporting herself on a
euteh, barred the wy.
say. in the guise Of an old woman for
II that npparition was Of the female sex, then
| am the man In the moon. had mown too
many masculine boards during the last seven
years to be mistaken on that point ihy seem.
ing ole woman was sturdy rufian Of forty,
not two hours shaved---i saw Il at a glance !
and the sight Of IL sent all the blood in my
veins bounding back 10 its source
The Jew launched n torrent Of abuse at his
confederate and demanded the key Of the
his acts or to hear much he said Irndeayor-
ed 10 maintain n careless air, but could not
withdraw my gaze from the pretended old
woman | heard the box.lid thrown back,
and the voice Of the Jew extolling the wares
within, made feint Of turning to look at
them, and at the same moment saw the
pettieoated rufiian feeling with his lcft hand
for what seemed fragment Of a broomstick,
which leaned against the wall behind the door,
Somcthing--pcrhaps my better angel gave
me courage. / dashed at the object my self,
and seized II firmly in my gTasp--a pds a
painted bar Of iron. My worst suspicious
were confirmed in an instant and ut the
same moment the villains who had me in
meir tous threw OH the mask. The bigger
rufIian lifted his eru,ch with both hands, and
aimed a savage blow, which luckily caught
on the ircn bar, aud which shyered the
orutch TO fragments Almost at the same
moment the jew grappled me by the throat,
dasned the heel OF the bar into his face,
and he flew to the end Of the room, carrying
my lavender-silk neektio and diamond pin in
his hind. f"cxpected the bulkier assassin
s.4tles el.,-et ts4 issat=arl s1f 5tisstr FiaFtrr
his back against the door--now firmly shut
and shielded himself with the remnant Of
his crutch. No time was TO be lost-the Jew
would recover himself and return to the at.
tack in an instant-heavy tools were living
about--I should be beaten down and slain.
Madly rushed toward the door, and' was in
the act Of poising my weapon for blow
which should crush the skull Of the burly
rufFan, spite of his feuce, when suddenly the
whole scene shot upward into the air the
last thing saw WIS the Rre-aashing eye and
demoniac grin Of my opponcnt-and | WAS
falling, falling into gulf of pitchy darkness,
Men of genius talk and write very fine
things about the wonderous celebrity of thoug,.t
and the freaks Of Imagination aud memory
under certain circumstances. don't under.
stand that kind Of subject myself but t's all
true they say nevertheless. In those most
horrible moments saw myself a child in
arms-n boy at school--On apprentice shaw
ing my masters customers in the old shop
and what is more, saw myself. dead and
dashed to pieces at the bottom of frightfu
dungeon, and my mangled body stripped
and plundered, then packed away in hole
out of the world forever.
But this vision was not destined to be
realized. Instead of dashing on the floor of
a dungeon, fell souse into a mass of filthy
fluid, the odor of which informed me at once
that had to exercise some skill as a swimmer
before had found my feet, Even then
stood up to the armspits in the vile liquid
the efiiuvia of which threatened TO poison me
with every brorth drew. Happily had
suffered no serious bodily injury by my fal
the force of which had been neutralised by
the water. looked up just as the trOp-dool
through which had descended was in the
act of closing--saw it raised to its level, ant
heard the villains slipping the bolt thai
that secured it. What was to be done
gave myself up for lost If cri.I out, nont
were lliilsel, 10 hear me save che iirr,ts whs
had aompassed my. destruction, which any
alarm on my part w6tsia only goad them tc
complete. had not relinquished the iror
bar, but still clutched it mechanically and now
l began cropping with it in the darkness, Il
ascertain, If possible, in what direction IL
proceed to escape, if it might be from the