The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1874-12-10

without notice or process, the night to
seize his tenants effect and take posses
sion OF his premises.
But" | cried. as all this flashed upon
me, Tranter would never venture on
such an outrage"
Indeed he would care little 70. what
was said of him if he could make atrife:
and listen, Captain-I heard Morris say
he had taken fancy 10 your furniture
and meant to get 1t all for the half-year's
rent"
Then realized for the first time that
was in a very desperate position. had
only few pounds in my pocket; every
thing was locked up in this woful bank.
Iranter had come to the conclusion that
! was socially moribund, and hoped to
have the picking of my bones. To-mor-
row my cherished home would be in pos
session of the roughs; and to my poor
wife such shock would perhaps be
fatal. What should do: 1t was a cruel
thing to contemplate quietly this inva-
sion of my home at such crisis. Surely
any man with heart not altogether of
stone would hold his hand if he knew
all the circumstances of the case. With
a violent effort | would humble myself
before the man and ask his forbearance.
Wait here, David" said, Il may
want you" and ! hastily took my hat
and went ont to Tranter's cottage |
thought ] saw his face at the window as
| passed, but when his housekeeper
came to the door she laughed in my face
and denied that he was at home. He
had gone out, and probably would not be
back till the next day. Evidently Mr.
Tranter had taken precautions not to be
spoken TO on the subject. ! returned
home detected and miserable. The
housemaid was looking out for me as
reached the gate Her mistress was
taken i'll; David had been sent to seek
his wife and ! must go and fetch the
doctor.
At midnight the doctor talked cheer
fully, but looked a little anxious. In one
OF the intervals when he came down
stairs for little refreshment | told him
Of the position in which was placed.
- You must keep them out" he said
q" at all hazards. If my patient has any
thing to agitate her it will be her death"
! took David, who still remained about
the premises, into consultation. lie
frightened up when | told him what
intended to do, and entered heart and
soul into the enterprise. We were to
stand siege; 1t was necessary TO lay
our plans carefully and there was short
time Tor preparation. At any time after
daybreak The enemy might be upon us
In the first place, as to the outworks-
the stable and Outhouse-these must be
locked up and the pony in some way got
rid Of, for II would be impossible to feed
him during the blockade David volun-
teered TO ride off with the pony and leave
l., =.
whose pastures he would be safe from
possible capture Then we must get rid
of useless mouths Cook and housemaid
must 90 home for holiday, and David
undertook TO get them out of the house
1t would be my business to look to the
inner defenses of the citadel
The house was long and low, with a
gable at each end and covered porch
between. In one of the gables was the
kitchen, and the servants bedrooms were
above that. The other wing contained
dining and drawing rooms, over which
were our bedroom and the guest
chamber, with another small closet
bedroom lighted from the roof Ny
own little snuggcrv was at the back
on the ground floor. To this room
and The kitchen | determined to confine
round the house, therefore, with gimlet.
screws and screw-drivcr, fastening all
the windows, securely closing and bar
ring all the shutters. | muffied all the
bells in the house There was no knock
cr 10 the hall door, the upper part of
which was glazed to give light to the
hall. The windows of the upper rooms
| secured in the same way, except that
of my wife's chamber and of the bed
room ! occupied myself, the catches of
which were perfect, and closed by strong
springs. The back door | bolted and
barred, but the hall door simply locked
this to provide for sudden ingress or
cgrcss on the part of the garrison These
precautions taken | felt rather easier in
my mind, and sat down to reflect upon
the conditions of the contest and my re-
latIons with the outside world.
First, as to supplies-bread would be
Indispensable, ana milk For the rest,
there was Il quarter of mutton hanging
in the harder, and the cellar was pretty
well stocked with wine and ale had
almost forgotten the nccc ssitv of firing,
and that our Goals were kept in a shed
outside. Bringing this 20 mind with a
start, took "A cOal-scuttle and pail, and
brought into the house as much as would
suffice for few days consumption.
David presently returned IN high gee
at having saved the pony from the enc
my's hands, aud to him | confded the
difficulty as to the bread and milk The
latter he undertook to bring night and
morning in can, and at concerted sig
nal was to lower cord and hook from
the upper window and hoist it up Bread
enough for three days supply he under
took to obtain
Night dragged YEARLY on-a long
night of trouble and anguish for my
poor wife, of anxiety almost amounting
To despair on my own part.
Just as gray dawn was breaking the
doctor announced the advent of a new
life upon earth, and said that all his
patient then required was perfect quiet
and stiffness and rest She wanted to
see me, but | must not stop minute.
As | stood by her bedside, with her
poor, fevercd hand in mine-and |
couldn't speak a word, or should have
made fool OF myself heard the gate
slam to- and saw through a crevice in the
blind two men coming down the gravel
drive. They separated at the shrubbery
and one of them concealed himself
among the trees, while the other made
his way toward the hall door.
Don't CO." whispered Jane
" But the doctor orders it" And tore
myself away and hurried down to the
door. just in time The doctor had
gone out for "a nouthful of fresh air, and
unwittingly left the door ajar | threw
myself upon it and it slammed against
the ready foot of Mr. Morris, whose
burly form was shadowed against the
ground glass Panes
Rap-a-tap-tap went his stick against
the door.
Don't trouble yourself to knock
again" | whispered through the keyhole,
" for you Shan't come in" Then warn
ing the doctor cf what had happened |
ran rapidly through the house to examine
the faStcningS. The siege was COM
menccd.
From the first moment that covered
porch was danger and a trouble to the
defense Within it our assailants could
Turk unobservcd, and it gave them a
shelter from the weather that was by
no means inclined 10 afford them. At
the very outset all my pains were nearly
frustrated. | heard "a ringing sound upon
the pavement of the hail, and running
hastily tnIther, found that the key had
just fallen from the lock and another
key was being introduced from the out
side. My landlord had evidently kept
duplicate keys of the doors, and the
ballltt had made use of one of those lit
tie instruments known to the house
breakers by which the end of a KEY
witnln its lock can be seized and
turned around from the other side.
l was Just In time to place my foot