The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1867-12-13

| NESS vi lIDSS ulDDu DtdlllS. lHGIf
seemed to be something supernatural
in it all, aud lay in my bed gazing
with wide open eyes, now at the daz-
zling brightness of the moon-lghted
snow, and then at the familiar objects
in myroom all seeming strange, unnat-
ural and weird.
Suddenly mnrmuring like human
voice sounded in the ,..,ll just outside
of my door, and then my ear detected
soft footballs rs If made by stockingcd
feet. With every faculty intensified a
hundred fold, watched and listened.
| had fixed my eyes on the door, which
| could have sworn was both locked
and bolted, when II noiselessly opened,
meeting with no resistance from bolt or
bar, and two men entered the room.
The first | recognized Immediately as
the suspected thief Of room No. -, the
other was stranger. No attempt was
made at concealment by either of them.
Both wore fur caps but these were rath-
er pushed back from the forehead, than
pulled forward and evinced no desire
on their parts to prevent recognition.
The door was shut as noiselcssly as it
had been opened and the men stood by
the bedside whispering softly, so softly
indeed that, although my hearing was
doubly acute, | could not distinguish
what was said
After what seemed to be minutes, but
was probably seconds, the man whom
knew, and whom | may as well call
c., for distinction, seized me by the
left arm and with strong quick jerk
landed me in the middle of the room.
His companion suddenly sprang forward
and grasped his arm, and as Iny eyes
instinctivcly followed the motion | saw
to my horror that his hand held "A large
heavy handled bowie knife. 4 slight
struggle took place but was conducted
without noise. Even at the time, was
struck with the fact that their footsteps
! seemed to cause no sound, whilst / could
; distinctly hear the patter Of my naked
feet AS | moved my position to avoid
them in their struggle. This appeared
: all the more strange, because had de-
tected their foot steps before they en-
tered the oom. At length c. desis-
} ted from his efforts to wrench his arm
e from his companions grasp and asked
In q sharp quick voice, which did not
= s9cm to convey any sound beyond the
. cars OF his companion and myself,"why
| should not ," "Don't make fool Of
/ yourself" said the other grufiiy, "hav-
:, emit you trouble enough on your hand,
G now, or do you want to swing for ii ? II
+ YOU must do it wait till we get through
h at any late.n To this G - made NJ
d response but walking up to me, pushed
G me lorcihly lownon "A chair which stoot
e by the window, saying, as he passed hi
Il dangerous looking knife before my eye
y "Sit there with an OATH till we &c
through and then III cut your throat II
A sure nS my name is c.
d The night as have said before wa
= intensely cold, so cold that the waite
e frozc solid to the very bottom Of IN,
# water pitcher, and / was sitting in thi
II bitter air In my night-shirt, and wit
- my bare feet on the floor. remembo
t, to have read, that men placed i'll posi-
q tions of peril, in the face Of death as
q were, often have to pass in review tn
= actions of their lives III Il moment {
10 time, from the earliest hours Of child
A hood until that which seem. To ther
IL the last of their existence. Such Il panO
i. rama of life passed before me- Incident
a of my boyhood long since forgotten AN
,. which at this day cannot even rccal
70 were visibly presented by my memor!
1f ! thought of all the misdeeda and short
II comings of my life, and singulari
rs enough Of all my pleasures. Shar
:. tWngos Of regret ! had ~ we'll, am
h bitterly thnught OF ia" ignomini"u
II death awaiting me. | thought of IA
m my looked for pleasures, my nnticlpi
1t tions Of worldly success, my good l'
r. solves, my separation from lovin
l. friends and family, and then | picture
t. the CONSERVATION and dismay of min
g. portly host and his joviul guests, whol
H. had left in such lihe spirits but a f"
10 hours since, when in the morning The
" would find ghaStly corpse with "thi
le across his throat that they would hare
Sc ly care to see,' | dared not call Il
help, knowing that before any one coul
-. reach M the decd would be cOnsumm
- ted. and had no desire to hasten N
,, fate even though ii seemed ineVltabi
~ Strange to say, during ull this time !
l., feeling of fear crossed me, sense
=; wonder and Of regret for leaving cart
- by the daetardly hand Of Il cut-thro
w. and thief, was all felt. In fact 50 Ii
"d lie was personal tear present with II
- that when C. approached me ON
~ and, as if 10 try my nerve, drew Il
~ back of his knife across my throat
!, did moi even shrink, although the tou'
~. Of the cold steel was like that Of 4
hn hand Of Death.
,,- II must not bc understood that viii
nd was reviewing my life, ! had let II
,.- attention wander. On the contrary, II
or razc was fxed upon the men as If Il
,os cinated and followed their every actlu
zen They hal opened my trunk and
So ken therefrom such things rs they d
his sired, and had even opened bundle
am private papers and seemed to be loo
pi- ing among them for something of i
n portancc. My clothes which hung o'
vas the back of chair We're not molest
ne. although my watch and pocket be
led were in them. At length they clo'
to the trunk, rolled the articles they /
ose taken into Il bundles and turned towa
[ | me. Then perceived for the first ii
ing that they both had knives in tn
ad. hands, the knives were exactly ali
the both had horn handles and were br'
| bladed and heavy, as bowie knives
,lk- ways are. As they approached N