The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-11-25

cipal streets, ,he applied the Iatcb-FeV
and let us into a plesssnt.lookin.
room on the second door, Ia study
thought it, hung about with qooC
paintings and elegant chromos' anG
lined with books Of every name.
"Take a seat, Doctor; win ster
out a moment. Take this chair b.
the fire; it's a bitter cold night"
The chair was a great unWieldy
thing, but exceedingly comfortable
l threw my feet upon the fen
der, and leaned back upon the cush.
ion, very well satisfied to warm q
little before seeing the patient.
heard the man approach the door,
which was directly back of where l
sIe and heard the door open and
close sgain. supposed he bad
gone out again, but did not look
around 10 see. Indeed I had no
I'ine, Ior stout cord was thrown
over my wrists and around INV bresst
and handkerchief bound oyar NV
mouth so quickly that I could not
prevent it.
When | was perfectly secure nv
conductor stepped in front Of me and
looked with much interest at nv
vain efforts to free myself.
"Good stout cord, isn't it," he
asked. at has never been broken.
and many a stouter man than you
has tried it. There now, be quiet
awhile and 1 will tell you what I
want of you"
He went to a cabinet that stood in
the corner Of the room, and taking
long, wicked-looking knife from one
OF the drawers, ran his thumb over
the edge and felt the point, all the
time talking in the most common
place manner imaginable.
81 have studied the art of guessing
for years" he said. 81 can guess
anything; thai is my guessing-chair
that you are sitting in now, and
take great pleasure in imparting nv
knowledge to others. That is what
l want Of you tonight. I did in
tend to make you guess that, but I
have thought of something much
better"
He had become saticfed with the
edge and point of the knife, and
pacing up and down the room, Civ
ing me full history of the world,
interpersed with facts relative to the
art Of guessing, at which times he
always stopped in front of me.
''Did you ever study it, Doctor?
l know you haven't. l am the only
one that ever reduced it to a science.
l have devoted my whole time to it;
and now l am about to initiate you
into its mysteries if you are worthy"
He was standing before me so very
calm, that l did not think be intend
ed to harm me; but when l looked
into his eyes, buring with the fire Of
insanity, / felt that my situation was
desperate indeed.
81 must test YOU" he said. "I
must see whether you are naturally
gifted or not before I waste much
time on you. i'll remove the hand
kerchief viii you anwser my ques-
tionsY
l nodded in the affirmative and he
removed it.
"Now, my dear Doctor, you are an
entire stranger to me. Without
doubt you have often heard Of me,
but it will be hard tax to distin.
guish my name from all other great
men of the time. You guess It,
Doctor What is itY''
He had brought his face so near
to me that I could feel the hot
breath. and 1 fancied I could feel the
heat Of those terrible eyes. The
long, keen blade he was holding over
me-for what? To take my life if I
failed.
"Gaess! guessr he screamed. If
you fail it will be your last guess in
this world"
l dared not cry out; the knife was
too near. l could not escape, for
the strong cords bound me to a
chair / could not lift, and could lie
there and lose my life. What else
could I do?
at is a very hard guess, and I viii
give you three minutes to answer itn
he said,
I summoned all my courage
which had never yet failed me even
in the awful hour Of battle-and
looking him steadily in the eye, saids
Il know you, sir; so where is the
use of guessing? ] have seen you on
the battlefield marshaling your hosts
to victory. l have seen you cut
down a score of men with one single
blow. I have seen you put to flight
a whole battalion. l know YOU
your name is in my mouth"
/ remembered what he said about
leaving his veterans, and had tried
this harrangue to divert his atten-
ton. l paused to mark the effect.
"YesLyes, Doctor! But what is
it? Thirty seeondsm he exclaimed
again.
Great Godl What would 1 not
have given for clue to that mad
mans fancy! Thirty seconds, and
how short q second is? The knife
was raised higher, that it might gain
by the distance. His
body was braced for the stroke, and
his eye upon the mark.
"Ten seconds more! What is itg'
There was one hope left me, and
that was to guess. 1 felt that he
considered himself some great man.
[ thought of our own heroes, and the
names of many Of them were upon
ny lips, but I dared not utter them.
t was the greatest chance game I
'ver had played-my life depended
lpon the guessing of a name. I
hought of all the European Gener-
Is, but cast them aside again, and
anne back to our side of the water
gain.
1.-TWO seconds more! What it ity'
Without thought, almost with
'ut a volition, 1 spoke a name,
,reathing a prayer that it might be
he right one:
Napoleon Bonsparte!'
"Right," said the msdman, throw
0U oci1e bio E,s6o 81 ,,,1.s,,,. Al