St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-07-28
VOLUME 81 NUMBER 1774.

in Il lew moments put my plan into cx-
erution. y glance quick as Lightning,
showed me that the key of the door was
on the outside.
My listening expression did not escape
the sharp and practiced eye of my grim
visitor 1t was 4 curious scene, no doubt:
|, sitting in my bed in my nightclotheS,
unarmed, and this stalwart rutlian, pis-
tol in land, glaring half suspiciously,
half tcrociously at me, and almost in
the crouching attire Of tiger about 10
Spring upon lis prey. But there sat,
coolly conNcrsing with him, the necessity
for the moment keeping my wits too wide
awake to allow my fears to Get the up
per hand for IN instant.
"W hat are You listening to-" asked
the burglar.
Il thought | heard Il cry Of fire"
There was another pause only for an
instant, and in the dead Of the night,
heard the steady tramp Of the policeman.
II was some distance OFT
You will tind,' Isaid, ''somc clothes
Of nine in the prcss-thcy will, how
ever, bc too small for you. Good night
the key; are in that middle drawer"
lie turned to the drawer indicated, and
~ he Gil ~, with one tremendous bound,
| cleared the space between my bed and
the door, Slammed the door, and locked
it upon hlm. Ohliviou7 Of my dishablIc
| spran1 to the steps. had two flights
to dcsc,ul and the door to open, before
| could reach the yard, but it was hard
ly possible tur him 10 descend the ladder
more quickly. Boun,ling rather than
running down the stairs, | tlung the bolt
and dashed into the yard. He was half
way down the ladder. Shouting '.Po.
lice ~ Justify, | seized the ladder at the
bottom, anl using all my power, brought
it AMI the burglar TO the ground with ii
crash. The pistol he held in his hand
fell from his Grasp. | made dash for
it, and he, springlng TO his feet like Il
cat, rushed At me, and rs | stopped seized
me by the napc of the neck. turned
the pistol upward, and pulled the trigger
1t merely Snapped-thcre were no more
charges in it With a terrible oath, the
palll'i NIisNIil NltICuC'I lIle weapon lOHl
my grasp, aud raised it aloft to deal Inc
what might have proved fatal blow.
when there was rush behind him and
lie was fellcd 10 the ground The po-
liccman had heard my shout, and was
lu>t in time to rescue me.
The burglar was soon secured ard,
in my excitement, | was about to relate
the story Lave here told, when the po-
liccman, with a smile, suggested that |
might ''kclcl cold in them clothes" |
then remembered, for the first time since
had sprung from my bed, that | was
>hoel.~, and stockinglesS, and had moth
img on but my night-shiri, and beat a
hasty retreat. With long drawn
breath, | took my fine gold repeater,
which had such 4 narrow escape, and
z"ns not at tl.o "nt"Ln."l.o-'S afto" all,
from under my pillow, looked at the
hour, turned in, and after 4 little while
fell asleep.
1t is almost needless 10 add that the
above story, narrated aftcrward to
jury, when | was in better trim for
story telling than | was when the police
man interrupted me, had the effect of Civ
inc my visitor lodgings in public insti-
tuition and secured me from 4 repetition
Of this call for ut least ten years.