The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-11-17


better return afore harm comes to YOU"
Tou are a strong man." said his oppo-
nent, "but | am SO much a stronger
that | could hold you with one arm on
yonder fire until you were as black as
your own black heart. Come, if you
have spark of courage, I'll put it now
to the test" "Couragei | fear neither
you nor the devil" 4" / will wager you
this heavy purse of French louis d'ors
against that watch and ring that BELTS
your finger so oddly, that you dare not 60
into yonder room alone and look on the
face you shall meet there" You are
a iuggler and cheat" cried Knox !;
"I'll have nothing further to say to
thee" There's my gold," said he,
throwing heavy purse on the table !;
"look at it, count it; a hundred as
bright louis as ever were coined in
France against your watch and ring not
worth the half" The eyes Of the
wrecker glistened at the bright heap.
What is the wager" he demanded.
"lf you will dare 60 into yonder room
that | will raise the form of one whom
thou wouldst most dread to see"
81 fear nothing, and believe you to
be a cheat"
"There's my gold"
"Take the wager" cried several of
Knox's friends; "well see you have
the gold"
"Done |" cried Knox, with a sort Of
desperate resolve, and he placed the
ring and the watch on the heap of louis.
" must have arms and lights y
"Take Them said the stranger, "but
before you 90 | will show you portion
of your property you have never discov-
cred. He took the ring, and touching
the inside with the point of pin, it
flew open and he discovered small
space filled with hair. TWAS not till that
moment that it was discovered that the
stranger had lost the little finger Of his
left hand. For a moment all was still
as the grave; frightful suspicion
seemed to have taken possession of
every one around that the murdered
stood before them to claim his own.
The stranger broke into a loud laugh.
What ails you all are you afraid OF Il
man without finger?n and his laughter
was louder than before.
GIL not 90 into the ROOM said Knox,
in a low, broken voice.
"Then the watch and ring are mine"
said the stranger; You have to forfeit
the wager" and he began to fill the bag
with the coin.
" It's base .juggle to rob me Of my
own" cried Knox, whose courage re-
turned as he witnessed the business-like
manner in which the stranger fingered
the money.
Keep TO your wager, man, cried
Thomas; "we'l see you rightly dealt
with. He can no more do what he says
than raise old Belzebub himself"
"Will you stand to your bargain 2
asked the stranger.
81 will, and defy you and all your
works"
He took a candle and loaded pistol
and went toward the room. If ever the
agony of life was condensed into the
short space Of few minutes it must
have been so at that moment. Rufiian
as he was, he was a pitiable object. Pale
and trembling, without even making an
effort to conceal his distress, he paused
and turned irresolute even at the TIRES
hold of the door.
Shame and avarice urged him on.
He entered the room and closed the
door. If | say that | looked on as a
calm spectator of these proceedings |
should say falsely. ! began TO grow
nervous, and was infected with the
superstitious feeling which had evident
ly taken possession of my companions.
The only unconcerned person was the
stranger, or at least he was apparently
so. He tied up the money, watch and
ring in the bag and placed them on the
table. He then took two pieces Of paper,
and wrote some characters on both; one
he handed to Thomas-it was mark ed
with the name Of gauger-the other he
kept himself. He advanced to the fire,
and, muttering few words, threw into
it small leaden packet, and retired at
the same moment to the end of the
room. The flames had hardly time to
melt the thin sheet of lead when our
ears were greeted with the most terrific
explosion that have ever in my life
heard, and it seemed as if the elements
were in unison with it, for deafening
thunder CT Ssh at the same moment
shook the house to its foundation.
Every man was thrown violently to the
ground, the chairs and tables tumbled
about, every door was burst open by the
shock, and hardly a pane of glass re-
NAMED entire. This, with the groans
Of the men and the screams of the wo-
men, completed the terrors of a scene
which, if any one could have withstood
without actual fear, he must have been
a holder man than | was. For several
minutes-at least so it appeared to me
did we lie stunned on the floor, ex-
pecting every moment the house to fall
on us in ruins. All was, however, silent
a. death, except the roaring of the
storm outside. So when the sense of
sufiocation was somewhat removed by
the fresh air forcing its way through the
open doors and windows, we ventured
to hail each other. 1t was some time,
however, before we could get light,
and then our first care was to look to
our friend in the back parlor. We found
him lying on his face, quite insensible,
and bleeding from a wound in his head,
which he must have received in falling.
We brought him INTO the large room,
and after time we procured restora-
tives. | never shall forget the wild and
CHASTITY look with which he first gazed