Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-11-05

1
prolonged, vet never dreaming of harm,
and almost oblivious of the treasure be-
tween my feet so interested had become
in watching the silent scenes of a mid
night on the streets of a large city. As
this realization Of my situation and of the
change of localities flashed into my mind,
n subtle terror possessed me aud sent the
blood like fire, through my veins. At
| that very instant the driver began to rou
/ out from his stentorian lungs the inspirit-
| ing song of Bonnie Dundee" l was
| Just thinking that that was an odd happen
ing for such a man and such place, when
crash went in the little glass window be-
hind me; a second later and seemed TO
have a thunderstorm in my head.
| The blow was an ugly one, as 1t was
doubtless meant to be- and | felt the warm
blood triekling down my neck; but l was
not stunned for longer than breath, Be
fore could move, however, even so much
as TO turn my head after it received the
terrible stroke, felt hands slide something
over my head and around my neck which
something was drawn so taut that | could
barely slip i'm my fingers between IL and
my throat to keep me from strangling
Then voice that sounded very familiar
shouted, "The moon is out y
The driver ceased his song, shouted
"whoai" to the galloping horses, jumped
from his perch, and opened the door as
my hitherto unseen assailant slammed
back the other.
With the first blow of the assassin had
instinctively kicked my little valise under
the front seat and was prepared to fight
over 1t so long as l had consciousness or
the liberty of so much as finger.
| Though it may seem egotistical, | declare
that | was not frightened but enraged,
crazy with the strength of an anger that
had no idea was part of my nature. |
seemed to consume with its fierceness.
| When my assailant opened the left door
of the carriage, the light from the lamp in
front glanced across his face and revealed
Roderick Multlgh, as, from the voice,
4 had half expected. He looked in with a
lecr of triumph on his face more devilish
than human. In second my mind re-
verted to that night when found him in
the Office, and the safe open then back
again to my treasure, hid under the seat.
Regardless of the consequences which
must inevitably follow my action, quickly
drew up my leg, and, with all the strength
at my command, sent my heavily-shod
foot full and fair into that fiendish face
Before l could recover myself, the driver
was upon me with his full weight, holding
me with the grip of giant. Then / be.
gan to shout Murder" though the cord
around my throat seemed cutting through
to the bone. Then, as if in a horrible
dream, uprose the flayed and ghastly face
of Murtagh, and in his uplifted hand
shimmered knife
LET me ut him, Jim, he hoarsely whis-
pered. None of that, Roddy, none Of
that" answered the phlegmatic Jim, in
sinuating his hand into one after another
| of my pockets. "No murder, you know
You promised me that"
"Just one slash and you may keep
everything "Apuk
"No! no tell you no murder Put ur
that broad-sword
Yet kept crying all the while, "Mur
der murderl murderl" and struggling
tenaciously for liberty. . -.
" jim hunted awhile on the bottom of tn
Y carriage, guarding himself sl1illfully agains
my kicks and finally shouted,
r Oh it, it's gone" a
!. ats in the valise !" cried Roddy.
: "That's gone. Stop his noise thi
@ isn't slaughter house."
| "Tll make it one," was the savage an
: swer, as he leaned into the carriage will
r upraised arm.
n "Steady, Roddy" and Jim locke,
q through the back window. Course IN,
a luck there comes q carriage. The horse
!, are on the keen run, and there's star OF
the front seat. They're after us "-ant
q he backed out Of the vehicle, and begai
n to run across the prairie as fast as he coult
4 go.
Roddy did not seem at all frightened a
9 this news. He put one hsnd on my shoul
= der. "With my compliments" he whis
" pered Then felt the knife cut througl
|, clothes and flesh, and / grew deathly sicl
! with the wound And the knife descend
n ed, and another spasm of unutterabl
!, agony ran over me. Apparently satisfies
i with his work, the ruf1ian leaped from tn
= steps, and followed his companion q
- quickly as possible. rs -F s-- ~ r.-r,7
q One, two, three shots in quick succe.
q sion from the approaching carriage, On
. of our horses utters prolonged cry c
!, pain, kicks furiously for a second, the
4 they both bound madly forward at righ
!. angles to the course of the other hacl
|. which follows in pursuit of Jim and Roc
= dy.
y Now steals over me feeling of swee
a relief a sense of bliss, of resignation, {
:, utter carelessness as to life or death. ]
- ~ this feeling the ecstacy of death, wonder
~ The warm blood bathes my body, anC
IL growing weaker and weaker as the ruI
,s away steeds fly along the ground, bumI
To- ing the hack against hummock afte
- hummock, pass into Inconsistencies
y At times my eyes open and for "a minut
- or more | am able to recall the events {
is the night. ,Vainly at such periods do
~ struggle to loosen the cord around m
/, throat. 1t has worn and chafed into th
.n flesh, and each tremor of the coach
n keen torture. At last, after repeated c
forts, become conscious that it is fastene
outside, and so by degrees, am able I
get out my knife, and saw and cut unit
N the strands are severed, and fall forwar
y upon the seat-at rest. OF how long tn
horses ran, or when or where or how the
N stopped, / have no knowledge. In m
~ y, moments of consciousness | realized thu
n they were in motion their speed coul
N not judge. s. xE fr.EH
~ At dawn I came back again to realit,
and found that | was lying upon the bO
NJ tom of the carriage, and that the anima
3 seemed to be browsing on the grass, scare
10 ly moving.
At once / recalled the events of IL
a night My wounds-whether severe
not could not tell-had stopped bleedin
rs because, lying as | did, my clothing ha
as pressed upon them and acted as sort
4 bandage. did not care for them so Ion
le as had preserved the treasures oOnfld6
is to me. / emulatcd all faithful servaE
ed who had suffered in defense of such trust
v, put my hand under the seats, one aft,
n the other. 2l t
he My Odlise ioaS lost.
n. 1t was inexplicable-its disappearance.
OF for Jim had declared, / remembered, tn
n. he could not find it, When this loss b
~ came certain to me, the tears came, al
10 for a long time / wept Ike child-cri'
Is until the pain of my wounds made n
al ashamed of my weakness Then bega
es 10 plan what TO do in this emergency.
VI could not move, | YVES so weak In fact
sd did not dare to make any attempt
ne change even my position, uncomfortab
re as It was. l could only wait for help
rs come tome. yAh but where was ~ III
I'd place was silent as a cemetery, save for d
~ songs of birds. Evidently the city HI