The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-11-09

post ct the upper easement, determined to
await patiently her masters retnrn, and her
consequent delivery from the dangerous
position of her own death if inevitable; for
she was fully resolved to enter into no
terms, and that nothing should induce her
to give up her masters property into the
robbers hands. z i.1p .ai i' 90.
She had hardly time to secure herself in
her retreat when the rufian, holding the
screaming child 10 bis arms, and brandish-
ing knife in one hand, came up, and bid
her open the door, or he would break it
down, adding many fearful oaths and threats,
to which her only answer was that she put
her trust in God. Heinrich, who from the
window was witness to this coloquy, now
called out to cut the child's throat before
her eyes if she persisted in her refusal.
Poor Hanchen's heart quailed at this
moment. The death of the child could be no
gain to them, while her own death was GER
tain if she admitted the assailant, and her
master, too, would be robbed. She had no
reason to suppose her compliance would
save the life of the child. 1t was a risk
against nothing, and she resolved to hold
out to the last, though the villain renewed
his threats, saying that if she did not open
the door to him, he would kill the child,
and then set fire to the mill over her head.
81 put my trust in God" was still the poor
girls answer. In the meanwhile, the
ruf6an set down the child for a moment, to
look for combustibles to carry out his
threat. In thh search he discovered mode
of entering the mill, unthought of by
Hanchen. It was large aperture in the
wall, communicating with the great wheel
and the other machinery of the mill, and it
was point entirely unprotected, for it had
never been contemplated that any one would
seek to enter it by 80 dangerous an inlet.
Triumphant at this discovery, he returned
to tie the hands and feet of the poor child
to prevent its escape, and then stole back
to the aperture by which he intended to
effect an entrance.
The situation of the building prevented
Hanchen seeing any thing of this; but
thought struck her. 1t was Sunday, when
the mill was never at work, if, therefore, the
sails were set in motion, the whole neighbor-
hood would know that something unusual
was the matter, and her master would espe-
cially hasten home to know the meaning of
any thing so strange. Being all her life &C
customed to the machinery of the mill, it
was the work of moment to set all in mo-
tion-a brisk breeze, which sprang up at
once, set the sails flying. The arms of the
huge engine whirled around with fearful ra-
pidity; the great wheel slowly revolving up
on its axis; the smaller gear turned, and
cracked, and groaned, according as the ma
chine came into action, the mill was in full
operation.
It was at that moment that the rufian
intruder succeeded in squeezing himself
through the aperture in the wall, and get
ting himself lodged in the great drum wheel.
His dismay, however, was indescribable,
when be began to be whired about with its
rotation, and found that all his efforts to
put stop to the powerful machinery which
set it in motion, or extricate himself from
this perilous situation, were fruitless. In
his terror, be uttered shrieks and horrible
imprecations. Astonished at the noise,
Hanchen went to the spot, saw him caught
like a rat in his own trap, from which it
was no part of her plan to liberate him.
She knew be would be more frightened than
hurt, if he kept within his rotary prison
without any rash attempts at escape, and
that even if he became insensible, be could
not fall out of it.
In the mean time the wheel went round
and round with its steady and unoeasing
motion, and round and round he went with
it, while sense remained, beseeching Han
chen with entreaties, promises, and wild,
impatient threats, which were equally dis
regarded, till by degrees feeling and per.
ception failed him, and he heard and saw no
more. He fell senseless at the bottom of
the engine, but even then his inanimate
body continued to be whirled round as be-
fore, for Hanchen did not dare to trust
appearances in such a villain, and would
not venture to suspend the working of the
mill or stop the mill gear and tackle from
running at their fullest speed. At length
she heard loud knocking at the door, and
few to open it. 1t was her master and his
family, accompanied by several of his neigh
bors, all in the utmost CONSERVATION and
wonder at seeing the mill-sail in full swing
on Sunday, and still more so when they
found the poor child lying bound on the
grass, who, however, was too terrified to
give any account of what had happened.
Hanchen, in few words, told all; and
then her spirit. which had sustained her
through such scenes of terror, gave way
under the sense of safety and relief, and
she fell faiting in their arms and was with
much difficulty recovered. The machinery
of the mill was at once stopped and the
inanimate ruffian dragged from his dreadful
prison. Heinrich, too, was brought forth
from the miller's chamber, and both were
in short time sent bound, under a strong
escort, to Bonn, where they soon met the
reward of their crimes.
The history of this extraordinary act of
presence of mind concludes by telling us
that Hanchen, thus efiectually cured of her
penchant for her unworthy sutton, became
eventually the wife of the millers eldest son,
and thus lived all her life in the scene of her
great danger and happy deliverance.
The POPULATION OF VERMoNT.-Sufi-
cient returns of the late census have been
received to show that the population of
Vermont has decreased since the census of
1850. In four counties the losses amount to
AA1Q I'd IN fvun al kbn