The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1872-11-08

\ y
the habit of taking in strangers, he
said; Didn't encourage it; left it to
licensed hotels still he was willing
to do a friend 4 fivor, especially sttch
friend as the sutler; and 1t was set
tied that we should have supper and
beds.
After eating what the landlord de-
nominated u cold snack. and drink
| ing a cup of the rankest. bitterest and
/ vilest tea ever encountered, was
| shown Up to my room. leaving Mr..
| Simpson and the host In q close con-
versation over bowl of bot Scotch
punch. and the warlike sergeant with
the bleared eyes. In delightful dreams,
! if one might judge Of their nature by
/ bis mellifuonS Snorings.
The room assigned me was n com
FORTRESS place enough and devoid of
carpet or furniture save baekless
chairs a waShbowl and pitcher. and a
triangular fragment Of q broken mir
| ror fastened tx the easement by two
pins; but al | listened to the angry
/ roar of tile tempest without, | was
| thankful for the shelter,
went to bed, bnt from some cause
I which must leave psychologists to
explain, could not sleep. was
| fearfnlly weary and drowsy, still sleep
would not embrace me. Some spon-
taneity Of perception foreshadowed
| danger, some intnitive admonition, or
whatever II might be. hanished slum-
Der from my pillow. Perhaps it was
| the nuttered conversation of the men
| below stairs that disturbed me, for |
1 was directly above them, and could
/ hear their voices without being able to
4 comprehend their words. | wondered
as | lay In q state Of nervous unrest.
whether Simpson knew Of the money
/ carried IN my portlnasitean, alitl al
4 though had seeiI nothing to alarm
me. | could not avoid Wishing 1t were
not in my custody.
What could those low and suhdHed
mutterings mean which reached my
ears in the lull of the storm? At last
INV curiosity was raised to sucha pitch
that quietly arose and groped about
i i'll the darkness to find some crack or
creyice through which / might peer
| into the apartment belt.W, and | was
not many moments III finding what |
desired. A knot IN one of the floor
planks had become loosened by shrink
ing, and / cautiously removed II, and
beneath me saw my ill-favored land
lord. Mr.. Simpson. and the bleafeyed
sergeant: the latter apparently asleep.
'.lIawkey. you're u regular trump
Plympton was saying, ''Tt was big
thing to rope IN this Sanitary Commits
sion fellow. Hang me lift wasn't
Hush, not so loud, !" said the other,
''he may not be asleep.'
Not asleepw wexclaimed Plympt0n.
''If he ever wakes mp, lIawkey, twill
be when the fish are nibbling him at
the bottom Of the Potomac. Why !
put morphine enough in his tea to
nuke him sleep till doomstlay. Ifyon
don't want to be a cannibal don't eat
any catfish chow,ler for the next
week. \ and the william laughed at the
/ joke.
1t seemed that my companions
name was not Simpson bnt Hawkey.
and he replied as If reasnred: "All
right Bill, alright. Isnppose there y
no hurry, 70 let's take another drink,
and thea we'll get shut of that fellow.
| tell You, there's apple OF green-backs
III that port,nan;ean of hiSn'n."
"At the mention OF another drink
the bleareyed sergeant pricketl up his
ears and mnttered with maudlin thick
ness OF speech: Uemally, cernally.
eernally, less habanuer whiss glassky.
I'm dryer'n fish,
Don't drink no more, YOU Sykes.
said Plympton, you're drunk now,
man. Eat something"
Gimme nnier drink, persisted the
sergeant, "ginlme 4 ham lager and q
beer sandwich. I've GOT work to 10,
hain't I?n say, hain'tl r." and he felt
the edge Of a keenly-whetted sabre
bayolet on the table before him.
"Who but mes going totlunp the sack
into the river with L stone tied to i,
ehs Who but mes going to cut M
cussed wind-pipe If he wakes up, eh
Gimme nuprdrink, say?"
| was stricken mute with horror as
I lliclt Oh the chill, bare floor Of the
chamber, and for a moment the sense
Of the impending danger 50 hewllier-
ed me that | conld neither think nor
move. The spell was transient, how
ever for quickly rose, and, although
quite nnarmed, resolved to defend NY
life and the money III my cmrse 70 the
last. But what could 4 single, unaEali-
ell man accomplish against three buriy
assasslasg | hnrrlclly dressed nayseil
and to affect an escape through q
window was my first thought. bur ~
TINT WAS disappointed the chamber
! was Il trap, and had no window nv
only hope seemed dashed tothe earth.
Almost at the same moment that