The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-03-04

cliff which overhung the beach, The
moaning of the wind, the low, sullen
roar of the surf, and the elaDk of the
chains, were sufficient to inspire dread
in ths,boldest heart. SA
quite unaffected by any superstitious
terrOEs. He quietly dismOunted, flung
the hofse's bride over his arm, drew his
cloak about him, and waited,
For about an hour he waited patiently,
Keeping a wary look about him, so as
not TO be surprssed in that gloom. The
light, however, was sufficient to prevent
any one from coming near unObserved,
and the watcher felt satisfied so long as
be had his pistols at his belt.
AT length he felt conscious of low
moau, which was entirely diHerent from
any OF the sounds which chad hitherto
heard.
Il seemed to arise from the ground
behind him. It was moan of peculiar
nature and OF penetrating power.
The watcher grasped his pistol and
turned toward the direction from which
the sound came. IXfIfE pg4I4
Then followed a heavy sigh. He
waited. Then came deep groan. A
sgIls q soptempt passed over the E"seh-
every clumsy trickery," he thought.
''If had the management of it, 1 would
act diGerenfly.p 92 H3gyx .Eirafa #8I
Suddenly there was a grating over
head. He looked up. The Skeletons in
chains were, descending. They were
moving down slowly. As they descend
ed they swung in the wiRds and were.
knocked together aud dashed against the
gallows-tree. Still they were suspend
ed, and were not coming down without
a nS-su - 20
The watcher stepped back and coolly
waited, with a grim smile on his face.
The skeletons came down slowly, till
ut last they touched the ground. The
watcher coolly took one of them and
gave q violent pull. 1t fell down, drag
ging q rope after it, which creaked as it
ran through q pulley overhead. The
watcher pulled away at it, and dragged
down . line which was at least hun
dred feet in length. Meantime the 9TH
er skeletons kept rising and falling. He
caught one of them with the same PEE
cnliar jerk, and pulled the rope in the
same way. Suddenly the other skeleton
began to ascend.
"No, no, my fine fellow" muttered
the watcher, catching the chains of its
feet before it got out of reach, and pull
ing with all his force, 1t was o sudden
and violent pull and the skeleton yield
ed. Down It fell, along with the watch
er, who fell with it to the ground. But
in moment he arose, and, with an au-
dible chnckEe, he pulled this rope down
also.
Then he stood waiting cautiously as
before. Some time now passed, during
which nothing was seen or heard. The
skeletons lay around on the heath. The
watcher waited. -@E.sss.s az.
AT last a bright light flashed up from
the ground about twenty yards in front
of him. 1t was close by the edge of the
cliff, and looked like a crevice. In the
midst of the light three figures appear
ed, each wrapped in a long white sheet.
| This spectacle, however, inspired no
terror in the watcher, who held his pis-
tolls in his hands, and waited.
The three figures, with low groans,
marched slowly up toward the gibbet.
The watcher moved to one side. Sud-
denly, as they came near, they made a
rush at him. He fired. One of them
| dropped.
| Instantly he sprang toward the open
| ing from which they emerged, and
pulling out q boatswain's whistle, he
blew three times 8 shrin, penetrating
blast. Il was quickly done, and then
he waited with his pistols extended.
Two out of the three figures stood
mOtionless, close by the one who had
fallen. Groans of pain came from the
fallen figure.
But now other figures appeared upon
the scene. AT the sound of the shrill
whistle, six or eight men, all GFmed,
sprang up from behind q hillock, where
they had lain in concealment, and rush
ed up to the two figures. In moment
they had surrounded them and seized
them. The watcher then advanced to-
| ward them. IA ..,--...,,....
1 "Who's this fellow ~ said he, stoop-
ing over the wounded man, and tearing
away the sheet with which he was en-
veloped. "Ah, ha! my fne fellow"
said he otis you, is it? So you've lost
your bet"
| It was the man with whom he had
made the bet. He gave deep groan.
L The watcher then tore away the sheets
from the others. One was Brown-the
man that held the atakess the other was
one of the company who had been at
the inn. IS y
ann going down there into your
place. So lead on" said he.
"Who are ron," cried Brown, savage
ly, "seizing and shooting innocent per-
sons ike highwayman p =.
well, if you want to know, I'm Cap.
tain SineisiE . United Ststes Custom
house ofiicef. You were playful enough
to bet with me, ands4 think I've won it
But come, he rcontinued, sternly, ttI'vs
SUSPECTED that you were up to mischie1
here. i only,cam here yesterday. Ny
predecessor could never trace the ex-
tensive smuggling operations that went
: on just aboNt here but drought tina
perhapsSthe gibbet had somethiHg to dc
with It. You seeSI have c4ught you"
II Brown utter6A Something between 6
curse and an enteeety.
"Tie his hands, Nlads. Tie mp both O
them"
| The men obeyed.s
, "Now two of you fellows stay here
Has anybody got lantern 2"
Il One OF the men handed one to him.
He Lighted 1T and then descended b.
the orffice through which the three fig
! urcs had emerged.
; After a short distance, he found him
self In passage-way which went dow
on the side of q cliff that had been sew
, cred in twain. The path sloped steepl,
l for a hundred yards or SO, and ended il
cavern. Here there were barrels an,
boxes in great numbers, all filed wit
contraband articles The cavern itsel
was just underneath the gibbet. 1t wa
evident that these smugglers had mad
use of the gibbet to brighten peopl
away from their haunt.
< An examination afterward shove
that these three men alone had conduct
I ed a vast smuggling business by mean
=, of this convenient cavern. They ha
Il been completely entrapped by Capital
Sinclair. AS he said, he had suspecte
some trickery about the gibbet. II
had made the. bet, and caused some 9
$ his men to follow and conceal them
selves. The result was as has heen do
I scribed. The three smugglers foun
themselves suddenly cast down frol
z their dreams of wealth, and on thei
o way to the State Prison. As for Car
tain Sinclair, his brilliant exploit W.
e rewarded with promotion. s--ss'.i
$ ''e 49,. = srTuATIoN OPEN. 8 q.