Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1859-02-22
cautious, and pricked up her long ears

SO thick we could hardly ge, along bu
lust as we come TO a lille creek as the,
calls the Spout, cause the water jump
and jets along till it emplies into tn,
Punch Bowl, and Just as Molly was eau
uousiy putting her fore foot into the wa
ler, oul starts two men from the bushes
and seizes poor Mollys bridle."
| Good heaven." exclaimed Major
| Warfield.
Well, master, before | could cry out
one Of them Williams seized me by the
scrutf' of my neck, and with the other
hand on my mouth he says:
''' Be silent, you old fooi, or III blow
your brains out,
9 And then, master, | saw for the first
time that their faces were covered over
with black Grape. | couldn't a-screamed
ii they'd a-let me, for my breath was
gone and my senses were going along
| with it from the fear that was on me-
Don't struggle, come along quietly
apd you shsl not be hurt says the man
as had spoke before"
Struggle | couldn't a-struggled to
a-saved my soul! couldn't speak l
couldn't breathe! l liked to have a-drop-
ped right often Molly's back. One of
'em says, says he:
"' Give her some brandy!' and ,'other
takes out flask and puts it to my lips,
and says, says he:
SIS Here, drink this
Well, master, as he had me still by
the scruff o the neck l couldn't do no
other ways but open my mouth and drink
it. And as soon as had took swallow
my breath came back nd my speech.
"' And, oh, gentlemen says |, sef
it's your money or your life, you mean,
haint it about me. Deed clare TO the
Lord-a-mighly | haint, It's wrapped up
plastering In the chimney corner at home
and eff you'll spare my life you can go
there and get IT, says |.
90 You old block head says they, swe
want neither one nor t'olher! come along
quietly and you shall receive no harm
But at the first cry or attempt a, escape
this shall stop you!' And with that the
william held the mizzIe of pistol so close
10 my nose that smelt brIInsione, while
l'other one bound a silk handkerchief
round my eyes, and then took poor Mol
ly's bride and led her along. | cou l
see, In course. and / di5sint breathe for
fear O. the pistol. But l said my prayers
TO myself ali the time.
Well, master, they led the mule on
down the path, until we come to a place
wide enough to turn, when they turned
us round an led us back outen the wood
and then round and round and up and
down, and cross waysand length ways, as
if they didn't want me to know where
they was a-takin me.
Well, sir, when they'd walked bout
in this fused way, leadin' the mule bout
mile, l knew they was in the woods
again-the very same woods and the
very same palh-I know'd by the feel of
the place and the sound of the bushes, as
we hit up against them each side, and al
so by the rumbipg of the Spout as it
lumbles along towards the Punch Bowl
We went down and down and down and
lower and lower and lower until we got
right down in the bottom of that holier.
Then we stopped. A gate was open
ed. put up my hand 10 raise the hand
kercher, and see where | were; b,t
jus, at that minute, l felt the mizzle of
the pistle like ring OF ice right agin
my right temple, and the villain growlin
into lny ear:
"' If you do
But ddn't-I dropped my hand
down as if bad been shot, and afore |
hal seen anything either. So we went
through gate and up gravelly walk
knew it by the cracking of the gravel
under Molly's feet-and stopped at a
horse block, where one of them villains
Lifted me off. put up my hand again.
- Do, if you dare, says t'other one,
with the mlzzle of the pistol at my head.
Il dropped my hand like lead. So
they led me on lille way, and then up
along. They we're six. You see. mas
ter. took all this pains, to know the
house again. Then they opened a door
that opened in the middle. They then
went along passage and up more stairs
there was ten and turn and ten more.
Then along another passage and up an
other flight of stairs just like the first
Then along another passage and up a
third fight Of stairs. They was alike.
Well, sir, here we was at she top of
the house. One O them williams opened
door on the left side, and t'other said ::
=" There-go in and do your duty!'
and pushed me through the door, and
shut and locked it on me. Good gracious
sir. how scared l was. l slipped of the
silk hankercher, and feared as | was, l
didn't forget 10 put i, IN my BOSOM
Then | looked about me. Righs
afore me 90 the hearth was little weny
taper burning, that showed was In a
great big garret with sloping walls. AT
one end two deep dorner Windows and a
black walnut bureau standing between
them. At t'other end great tester bed
stead with dark curtains. There was a
dark carpet on the floor. And with all
there were so many dark objects and SC
many shadows, and the httle taper burned
so dlmly that could hardly tell rother
from which, or keep from breakln my
nose against things as l groped about
| And what was | IN this room for L