Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1867-11-28

Chen. the seals or winch i had never
yet broken.
Not caring to make a display of SO
much meney before crowd of strangers
invited my Boston friend 10 quietly get
a lantern, and come with me into The
stable. He d id so. and we proceeded
to the head of one of The stalls, and he
holding the lantern. / commenced open
ing my package | had TO turn over a
good many bills of large denominations
before fUnnd a ten; bat al length got
one and handing il 70 him. extracted an
other for myself. / then slowed the
packas& Of bills, minus the wrapper, in
a money belt. which carried next my
shirt. | bad already finished when |
heard a rushing in The hay Oveahead and
looking qaickly up iowatd the loft, above
the hay rack. thought | saw TWO eyes,
flashing Gown through The darkness, but
was not quite sure. listened for mo.
ment bul etrryihing was snli, so we
passed into The huuse. -t
NV mind was disturbed; l feltune
sy and oppressed could not eal any
supper IcuuId moi enter rs usual INTO
Tire rolIicking iesIs and stories and games
with which my fellow passengers made
merry their evenings carried a good
Coli revolver. Thai day had empled
every chamber of It's cylinder at snndry
rabbits which sprang mp along our route
Without definitely feeling the necessity
Of so dring. fully reloaded and capped
H.. When the hour for retIring arrived.
the landlord called the hoSIer-a pow
'erfuIly built, heavy featured IrlShman-
TO show me to my bed. We ascended
a ladder 70 the loft. and there, on the
6 ,or. six double beds were made down
simply straw ticks lad upon the floor.
with pillows, sherts. and cnm!orters up
on. hem. The Trishmad assigned me
the bed nearest ihA ladder and retired,
leaving me a. bit Of laIlow candle about
half an inch long.
| took has,y survey of the premises.
just across the haichway, where the lad
DIR led To the room below, was a window
III The. gable. II had a muslin curtain
over il, but this l hastily tore away. |
that the ladder creaked fear.
fully as the hostler descended il. Away
across che room, to the OH er gable end
the beds were laid IN EOws-not a sleep;
er IN them as yet notwithstanding which
this hosller had assigned me the bed
next to the. ladder. He had not left ir
my choice. but merely sci my candle
down By il aud said, Yer TO slape in
there, sur"
made up my mind rha, he meant to
Try to rob me, and the thought was any
thing but pleasant, be assured. After
definitely seIlling IN my mind the best
course TO pursue, removed my clothes,
and unbuckrng my belt. raised the un-
der sheet aud laid it neatly beneath 1t
and The pillow.
Perhaps the reader wonders why
should have removed II from around my
body. First. because a small, sharp
knife easily cuts it away while you sleep;
aud secondly. | assure the reader If ke
or she will iiy bucklrng a large leather
belt about !heIr waists for nap. 'hey
will soon see goud reasons for taking II
off. Besides. frlt pretty sure that the
man was a de>peradO. and was frarful
he would first cut away The belt if he
found i, on me-, then stab me If i stirred
and leapng down the ladder. break for
the woods with the money. ana clear es-
cape before people could he made 10 com
prehend what was the matter. laid my
plans definitely, aud wisely, as you will
see.
| did not fall asleep, you may he sure.
All the horrible stories had ever heard
related of robberIes at country laverns
ran an incOmpr.hcnslbie race through
my memory. One after another of the
guests were shown up by The hosller. as
the evening wore on, until all was silen,
below stairs.
Il was probably half past eleven o..
clock when the last passenger was shown
up 10 bed, and for more than an hour
lay tossing in wakeful anxiety. Final
ly, The <omnolrnt Influence of the dozen
sleepers snoring so heartily around me,
and The imperative demands of a tired
body overcame me- and dropped off in
TO a light. uneasy Slunlbpr. | woke with
a siarI of apprehension once or twice,
aud felt for my money belt. hut all was
right, and becoming more composed. |
slept sounder. Suddenly | was awaken
ed with sensation as If some one had
slapped me quite heavily in the face i
raised up on NY elbow. The moon had
risen iurt high enough to shine full into
The gable window, making the room quite
light. louked around; all the beds and
their occupants were visible. and | knew
by the steady sturdy snoring that all ex-
crpt myself were soundIy sleeping. I
passed my hand under my pillow The
money belt was there all right. and be-
gan .lau3h at my nervousness, and was
about TO compose myself TO sleep dgain,
when, bark by George, that ladder
creaked There it creaked again!
swear, there's a man coming spealthily
up ia What should do'flaShed through
my mind Instantly. and cooking my re
voIver. turned my back 10 the ladder
and pretended to sleep.
Creak creak and then long pause,
which seemed a perfect eternity.
Creak! creak creak then another
Pauseg ConfOund the man. why don't he
come no faster! f
Nv nerves we're passing under fear
ful OEdeAl. could scarcely refrain from