The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-04-29

open and discovered small space filled
with hair. 1t was not till that moment
that it was discovered that the stranger
had lost the little finger of his left hand.
For momen; all was still as the grave.
a frightful suspicion seemed to have taken
possession of every one around ;hat the
murdered man stood before them 10 claim
| his own. The stranger broke into loud
laugh. "What ails you all, are YOU
afraid of man without a finger 2" and
his laughter was louder than before.
''l'll not 60 into the room," said Knox,
IN low, broken voice.
| Then the watch and ring are mine"
said The stranger ''you have to forfeit
the wager" md he began TO fill the bag
with the coin,
sits base juggle to rob me of my
own," cried Knox, whose courage return
ed as he witnessed the business like man
ner in which the stranger fingered the
money.
keep TO your wager, man." cried
Thomas, swell see you rightly dealt
with. He can no more do what he says
than raise old Beelzebub himself"
"Will you stand to your bargain p
asked the stranger.
81 will, and defy you and all your
works" He took candle and loaded
pistol and went toward the room. If
ever the agony of life was condensed into
the short space of few minutes, il must
have been so at that moment. RGfIian as
be 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 threshold
Of the door.
Shame and ava,ice urged him on. He
entered the room and closed the door If
| say that looked on as a calm specta-
tor of these proceedings, | should say
falsely. l began to grow nervous, and
was infected with the superstitious feeling
which had evidently taken possession of
my companions.
The only unconccrned 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
be handed to Thomas-it was marked
with the name of the guager-tbe other
he kept himself. He advanced 10 the
fire, and, muttering a few words, threw
into it a 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 lead, when our ears
were greeted with the most terrific explo-
sion that l have ever in my life heard,
and it seemed as if the elements were in
unison with it, for deafening thunder
crash at the same moment SHOOK the
house to its foundation. Every man was ,
thrown violently to the ground, the chairs
ard tables tumbled about, every door was
burst open by The shock, and hardly a
pane Of glass remained entire. This, with
the groans of the men and the screams of /
the women, completed the terrors of a
scene which, if any one could have with
stood without actual fear, he must have
been a bolder man than / was. For sew
eral minutes-at least SO it appeared 10
me-did we lie stunned on the floor, ex-
pecting every moment 1be house To fall
over US in ruins. All was, however, si-
lent as death, except the roaring Of the
storm outside. So, that when the sense
of suffUcation was somewhat removed by
the fresh air forcing itself through the
open doors and windows, we veDtured TO
hail each other. 1t was some time, how
ever, before we could get a light, and
then our first care was to hook to oar
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 restoratiYes
never shall forget the wild and ghasily
look with which he first gazed around
him He looked as though seeking some
horrid object. 'It's gone,' he cried, I
"thank God what a horrld night
who saw it p Saw what-who o. I
asked Thomas. s'Just as bloody and !
ghastly as when pitched him down the |.
shaft" cried he, incoherently- Hush, |
hush, said Thomas ''you don't know
what you are talking about"
"Wbo says murdered him ? who says
got his money He's liar, l say,
liar! His money is sunk with him -
Let 'em hang me /; I'm innocent; they
can't prove it, 1t became too distress
irg, fortunately, for the feelings of all :
the unhappy man, or, rather, now, the
maniac, relapsed into insensibility, and
in that state was conveyed home.
1t was not till then that we thought of
the stranger. No trace Of him could be |
found. The money, ring, and watch had !
disappeared, Strange were the runlors !
abroad the next day. Some men going
very early to work swore they saw
horseman flying over the moors, crossing |
shafts and pits without once staying to |
pick his way. 1t could have been no
human horseman nor steed that could /
have sped on such a wild career. There I
was another report, which accounted for /
the appearance and disappearance of the