Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1866-02-24
Getting in .. Wight.


ssThe door was locked when got
Iiome," said Tom, and how to get in
without waking the, governor, was the
difficulty. l knew he'd give. me sparticu-
lar fits If he knewI was out after ten,
and the clock had just struck one. The
back yard was an. impossibiIity, and but
one chance remained. There wasla porch
over the front door, the roof of which
was few feet below two windows. One
of them knew was fastened down, and
the other opened from bedroom, which
might or might not be occupied. An old
maiden sister of Toms wife had arrived
on the same day, and ii was very proba-.
BILE that she was in that room; but knew
the bed was in the corner farthest from
the window, and l hoped l. should be-
able to get In and through the room with
out awakening her, and then had a COM
paratively easy thing of it, SO getting a
plank from neighboring board pile, 1
rested it against the caves of the shed,
pulled off my shoes, put them in my
rocket and "cOOned." All right so far,
but thought it necessary in order not to
arouse suspicion In the morning, to re-
move the plank so dragging It up, threw
of the end, and down it went, with an
awful clatter, on stray dog that had fol-
Immediately set up the most awful whine
hound ever gave tongue to. That started
half dozen dogs in the neighborhood
barking hooking bird in the window
above commenced as if he intended to
split his throat at it, and an old woman in
her night clothes, with candle in her
hand, appeared at window across the
street. I knew that was safe as far as
she was concerned, but if any one came
to our windows, the candle gave enough
light to very probably have discovered me
Nobody did come, however, and the old
lady, after peeriDg up and down the street
for minute or two, popped in her head
and retired. The mocking bird still kept
up his eternal whistle, and it was fully half
an hour before it and the dog settled down
and gave me chance to move. Creeping
slowly along the wall till reached the win
dow / put my hands on the sill, sprang in,
and, with my legs hanging out, stopped
to listen. Yes, she was in that room. for
was sure could hear her breathing.
After waiting for a minute, i cautiously
drew up one leg and then the other, drew
them around and putting them down to
the floor, was just conscious that | had
stepped on something soft and yielding,
and was withdrawing them when another
Jumped from her bed, crying, murder!
And the mocking bird started again. \
little darkey was lying on her back under
the window, and / had stepped on her
face and of course woke her up. 4 de-.
cided ia moment what to do. The house
would be aroused and | was caught to a
certainty, unless could get to my GROOM
before the governor was up but L hadn't
a moment TO lose, for the little Niger was
screaming so i started for the door, made
three steps, struck chair, tumbling over,
of course making the awfullest racket you
ever heard in the "dead hour of night, {"
in a peacable house. The Niger and old
maid screaming louder than ever, the
hooking bird whistled like steam whistle,
and they fairly made aehorus as loud as
Julian's aAda ~ - al-a.asA Cd
!. Il reached the door, however, quietly
and swiftly opened 1t, and just got into the
hall in time to see the old gentleman
open his door, with candle in his hand,
and come hurrying up the stairs. Not a
moment was to be lost. Thereswas ward
robe near where stood and Rprang be-
hind &c. 3 Up came the governor, reached
the door,. opened 1t, and went IN, and In
the meantime there was all sorts OF confu-
sion and inquiry down stairs. as to what
though from where stood / heard every
word of inquiry and explanation in the
room. OF course they soeuldn'ty make
much out of il. Tire little darkey was
too frightened and too sound asleep at
the time to understand the truth, and the
upshot of the business was that they con-
Guided she had been dreaming, and the
governor, after giving her a sound shaking,
and explaining the matter to the aroused
neighbors from the window, went down to
his room again. so far, so good. / now
had to go down stairs, reach the back-door,
unbar it, get into the yard, make for my
room, which was in the second story of
brick building that stood unconnected with,
and about dozen yards from the main
one. After giving everybody another half
hour to settle. down again, / started.
"Boys, did you ever try to go up or
down pair of stairs at midnight. without
making a noise? You may try it all sorts
of ways, but every step is sure to creak,
each with peculiar noise OF its own, and
loud enough, you are sure, to wake every
body. / had gotten nearly to the bottom,
when a little fiste dog came trotting up the
entry towards me-. yelling. furiously: A
suppressed Some here, Zap! silenced him,
for he recognized me but the fiste little
the dogs in the neighborhood, having
learned to take the cue, Of course Joined
the chorus for the third time. os
s-Iran along the passage, reached the
door, unlocked it, just as the Governor,
reused the second time, opened his do :,
and seeing a man escaping from the house
lbvthe back way. of course cried thieves
tRieyesl' and made rush after me. was
too Quick for him thoughs-opened the
door, 81 rang out, made for the door that
opened in the room below mine, ana just
reached it, when crash! within a foot OF
nv head went q, brick, and q voice that l
knew belonged to fhe next door neighbor,
-Tompkins, Joined the Governor in the cry
of thieves Thieves !, murder! murderi'
Igwas safe through. ait 20 $50, j, - -
Running up stairs, l. sshelled myself
.oujcker than eyer'I did before or since, and
was in bed and sound asleep in half a
minute. t#E s. D. .,
wasn't there row, though? never
heard so many dogs before-the mocking
bird. of course, was outdoing all previous
efforts-the chickens began to crow-Tom-
kins. next door, was hallooing thieves!
and calling the Governor. l could hear
screams and all sorts of noises, and talking
among the neighbors, until at full length the
old pentleman's voice was heard In the
yard calling Tom! Toni