The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-08-12

He's bin am showed it just once too
often--so he has. Guess he's one of them
diggers, who makes big pile and then
scarecrows and lookin' down onto their
luck. But he can't throw dust in my eyes,
that's what he can't! Pomp, jist take
yure axe and get ahint the door, and when
the stranger comes back, fotch him down
from behind, while give him the bowie in
front r'
Eh, boss, what for such big hurry p
Wait little Bit better do. Glib him n
plenty drink-he go sleep sound-den we
do job p
Right yew are, Pomp-guess thet's
how we'll fix it. Jist fotch out the whis-
key, now, while l go and see if the stran-
gers anywhar' roun'."
But 1 didn't wait for him to come out
but went round, and came along towards
the door of the shanty, whistling as jolly
as could be, that he might not smell
rat. knew all wanted to know /; and,
as I was too tired to have any chance of
running, concluded that my best way
would be just to kill them both
At supper, all the time, was quite jolly
with them, and chaffed and told stories till
they were fit TO crack their sides with
laughing but took care to get very sleepy
before long, and the two, who were watch
ing me ont of the corners of their eyes, ex-
changed looks as they noticed it.
"Guess yew feel like heving a big sleep,
stranger" said my considerate host, $50
I'll just show yew yure clearin', and then
yew kin take out all the sleep yew hev lost
at one pull"
He took me up ladder into a small loft,
showed me some straw and big horse-rug,
and marched off. .lr
Here, then, was the situation. The lad
der was fast to the door, so l couldn't cut
off their communications; and if / showed
fight openly they would most likely get
the best of it, especially if they had fire.
arms. The only way was to trap them
but how ? Just at that moment (never
tell me again that novel-reading is of no
use, l recollected that bit in the Cloister
and the hearth, where Gerard and Denys
hold their room in that Burgundian inn
against the robbers, hiding behind the
door, and sticking them one by one as they
come in. resolved to try the same dodge,
and l set to work to dress up dummy
with the straw and the horse-rug-fttin
my cap aud boots ON it to make it more
life-like-so as to look as if l were lying
asleep at the farther corner. When they
used to think me a dab at rigging up lay
figures for the college theatricals, / little
dreamed to what use / should one day
put it. Then, when all was ready l slip
ped behind the door with my bowie knife,
and waited.
The wretches in the room below were
as still as death, listening for any sound
from above; and in the dead silence, the
ticking Of the old clock pricked my ears
like pin. At last, just as was thinking
of rushing down upon them, and having it
all over, anyhow, l heard the ladder creak
-creak again, louder-creak again, loud
er still-and then the long, lean wolfish
looking face of the Yankee rose above the
door-sill, and peered about, with light.
Seeing me, as he thought fast asleep on
the floor, he crawled up, and stepped for
ward to strike-offering his back fair to-
wards me. Like flash, my knife was
down on the back of his neck, with such
lick that the blade came clear out under
his chin, and he died without sound. l
had barely time to drop him on the straw
when the Niger came tumbling up.
struck him hurriedly, like a fool, as was
and, Of course, hurt instead of killing
him. The next moment he had me fast.
Down dropped the knife, and over we
went upon the floor, fighting like wild
cats. And then began.as fine tussel as
ever was fought out in lonely place at
midnight, with life for the stake, corpse
for umpire, and the moon for locker on.
Over and over we rolled, he gnashing his
teeth and snarllng Ike a wild beast, while
the cold moonlight came streaming through
the little window upon the blacks savage
face, and the tiampled straw, and the
dead mans distorted features aud grin
ming teeth, gaping wide with the gasp Of
his last agony, If Blacky hadn't been
weakened by the flowing Of blood from his
wound he'd have finished me in no time:
as i was, he was a tough customer. ! be-
gan to think ! was in for It at last, when
suddenly felt the knife on the floor be-
side me- gave him one tremendous
squeeze, just to numb him for a moment