The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1866-03-30

| from their closets behind the great stove
chimney, and then fastened back and
emptie,l the printing from the strangers,
rifies; aud when their father and the stran-
gers returned, they had resumed their
| seats. Iva
The hunters cabiu was divided into two
apartments on the ground floor, one Of them
in the end of the building, and the other,
in which the company sat. Overhead there
wac auort Of scaIfolding, reaching only half.
way over the room below II, and in the op
posite end of the building from tho sleep.
ing apartment Of the hunter. rough
ladder led up to the scsffold, and on IL,
cleso up to the boys bed. There was no
partition at the edge of the scafioding
but il was all open to the room below.
Spare bedding was spread upon the floor
| OF the kitchen for the travellers; and
everything had been arranged FOR their
comfort, the boys went mp TO their beds,
and the old man retired to his little room
The boys thoughtnot oi sleep, OF if they
did, it was only to avoid it. Half an hour
had passed away, and then they could hear
their father snore. Then they heard q
movement from those below, Philip
ctawled silently to where he could peep
| through, aud saw one Of the men open his
pack, FROM which he took several pieces Of
meat, by the rays of the moon, aud moving
toward the window, he showed the sash
back, and threw the pieces of aesh to the
dogs. Then he went back 10 his bed and
laid down. ~
AT first the boys thought this might be
thrown to the dogs to distract their atten.
ton; but when the man laid down, the
idea of poison flashed through Philips
mind. lie whispered his Thoughts to bis
brother. The frst impulse of little Daniel
as lc heard that his poor dogs were TO be
poisoned, was to cry out, buta sudden
pressure from the hand of his brother kept
him silent. - -
At .heend of the boys bed was DIRK
window, o small square door, and it was
directly over the dogs house. Philip re.
solved to go down aud save the dogs. The
undertaking was dangerous one; for the
least noise would arouse the villains, and
the consequences might prove fatal. But
Philip Slater found himself sll ong in the
heart and he determined upon the trial
n is fathers life might be in his hands !!
This thought was tower Of strength in
| itself. "a
Philip opened TIE windowwithout NOV.
ing from his bed, and il swung on its hinges
without noise. Then he threw off the
sheet, and tied the corner of it tothe staple
| by which the window was hooked. The
sheet was thenlowercd on the outside, and
carefully the brave boy let himself OUT
He enjoiued his brother not to move, and
then he slid noiselessly dewn.- The hounds
had Just found the meat, but they drew
back at their young masters beck, and
Philip gathered the flesh ellup. ! He easi.
l. quieted the faiilful brutes, and then
quickly tied up the meat in the sheet.
There was light ladder standing near the
dog house, and setting this up against the
building Philip made.-his way back to his
little loft, and when once safrly there, he
pulled the sheet after hims
The strangers had not bcen,aroused, and
with beating heart the boy thanked God.
He had performed an act simple as it may
appear, at which manya stout heart would
have quailed. The dogs growled, as they
went back to their Kennel : and if the
strangers heard them. they thought the
poor animals were growing over the repast
they had found.
At length, the honnds ceased their noise,
and all was quiet, An hour passed away,
and SO did another. 1t must have been
nearly midnight when they moved again,
and the lad, Philip, saw the rays of the
candle fash up through the cracks of the
floor on which stood his bed. He, would
have moved to the crack where he could
peep down, but at that moment he heard .
man upon the ladder. He uttered quick
whisper to his brother, and they layperfect.
ly still. The fellow seemedto lie perfectly
satisfied that they were asleep forahe soon
returned to the ground aoor. aud then
Philip crept to the crack. lie saw the
men take knives, and he heard them whs-
perirg:
"Well kill the oil man and woman first, -
said one of them, "and then well hunt the
money. # those little brats up there
(pointing to the scaffcld) wake up we can
easily take care of them"
But we must kill them all. said another
of the villains. IL
Yes" returned the speaker, "but the
old ones first" ~
Philips heart beat with horror.
Down the ladder outside =quick - he
whispered TO his brother. "Down, and stir
up the dogs RIM tor the front dOor-it
isn't fastened. Oh, do let the dogs into the
house as quick as you can. I'll look out
for father, while gor
Daniel quickly crawled through the little
window, and Philip seized rifle aud crept
to the head of the scpffold. Two of the
villains were just approaching his fathers
door. They had set the candle down on the |
floor, so that it's light would fall into the
bedroom as the door was opened. Philip |
drew the hammer OF his rifle back. and
rested the muzzle on the edge of the |
board One of the men had his hand upon |
the latch. The boy here uttered word Of
heart felt prayer and then he pulled the |
trigger. The villain whose hand was on |
the latch, uttered one sharp, quick cry, |
and then fell upon the Hoor. Tie bullet |
had passed through his brain
For an instant the two remaining villains
were confonnded, but they quickly compTe-
hehd the nature and position of their enemy |
and they sprang for the ladder They did |
not reach it however, for at that instant the |
outer door was flung open, and The hounds /
four in number-sprang into the house. |
With deep, wild yell, the animals leaped /
upon the villains. and they lad drawn them
TO the doorSju as the old hunter came
from his room. q
I "Help US help us father r. cried Philip,
as he hurried down the ladder, sI've shot
one of them! They were robbers mnT-
derersl Hold em!" the boy continued,
clspping his hands to the dogs.
Old Slater comprehended the nature of
the scene in moment, and sprang to the
spot where the hounds had the two men. on
the floor. 1he villains had both lost their
knives, and the dogs had SO wounded them
that they were incapable OF resistance.
With much difficulty the animals were called
on, and then the two men were lifted to
a seat. There was no need Of binding
Fs.r al,...r 1aA |