Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1869-03-25

were not lHOleSIed, alGnOugn DOCn
my watch and pocket book were in
them. The thieves having at length
concluded their search, closed the
trunk, rolled the articles which they
had appropriated into bundle, and
turned towards me. Then 1 per-
eeived for the first time that both
had knives in their hands. These
were alike; horn-handled, broad
bladed and heavy, as genuine bowies
always are. AS they approached
me, looked them both fairly in the
face, never fiinching ormoving until
they came near enough to touch me.
Then l felt that my feet were cold,
and drew them up ON the round. of
the chair. The singularity of this
proceeding seemed to astonish them,
as they stopped and gazed inquir-
ingly into each others faces. That
a man with death staring him in the
face, should feel bodily inconven-
ience of so trivial nature, appear
ed to them unaccountable. And SO
it was to myself!
At length Clarke turned away
from his companion, who had been
opposed to numbering me from the
beginning, and said to me:
'Scoundrel I swore 1 would
kill you, and I'm going to keep my
word"
made no reply, but thought how
perfectly now understood the ac-
ton of malefactors who had perish
ed on the scaffold; men who yielded
up their lives as if they did not care
for them; who looked down on the
multitude of spectators unmoved,
and then stepped on the fatal drop
with smile upon their faces ''dy-
ing game as they call it.
I understood it all then. Death,
more merciful than man who pun
ished them, had blunted all their
sensibilities, and made his awful ap-
proach seem unreal
All this passed through my
thoughts in a moment of time 1t
ended as Clarke stepped forward,
grasped me by the hair, and bent
my head back, so that caught one
last glimpse of the peaceful scene
without-the white snow and the
silvery moonlight. AS be raised
his knife to i1fiict the fatal stroke,
a sudden noise, like the swinging of
a door, caused him to start and
relinquish his grasp of my hair.
The noise was followed by mans
heavy footsteps, and the half audible
humming of tune. At this Clarke's
companion grasped the murderer's
arm and Kissed through his teeth:
"Quick! for Gods sake come
away, or we'll be too late 1'
Without waiting for reply he
dragged the would-be assassin
through the door. Never had ]
seen the human face divine SO
frightfully distorted by evil passions
as was Clarke's at that moment.
Baffled revenge, rage, and malice
had given it an aspect truly demon
) iacal. For the first and only time
during this horrible ordeal, shud-
der Of fear and disgust came over
me; but passed as quickly as it came,
whilst ! watched with intensest
interest the movements of the
thieves. The door opened as if on
oiled hinges, and the men slipped
i silently out.
I listened for their departing
footsteps, but heard no sound.
Then with a gasp of relief, my life
|, came back to me. A loud noise in
the room below, and fash of light
in my eyes broke the spell; and I
; -awoke-that is the word-awoke
: The suns first rays were streaming
l through the window upon my face.
The whole thing had been a dream
My first impulse was to spring
from my bed, and examine the
| fastenings ofthe door. They were
untouched. Then [ looked into the
, mirror to see I do not mind telling
; it now) whether my hair had turned
, gray from the nights long agony ::
and it was with senseof the most
agreeable disappointment that I
| saw it to be still of its pristine hue.
: The unromantic and eminently
: practical cause of all this misery
, was, undoubtedly, a hearty supper
: eaten just before retiring, when my
brain, acted upon by an oppressed
and disordered stomach, created,
: and nearly carried to a tragical con-
, clusion, this imaginary and exag
) gerated fulfiIlment of Clarke s
: threats.
!, I have never known of any
dream, either from experience or
report, which presented so yividly Il
scene which might well have hap
pened in real life. There is no
doubt in my mind that the agony
which I endured was as genuine in
its effects, as if I had been awake
and actually suffering the horrors of
apparently inevitable death.
Days elapsed before l quite re.
covered from the effects of this
/ most hideous nightmare; and it is
: probable that it will remain, more or
} less, distressing souvenir through
: out all my life On,vard.
WE arc informed by some of our
farmer friends, that the wheat
throughout our county has never
, made a better appearance than at
the present time, and that unless
coo,o ,,p6uo infIuopaa rat prayaIIS