Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-05-26

| anu Jouu gay young AI1eHu JOlly dogs:
ha, ha -
I was little disposed to turn out
but my new friend was SO pressing in
his invitation, and being anxious to re-
cover my key, [ was persuaded to
accompany him. We called upon u
friend, who made no objection to a
bottle; and SO we accompanied the old
gentleman home in a coach which he
hired, to his house, full of life and mer-
riment all the time.
The old gentleman's house hardly
correspondent in appearance with the
character of its owner. 1t was decid
eddy dark and gloomy, in law-lvine
neighborhood, somewhere near the
river. But the old gentleman had
boosted so much of his cellar and had
given us in conversation such glimpses
of his hospitable way of life, that we
did not doubt we should be well enter
tanned, Notwithstanding the unpromis
ing look of his abode.
Now, my boys he cried, pushing us
in before him, first door to the right.
And I'm away to the cellar to get bot
tie of my very best. In the meantime,
refresh yourselves with a pinch Of snuff.
He gave us candle and his snuff box,
the Identical little box now hold in
my hand, and left us in low-roofed,
Misunderstanding chamber, it's walls
black with the dirt of years, festooned
with cobwebs, and furnished only with
a few broken chairs and table.
IAN eccentric, evidently, said my
friend when the old gentleman had left
! 1,c Iopo. Sr,oh +oo TIL Ia Io-.l Do.
haps as he, seems to have taken fancy
to us, the old fellow will make us his
| heirs
He kept us waiting so long that we
began to be uneasy-late at night, in q
strange place, the aspect of which was
not reassuring; and yet we could not
doubt the raspectability of the little old
gentleman. Presently we heard his
voice as he sang and shouted merrily,
aud lie returned, carrying in one hand a
| bottle, and In the other swinging on his
finger my key. AS he entered we no.
ticed for the first time tremendous
scar below his right eye, the result,
as it seemed, of some old wound.
CHOW, my lads, won't leave you
in this old lumber-room any longer;
come into my own little snug and we'll
crack bottle and make a merry night
of it. We've got the key, we've got the
key, and we won't go home till morn
ing !" shouted the old gentleman in the
most hilarious voice, snatching up the
candle and leading the way through a
door at the further end of the room, that
opened into a dark, narrow, passage.
Just as be entered the passage the old
gentleman, as if by accident, dropped
the candle, SO that everything was in
profound darkness.
Come along, come along; we shall
find a light at the other end" called the
old gentleman merrily. "Give me
your arm, young sir, give me your arm. %
81 was following him without thought
OF hesitation. as was my friend, when
all of sudden I heard, from what
seemed the bowels of the earth just in
front of me, the barking of a dog; it
was Bingo's bark among a thousand
Back, back [ cried, recoiling with
such force that / dragged the old gen.
tleman several PAGES backwards; he lost
his hold; I heard cry, splash. Back,
back 7 thrusting my friend into
the room we had quilted. The
door behind us had not swung to, for
Jackson had not passed quite through
into the passage, and there was such
terror and warning in my voice that he
sprang back instinctively, and regained
the room we had left. The door went
to with a bang; it closed with spring
lock, and there was no means of open
ing it. We stood together In the dark
ness, our arms clasped together, not
daring to move to one side or the other,
least some pitfall might open beneath
us. We saw at once that we had been
entrapped into this honse to be made
away with. We had been lured into an
Ohbliette, from which we should hardly
escape with life. We had been hunted
down by the body snatchers, whose
safety demanded our destruction.
cat this n oment, q light appeared
beneath the door by which we first en-
tered, and presently the door itself was
opened, and face appeared, pale,
CHASTITY and drawn up with strong emo
ton. A dog ran forward, barking lcud-
ly. Next moment the dog began to
jump and fawn upon us.
'Ha, Bingo ! [ cried in voice that
where's your master, Bingo? Where's
the purveyor?
The man stepped into the room
suddenly and flashed his light upon us.
It was Blackstock "What! Mr. vii
son, he cried, ''Mr. Jackson? All,
never dreamt it was you. Pray, what
are you doing here p
We have come here by invitation,
I said unconcernedly, to drink bot
tie of wine with little old gentleman.
'Ah,' said Blackstock, with forced
kind of laugh. [ know him. Have you
been in there with him?' pointing to
the pass age.
No, 1 said; mo, He left us just
now and hasn't come back
Blackstock looked first at me, then
at the dog, which was wriggling and
fawning at my feet. 'Ah,' he said, you
were always kind to Bingo, sir. Step
this way
We followed him, cautiously enough,
down fight of stairs, at the bottom
of which he flung open door, which
| 1a6 into tho cfroot How, IL ~rro r