Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1863-11-13


NO. 33.
over on my left side, pressing INV wounded
arm under me. How long had been sleep.
ing, OF course, could not tell; but the first
sound that fell upon my ear was the con-
fused murmur of voices from the other room.
Immediately the voices grew more distinct,
and some words reached me that speedily
brought me to terrible consciousness Of my
position. One of these words was gold =
and, at the sound, my hand searched for the
bag; 1t was there safe. With grim terror
at my heart, l rose and crept towards tho
door. Thro' chink between the shrunkcn
boards, could see the man and woman seat
cd at the fire. The latter, whose face was
almost completely turned towards me, sat
with her elbows on her knees and her chin
resting on her palms. Those eyes Of hers
were fixed upon the man, and they glowed
with hellish fire. | sickened at the look OF
that face, so handsome, 80 delicate, SO fend.
like. The man was speaking at the moment |;
and, as tho sound Of his voice drew my eyes
towards him, bcheld beside him an object
that made my blood run cold large, shin
ing natcnet or cleaver.
49, can't help it, lass, he was saying; 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 a
downright tussle l shouldn't much mind
knocking a fellow on the head. But to mur.
der man in his sleep me, but 1t goes
against my kidney a'.z .a,I
- But those beautiful golden coins, Bill,
DEAR the tempting ficnd rejoined the love.
ly gold that would take us out of this hell at
once. What Is one miserable life compared
to thatf And who will know about itl The
snow storm is most lucky. We can put him
deep down beneath tho piled-up snow in one
Of those holes outside, and We shall be many
hundred miles from this-aye, across the
Atlantic itself-before the least trace of him
is found E.e .- +. n. .~.lar.a
How my blood curdled and my hair grew
stiff with horror, as listened to tho words
Of this female devil, and watched the gorgon.
like glance Of her eye, and the hideous smile
that ctiiied 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 n gigantic Kaffir was at my
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 sickly terror
and loathing which crept round my heart as
listened that night to the murderous words
that woman uttered.
60 It's all the same,' replied her compan-
ion 'tisn't the danger of discovery I'm
afraid Of. 'Tis the job itself don't like 4;
the murder Of Q sleeping man in cold blood
-iph r D." ..'3 S
With fury flashing from her cycs, she
sprang to her feet and seized the hatchet.
90 Coward and fool !! she Kissed, do you
call yourself manp 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 f5aEs af..t. ga
"' Easy, lass, he said, catching her by the
wrist and drawing her back to her seat again,
You're plucky gal, Sal; but dye think
I'd let o woman do what had not courage
to do myself? told you I did not like the
job; had rather get the money an, other
way; but didn't tell you 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. A cloth upon
his mouth and my hand upon his wndpipe
may be enough. There will be no signs of
blood; and, when they do find him after the
snow melts, they will say he perished in the
storm -
"'Now, Bill said the woman With hos.
rid show OF admiration, you talk like man
and wise one too. begin to know you
again.
go Well, LASS he said, consider the thing
a. done. just give me the bottle
;" lie took it, raised 1t to his lips, and
drank deep draught. With trembling hand
felt up the door for the bolt or lock. There
was wooden bolt only. Gently and silent.
iy pushed 1t home, then crept back to my
bed and searched for my pistol, resolved to
sail my life dearly. 'g. ..... ..
81 got the pistol, drew back the hammers,
and felt the nipples the caps were gonel
tried the barrels they were drcnched with
waterl saw it all the pistol had been
dealt with while slept at the fire and
was now utterly at the mercy OF those fiends.
But had little time 10 waste in thought,
for the next moment the door was shaken by
. heavy hand. / lay back and moaned and
snored like one in a troubled sleep. .'~
The door is bolted on the inside I
heard the man whispering, the fellow fast.
ened it before he wen, to Sleep Il
Then burst 1t open,' said the woman. r.
No., was tho rejoindor, that would
waken him up, and he might show fight
We must adopt some quieter course
90 There's the window she said can YOU
not get in through thati' ~
"'Quite right lass. had forgotten
II looked to the window; it was an amer.
turs some two feet square or more. with n
crazy sash Of four panes, every one Of which
was broken. crawled towards il and felt
the sash. The hand Of child might have
pulled il out. What was TO doi What
chance of q struggle had l now? Faint and
weary, with that broken arm, what rcs;st.
ance could offer to this man of gigantic
strength Crushed by the prospect Of INV
doom, staggered back from the
window and fell against projection of ths
gable wall. thrust out my hand to keen
mo from sinking to the ground. II did not
touch the projection, but stretched far into
some hollow space. A pang of hope shot
through my heart 1IeIe was q large omen
chimney like that At the other end of the
cabin ; and l felt the snow, which had fallen
through It, cracking under my feet.
Could l escape through this? Was
there still chance Of life I 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 al this ana
to act upon my thought, occupied less timo
than have taken to toll it. II, spite Of tle
helplessness Of my left arm, and the excru.
ciating pain I felt from it, ! was up thronch
the chimney and out on the roof before
heard the frail sash below forced In To
slide to the ground MAS easy enough and
With blessing to God fpr my deliyeTsnce. 7
crawlcd round to the other end of the cabin
and from this starting point hurried away
across the moor as fast as my legs could car.
ry me.