St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1868-04-17

liSHL cAeIllOll vi SlIelSSlI sWuup lnySelI
up into the darkness of the loft, from
whence, through the cracks between the
boards in the floor. could see all that
passed in the room below.
The captains first impulse was to-
ward window in the end of the room,
but this was suddenly raised from with
out, the white curtain thrust aside and a
rutfian of the same stamp with those in
side looked in with Il drunken grin. See
ing his only apparent avenue of escape
thus cut Oft, Captain Blake folded his
arms, and drawing himself up to his full
height. coolly asked: ''Well, gentlemen,
what do you propose to do now p
The whole party had evidently been
drinking freely of the fiery whisky which
was their only beverage, and while the
drunken mood did not detract from their
terocity, it in some cases produced a dew
lllsh righteousness more horrible than
their tiercest rage.
''Wcll, my jack-a-landy," said one,
who seemed to be a leader. ''the first
thing for you to do is to strip yourself OF
them fine feathers. We have use for such
toys, sometimes"
Il suppose thieving to be Il part of
yonr warfare" reIoined the captain, shut
You will at least permit these ladies to
retire before YOU subject me to this ndig-
nitv."
No, by c. replied the rutiian
Il know them too we'll 90 trust them out
pi my sight rs long as | am on the
place"
Then You shall begin your evenings
sport at the other end, and do your mur-
der first"
The widow walked quietly up, and
laying her hand ON Captain Blakes
shoulder, said in low but firm tones:
"Captain Blake, | entreat that you
will not subject yourself to any avoidablc
severity, from any regard for my sister or
myself. We have suffered too much al
ready in this hnholy strife, not TO feel
wii!in4 t" endure all things, even TO the
loss oi life, for the cause, or for the few
to whom we are dear"
With these bold words she took her
sisters hand, and the two Withdrew 10
the iarthcst corner OF the room and
throughout the whole scene which am
about to outline, with the exception OF Il
single moment. remained knecIing with
their faces toward the wall.
\ moncntary silence WAS broken hv
rude laugh from the "ucrila chief. and
coar-, .Ie,t at the hncelng posture Of the
ID Yankee saints" and then he again
addressed Captain Blake:
"S.nce you prefer. my fighting cock,
to have Us BERN AT that end. YOU shall
have you way. Jerry. 20 and bring in
a couple OF those plou-h-line> by the
door. Now twist the two together" hc
continued, AS one OF the gang returned,
after :; momcntary absence, with the de-
sired articles. land then pass the end
over one of those poles pointing to the
ceiling.
This WAS summary. indeed. and the
blood curdlcd in my veins as a burlv rut-
iian, standing on the sideboard, thrust
his hands up into my place OF temporary
conccament, and passed the end of the
rope over one of the ceiling poles, and
down through a crack in the floor
Captain BIakes face may have been a
shade paler, but he gave no other sign Of
any unusual emotion, lie quietly took
his kid gloves from his pocket, and stood
drawing them on, while before his face
the moose was being prepared for his de
structiun. | noticed with wonder, with
what nicely he drew his gloves to the
proper point, and with what scrupulous
care he settled his closely buttoned coat
about his chest. while enemies stood 81
lcntIy watching him. Even the hang
man OF the gang paused, a he rove the
moose, and glanced with a savage admi-
ration towards him, who seemed rs So
renely unconscious of their presence as if
in another world.
The scene was intensely dramatic
The candlc-light half revealed the kncel-
inc figures of the two women on one side
of the room, and on the other side, group
cd III half shadow, stood the guerrilla
leader with his band. while in strong re-
lief, nearer the middle of the room, stood
Il rough. shaggy haired figure, the half
formed moose depending from his motion
less fingers, and the impasslvc, soldierly
captain calmly smoothing out the last
wrinkles in his gloves.
The silence was broken by the partial
opening of the door and some whispered
communication to the leader, who gruff-
l., Il l,n Of, l.,
can't get out of the house, and we'll fin
ish this one first
Then, under his direction the sideboard
was dragged out of the way, small ta-
bic was placed under the moose, and Cap
tain Captain Blake required to mount it,
and stand erect as near to one edge as
was practicable without tilting, so that a
sudden tipping of the table from the 9th
cr side would cause him to fall almost as
suddenly and effectuaIly as from the
drop of regularly prepared scatiold.
All these preparations were effected in
| far less time than is taken in the telling.
Captain Blake seemed to have delibcr-
ately made up his mind that his hour tc
die had come, and TO have determined
that he would 90 out of the world with
the self-posse-sion which always charac-
terized him, nor give his foes the slight,
est opportunity to taunt him with COW,
ardice, or even weakness.
The guerrilla hangman was in the act
of pinioning his arms, when their leader
with no apparent object but to prolon2
the scene of murder, broke in with 9
fiendish sneer ''Iold on minute May
be he can give some good excuse for com,
inc down here to steal niggers. I'm il
the humor for speech"
So saving. he seized a chair and sal