Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-10-31
WHOLE NO. 1879

scarcely any noise in the setting down.
Just at this moment, when all my
senses were concentrated in the one
act of listening, Bergheim stirred for
the first time, and began muttering.
"The Man !" he said, in a low, sup
pressed tone. "The man under the
hearth y
flew tohim at the first sound Of his
voice. lie was recovering Heaven
be thanked, he was recovering! In
few minutes we should be two-twO
against two-right and might on our
side-both ready for the defense of our
lives.
"One man under the hearth" he
went on, in the same unnatural tone.
"Four men at the bottom Of the pond
all murdered-fouly y murdered!
had scarcely needed his first words
but now, us the sense broke upon me,
chat Great rush of eXultation and thank
fuIlness was suddenly arrested. Ny
heart stood still; ! trembled | turned
cold with terror.
Then the veins swelled ON his fore
head; his face become purple and he
struck out blindly, as one oppressed
with some horrible nightmare,
"Blood" he gasped Everywhere
Iblood-don't 'ttouch it. Gods vengeance
help :!
And so, struggling violently in my
arms, he opened his eyes, stared Wild
Iy round, and made an. effort to get up
on his feet
"What is the matter?' he said, sink
ing back again and trembling from
hand to foot. "Was | asleep?'
rubbed his hands and forehead
again with beer. tasted it, and find
ing no i'll favour upon it, put a tiny
drop to his lips.
"You are all right now,' | said.
you. were very tired, and you fell
asleep after supper. Don't you remem-
Der o.
He put his hand to his head 'Ah,
YES" he said, 81 remember | have
been dreaming"
He looked around the room in be-
wiIdered way; then, struck all at once
by the strange disorder Of the furni
ture, asked what was the matter.
told him in the eleast alarming way,
and with the fcWest words | could mus
ter; but before | could get to the end
OF my explanation he was up, ready
for resistance, and apparently himself
again
"Where are they?" he said. what
are the doing now? Outside, do you
say? Why,sgood heavens! man, they
are blocking us in. Listen!-don't
YOU hear Pit is the rusting Of straw.
Bring the blunderbu,s! quick! to the
window -. God grant we are
not too late !!
We both rushed to the window;
Bergheim to undo the shutter, and |
to shoot down the first man in sight.
"Look there! he said, and pointed
TO the door.
A thin stream of smoke was oozing
under the threshold and stealing up,
ward in tilmy cloud that already dim,
med the atmosphere of the room.
They are going to burn us out!
| exclaimed.
mo, they are going to burn us
alive" replied Bergheim, between his
cenched teeth.
1--WE know too much, and they are
determined to silence us at all costs,
though they burn the down over
our heads. Now hold your breath, for
| am going to open the window, and
the smoke will rush in like torrent.
He opened it, but very little came in
for tis reason, that the outside was
densly blocked with straw, which had
not yet ignited.
In moment we had dragged the
table under the window-put our
weapons aside, ready for use-and set
to work to cut our way out.
Bergheim, standing on the table,
wrenched away the straw in great arm
fuls. caught it, and hurled it into
the middle of the room. We laboured
at the work like giants. In few mo-
ments the pile had mounted to the
heighth of the table. Then Bergheim
cried out that the straw under his shands
was taking fire, and that he dared
throw it back into the room no longer!
sprang to his aid with two hatch
cts. | gave him one-I fell to work
with the other The smoke and flame
rushed in our faces, as we heweddOwn
the burning straw.
Meanwhile. the room behind us was
full of smoke, and above the noise of
our frantic labor we heard mighty
cracking and Kissing, as OF great
confagration.
"Take the blunderbuss - quick !"
cried Bergheim, hoarsely. "There is
nothing but smoke outside now, and
burning straw below. Follow me!
Jump as far out as you can, and shoot
the first you i!
And with this he leaped out into the
dark and was gone.
I only waited to grope out the blum
derbuss then, holding it high above
my head, l shut my eyes and sprang
after him, clearing The worst of the
fire and falling on my hands and knees
among heap of smouldering straw
and ashes beyond. At the same in
stant l touched the ground, | head
the sharp crack of rife and saw two
figures rush past me.