The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1865-05-10


questcd TO come out at once.
GAS soon as l strike lucifcr-match, :"
replied.
"Nonsense, man, light will spoil the
whole thing. Come in the dark; slip on
a dresslng-gown and your goloshes, and
come at oLce."
| was soon provided as he wished, and
ready TO descend the stairs in the dark
"Now, remember" said my friend.
"there are seven steps to the first landing,
twelve others afterwards, and the fourth
step cleaks abominably, so be careful TO
descend without noise"
The night was boistcrous, and many a
window and door shook and ratified. so
that the slight noise we made in descend
ing the stairs was not sufficient to have
alarmed even the most keen-earet listen
rr. We descended to the ground-hoor.
entered the pantry, and then standing
perfectly still, devoted ourselves to listen
ing.
In very few seconds we heard a gra-
ting noise on the shutter, then an inter-
val of quiet, and again Il noise; present
ly the window w's gently raise and
again all was quiet. he noise of u
heavy vehicle passing the house seemed
to afford and opportunity Tor Il more de
rided effort. for while the rattle of the
wheels was loudc>t, Il crack sounded from
the shutter, and we could hear that the
bolt was forced, for the shutter was gen
liy moved
Don't STIR till 10, and holl your
'reath if possible" whispered my friend
n my ear.
found the latter a difficult request to
comply with, O. my heart was beating
with ripidty, and thumping against my
lbs in the most cxcitcd way still stood
luict and trusted to my Gicnl
Nothing could he more cautious than
the proceedings of the robbers; the shut
Ter was pushed back in the most slow
md steady manner; had there been Il
bell fastened to it, | doubt whether it
would have been made TO ring. At in
tervals there was Il rest from work, c,i-
ienly for the purpose Of listening, aud
hen one Of the robbers placed his leg
across the winlow.sll AMI lightly des-
cended into the pantry.
The night, even out Of DOORS was very
dark, and in the corner where we stood it
was black as Erebus. our forms, there
fore. were quite unlislinguishablc, aud
The only chance Of disco, ,erins us was by
touching or hearing US.
The first burglar was soon followed bv
Il second, whilst we could hear that Il
third, who was outside, was TO remain
there on watch.
''Now. let's hoht M" said number
two.
"Not yet, Ii | you push the shutter to-,
replied the other, ''or the glim IL he
seen; then You come and hold the box"
The shutter was quietly pushed to, and
both robbers moved away few PAGES
from the window by which they had en-
tered. By the quiet way in which they
walked, it was evident that they were Ell
ther without shoes or had India-rubber
coverings. OF their size or weapons, we
could see nothing, ard began to doubt
whether our position was an agreeable
one, as | was armed only with sword,
a weapon, however, | knew how to use (;
whilst Of my friends means of offence or
defence knew nothing
mad not long to wait, for luciter
was struck by one of the men imnediate-
ly, and the room consequently lighted
up; at the same instant my friend drew
up the slide of the dark lantern, and
flashed the light on the faces of the two
men, at the same time showing the muz-
zle of revolver pointing towards them,
eff either Of you move I'll put cou-
pie of bullets in him." said my friend, as
lie placed him against the window by
which the men had cntere'. "Now
drop that crow-bar," he continued in a
voice of authority; 'down with it; and
you," he said to me, ''pull open the shut
ter and shout for the police"
The idea that is usually entertained of
a burglar is, that he is "a man of great
size, strength, and daring, and that he
would in an encounter annhilatc any
moderate man When, then, the light
revealed the faces and forms of the men
we had captured, our humble self, al,
though no great puglist,. yet felt able t.
defeat either of them if it came to mat
| ter OF fists and | must own that the pale
and astonsheJ faces of the men were not
indicative Of any very great courage.-
Our shout for police was shortly an
swered and the burglars having been
sub'lued by the sight of the revolver, the
muzzIc of which pointed first at one, then
at the other, were captured by the police
three of whom were speedily on the spot,
and conveyed 10 the lockup Wills. We
and detective who had been brought
down from Lon Ion some days previously,
examined the details by which the men
! had effected an entrance.
''fon were very lucky to hear them.
especially ON such a night, sail the de-
,ertiye; "whcn once they are in they
move like mice. We knoH them; aud
| expect they'll get seven years"
/ The man was about correct. for one.
/ the older offender, was sentenred to six,
the other to five years penal servitude.
1T will, | suppose, be no use of try
ing to sleep again tonight, forit is three
o'clock" said my hienl.
II cannot sleep" was my reply ''anl
am dying 10 hear how you found ont
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