The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1870-10-25

er. She did as he requested and left the
saloon. The night was dark and the
streets quite deserted-she thought as
she passed a policeman that she would
tell him her whole story but the idea of
her being hunted through life filed her
with such terror, she could not bring her
mind to do it, and went by him bearing
her heavy secret. She could not bear
the idea Of going home and leaving me to
what she considered DEATH | suppose
the poor creature imagined that she
would see the record of my murder in all
the morning papers and the weekly SEN
sation press would have full page pictures
representing the scene and its surround
ings Thinking to herself about murder
it struck her most forcibly that should
she not warn me she would be as much
guilty Of my death as if she had killed
me herself This altered her entire con-
duct aud she retraced her steps resolved
at any peril to aid me- After she had
left the saloon | threw down the paper
| was reading and went to clear off the
remains Of Bessie's supper. AS did so
| heard a heavy breathing, more like
some animal than a human creature, and
thinking it to be some strayed dog | lift
cd the table covering aud should have
whistled, had | not perceived the same
fierce looking being who had given Bessie
so much alarm. wasn't one OF your
timorous people, and called out in no
gentle tone; "What do you want under
there 2"
A gruT growl, and pistol levelled at
my head, was the answer I received.
stared at the rufian as he emerged from
his concealment. To act, / could not,
with that pistol, which a motion Of mine
would cause a bullet to crash through my
brain, pointing at me.
d" | know you've got five hundred dol
lars in that drawer, and that amount I'm
bound to have, by fair means or foul
| You had best make no resistance, or it
will be worse for you if you do I've
lived in Mexico, and yours wouldn't be
the first brains I've scattered around,
spoke the ruf1ian in voice that was by
no means a pleasant one.
Now | have ever found in this life
and have had no experience as to the
next,-that man, as a general thing, is
most tenacious Of life, and is willing tc
sacrifice a great deal to hold on to it
l decidedly did not like the idea of being
shot, yet | saw no way in which I could
get out Of my dilemma The little time
| had to reflect, 1 thought that should
the ruf1ian kill me, he could still obtain
what he was in quest of: so / answered
him in the following manner:
You are rather poor judge of char
acter, if you suppose [ am willing t(
give up my masters property without a
struggle. You are armed with a pisto
and am not, so the contest will be un
equal, but my arms are strong and viii
cling to you like vice"
Foolish boy" he cried, do you think
such STRIPPING as you are can harm me
[ don't want to waste my powder OF
such weak headed fool as you are, Sc
you had better surrender the money al
once"
That sentence proved to me that how
ever desperate Une man mlSnC De ne was
a coward, else he would have acted more
or talked less.
Never will | surrender what has
been entrusted to my care. l can die
but will not give up that money with
out struggle"
had learned that speech at one of thu
theatres but had scarcely uttered the
word struggle ere | saw the villain fire
his pistol, but he was not too quick fol
me, as | thrust my hand under it anC
caused the bullet to find lodgment il
the ceiling instead of being buried in
my heart, as was his intention.
have seen Forrest as Macbeth, anC
Booth as Othello, but neither of these
actors ever expressed in their counte
nances such a look of devilish rage as die
my assailant He seemed to be mad SC
fearfully did he throw himself upon me-
was accounted good. wrestler, but
had never before encountered so power
full an antagonist.
There we struggled, until one we'll di
rected blow aimed by my fist, landed fair
l., 90, L.. 4o.o~Io la -, I;,,,x IL I