The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-07-03

started out in the darkness, the Others
following timidly. .- ~
Down through the garden and to the
, end Of the muddy path they went, and
, there, in the fence corner, lay an inami-
! mate object, a man, drenched through
and through with the winter rain,
without coat or boots or hat.
Annie bent over the PROSTATE form
with the candle, and allowed the flick
ering blaze to flash In his face.
, "Good God ~ she exclaimed, in ter
ror, and the light, being exposed to a
merciless gust, was instantly extin-
guished, leaving them in utter darkness.
The boys ran back to the cabin in
CONSERVATION. The nre was out, and
the candle being extinguished, they did
not know what form Of terror was be-
fore them. No wonder they were panic
stricken. ......
where's match ?' said Annie; "get
me one, quick p' .,....
But no matches could be found. In
deed, they had been very scarce in the
house for fortnight, and the twins had
purloined the remaining half-dozen that
very day to light elder pipes which they
had smoked in ambush under the
shadow of the hill.
''Don't get frightened" said Annie.
eve must have light u'
Tearing a warped cedar board from
the wall, which she suddenly remem-
bered having noticed during the day,
she seized the butcher knife and began
splitting it to pieces in the darkness.
Then, carefully raking open the ashes
in the fireplace, she spread the shaw
ings upon them, and grasping the pow
der flask, emptied some Of its contents
Into her hand, poured them upon the
ashes and stepped back to await the re-
suit. A hidden spark ignited the pow
) der, as she had expected, and with one
of the blazing splinters the candle was
relit.
Directing Jim and Fanny to stay and
build fire, she commanded the unwill-
} ing Henry to go with her again TO the
! spot where the unconscious man was
, lying.
As they bent over him another groan,
like those which had startled them be-
fore, escaped his lips, and he breathed
heavily.
"Who is it, Sis2 Dye know"
'Don't you see It's Fdtherm
''The devilI pll not touch himpp
''Henry, 1 say you'll do your duty
this night, or our mother cannot rest in
Heaven! Here! help me to raise him
up. We must get him in the house and
do what we can for him"
, But the man lay upon his back
breathing heavily, and though Henry
, obeyed his sister, and both did their
best, they could not raise him to his
/ feet.
"Call Fan aud Jim ~ was Amie's
, order, and soon the four were enabled to
drag the inanimate object through the
mud to the dwelling, where bright
though feeble fire was burning.
: The boys retired to the loft to sleep;
Fannie slumbered in q chair, and
through the long night Annie kept her
q lonely vigil, replenishing the fire, pour
/, ing tea down the throat of the uncon-
scious man, and performing every little
. service to restore him to consciousness
/ and comfort which her ingenuity could
devise.
: "Whiskyl For Gods sake give me
A whisky" whispered the poor mortal,
q when the morning came.
: Annie remembered a little bottle
o which her mother had once put away to
q "taper off one of his violent sprees," and
A fetching it, poured some of the fiery
/ liquid down his parching throat.
. "There, jaiIor; that's nectar for the
gods" said he. "But more, for Gods
. sake, morer' he whispered, as he
opened his eyes and glared around him.
n He had awakened raving maniac.
Rising with the sudden strength for
Z which the violently insane are proven
a bial, he seized Annie by the hair and
: Missed between his teeth, "1'ye got ye
4 now ha! ha! I've got ye nowl Take
that and thatw as he dealt blow after
blow upon her covering form.
Henry and James, in response to
g AmIe's screams of terror, rushed down
the ladder, and seizing lariat which
Tot had been using the day before az
A lines for his team Of chairs, they dex-
q trously lashed il around the frantic
man and bound him hand and foot.
A Then the poor maniac, whose reason
. had been dethroned through his great
y dissipation, lay upon the floor in bodily
d helplessness and gave utterance to such
: oaths and curses and vehement yells as
d would curdle the blood Of the worst
E. blasphemer in the confines of Hades.
st He had escaped from the prison o.
j, Shysterville, just at dark, by cunning
Is maneuver, for which the partially de-
it ranged are noted. Calling the jailor'l
Of attention TO an object in a distant cor.
ner of the building, he suddenly sprane
ir to the door where the key was resting
I'd In the lock, and securing it, stepped ouI
and locking up his keeper, disappeared
n. in the darkness, taking the ponderoui
lie key away with him.
le But the long walk and exposure q
j, the cold and storm had been too mucl
N for his powers Of endurance, and he haC
to sank, exhausted and swooning, almos
ut at his threshold. And now, as he la,
cursing, blaspheming and screaming
ut upon his back, 1t was piteous indeed Il
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