Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-11-05


almost completely turned towards me, sat
with her elbows Oh her knees and her chin
resting on her palms. Those eyes of hers
were fixed upon the man, and they glowed
with hellish fire. | siekened at the look of
that face. so handsome, so delicate, so fend-
like. The man was speaking at the moment =;
| and, as the sound OF his voice drew my eyes
| towards him, beheld beside him an object
that made my blood run coda large. shining
Ratchet or cleaver IS
I" can't help it, lass he was saving; Il
don't like the job, and | wish the thing could
be done some other way. About taking the
gold I'm not particular to hair, and in
downright tussle l shouldn't much mind
knocking fellow on the head But to muir
| der a man in his sleep-dang he, but it goes
against my kidney
"' But those beautiful golden coins, Bill
dear the tempting fend rejoined; the love
| ly gold that would take us cut of this hell at
| once. What is one miserable life compared
| to that? And who will know about it: The
snow-storm is most lucky. We can put him
| deep down beneath the piled-up snow in one
OF those holes outside, and we shall be many
hundred miles from this-ay, across the
| Atlantic itself-before the least trace of him
| is found
How my blood eurdled and my hair grew
stiff with borrow, as | listened to the words
of this female devil, and watched the gorgon-
like glance of her eye, and the hideous smile
that curled her lips. [ have been in deadly
peril of life and limb in more than one fierce
fight, as the medals show. | remember once
when the knife of a gigantic Kafir was at NY
throat and | thought all was over with me,
till comrades rifle brought that savage
down. But never, in deadliest hour of dan
ger did [ feel anything like the sicklv terror
and loathing which crept round my heart as
| listened that night to the murderous words
that woman uttered
It's all the same, replied her compan-
Ion tlsn't the danger of discovery I'm
afraid of. IT'S the job itself don't like the
murder of sleeping man in cold blood
iph p
"With fury flashing from her eyes, she
sprang to her feet and seized the latchet
"' Coward and fool = she Kissed, do YOU
call yourself man? You see your wife and
child starving before your eyes, and you have
not the manhood to do the deed which will
save them from the death of dogs. | will do
it, myself!'
"' Easy, lass, he said, catching her by the
wrist and drawing her back to her seat again
You're pIucky gal, Sal; but dye think I'd
let woman do what | had not courage to do
myself? l told you | did not like the job :;
| had rather get at the money any other way;
but didn't tell you that l wouldn't do it
Sit you down. and let's talk it over The
chap is fast asleep now-the fatigue and the
brandy have done for him, and you can hear
him moaning as he sleeps. This ugly bit of
steel may be useless after all. cloth upon
his mouth and my hand upon his windpipe
may be enough. There will be no signs of
blood; and, when they do find him after the
snow melts, they will say he persisted in the
Storm.
''Now, Bill said the woman with a horrid
show of admiration, you talk like man and
a wise one. begin to know you again
"'Well, lass he said, Consider the thing
as done. Just give me the bottle
''IIe took it, raised it to his lips, and drank
deep draught. With trembling hand felt
up the door for bolt or lock. There was a
wooden bolt only. Gently and silently [
pushed it home, then crept back to my bed
and searched for my pistol resolved to sell
my life dearly.
81 got the pistol, drew back the hammers
and felt the nipples the caps were gone +
[ tried the barrels; they were drenched with
water ! | saw it all the pistols had been
dealt with while slept at the fire and
was now utterly at the mercy of those fienls
" But | had little time to waste in thought,
for the next moment the door shaken by
heavy hand. l lay back, and moaned and
snored like one in troubled sleep.
"The door is bolted on the inside heard
the man whispering, the fellow fastened it
before he went to sleep
"'Then burst it open,' said the woman
"'No, was the rejoinder, that would
waken him up, and he might show fight
We must adopt some quieter course
30 {h,,, II,
not get in through that .
"'Quitc right, lass | had forgotten
81 looked to the window it was an apcr-
ture some two feet square Or more, with q
crazy sash of four panes, every one of which
was broken. l crawled towards it and felt
the SASH The hand of a child might have
pulled it out. What was | to do? What
chance of a struggle had | now? Faint and
weary, with that broken arm, what resistance
could offer to this man Of gigantic strength?
Crushed by the prospect of my inevitable
doom, | staggered back from the window and
fell against Il projection of the gable wall. [
thrust out my hand to keep me from sinking
to the ground. 1t did not touch the proiec-
ton, but stretched far into some hollow space
pang of hope shot through my heart
Here was large open chimney like that at
the other end Of the cabin; and | felt the
snow, which had fallen through it, cracking
under my feet
"Could escape through this q? Wa. there
still a chance of life ? l stopped under and
thrust up my head. The aperture was wide
and deep and the large stones of the rude
masonry projected on every side. These
were steps by which it was easy enough to
climb. To think of all this, and to act upon
my thought, occupied less time than | have
taken to tell it, In spite of the helplessness
of nay left arm, and the excruciating pain
felt from it, | was up through the chimney
and out on the roof before | heard the frail
sash below forced in. To slide to the ground
was easy enough and blessing God for my
deiverance, | crawled round to the other
end of the cabin, and from this starting point
[ hurried away across the moor as fast as my
limbs could carry me.
Looking back, 1 saw the glare Of light
from the open cabin, and heard the shout of
fierce, angry voice. The snow drift mad
almost ceased to fall, and the whitened ground
gave out some faint light through the winter
darkness. What l longed for now was some
pit or hollow to creep into and burrow there
until immediate danger was over. | was not
long in finding one | slid down into it, and
With my right hand gathered the snow about
me. Not ter minutes had lain there when
heard heavy footstep crunching the snow
above. 1t was my pursuer, the intended as
sassin and could hear his muttered curses
as he passed on. In few moments more l
heard him coming back again, and then all
was still and silent as death. At length |
crept out from my hiding place, with cramped
and aching limbs. | knew no more in what
direction to turn now than | had known be-
fore had entered that accursed cabin; but
struck right ahead knowing that there must
be human habitation somewhere before me-