The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-07-02

low III bLlO CC1l1uB I'll wv LA~tO-g 0C@--tN
lust under the roof, and was furnished
with two narrow beds and two chairs.
I took off my coat and waistcoat, and
flung myself into bed, putting my pistol
and watch under my head.
The grim old man excused his poverty
and took away the candle, his cOwhlde
shoes creaking on the stairs as he de-
scended. On second thought 1 took my
watch from under the pillow and placed
it between the mattresses on the further
side Of the bel, reXt the wall, and soon
fell asleep, lulied by the drOning voices
underneath, and the rain that fell on
the shingled roof, a sound used to
love in my boyhoOd.
[ was awakened by the creaking of
the board floor under a stockinged foot.
The room undoubtedly owned another
occupant than myself whether leglti-
mateIy so remained to be discovered.
What money had with me l carried
in the right pocket Of my trousers, the
safest place by all means. also car
ried a large and clumsy Jack-knIte, sucn
as sailors cut tobacco with. don
know why should have remembered
the knife, but did. The walking had
ceased, but 1 fancied 1 heard stItied
breathing in the room ; this might have
been only fancy. However, l gently
drew myself to the side next the wall,
between which and the bed there was
| lust room enough for a human body,
and slipped to the floor. think !
smiled at this impulse, but at that mo-
ment the creakiDg recommended, fol
| lowed by a smothered oath, and l knew
that some one was softly approaching
! the bed. I had ceased to smile. L did
not admire the idea of q struggle IN the
dark, and unfortunately my tapers were
! 10 nv waistcoat, which I had thrown on
a chair when retiring. Nevertheless, !
had no notion of being a qUiescent
party to a murder, and I began to work
my way to the foot of the bed, which
had succeeded in doing very quietly.
[ thought of the knife again, anC
opening it, stuck it i'll my waistband
a thing I would not do again under the
same circumstances. If 1 had only
I removed the pistol.
As the novelist would say, all THU
occurred in much less time than 1
takes to write it, or to read it either
and only a very few moments haC
elapsed since my first waking.
Ny next move was rather singular
| [ had noticed u light print spread OF
the bed, a gaudy piece OF calico like GU.
attic window curtains at home.
suatched his from the bed and sprane
to the side whence the noise proceeded
man loaned over the bed ht
turned with a growl of rage, but being
1.-the as q cat, l envelOped his heaC
with the calico, my hands at his thrOa
in an instant. Then began dreadful
struggle, as we rolled on the foo
together, My assailant dragged m'
nearer the bed, and it flashed upon MT
in an instant that the recovery OF TIT
knife was in his mind.
! felt now with my left hand TO
mine it was gone. 1t had slipped GU
during the scuffie, and I was Thankful
that / had not been thrown on It's SHARP
point.
The burIy ruff an had torn the muffie
from his head, and was altogether fixing
me- in short order. The dOminent ide;
in both of us now was to seize the knit
by the bed. My chanc9 was not wOrti
the flip of penny, yet II anything
would be calculated to lend man super
natural strength, 1t was conditions Tx
these, and I astOnished myself. Wit
a superhuman effort, L got on top, an
planting my right knee on his breast
d and again scizIhg his throst WIN Ger
DeratiOn. soon had the satisfaction c
feeling his clutch relax, until he wa
r pOwerless as a child.
NV own strergth began to fail nov
, and a cold, sickly sweat broke out
: | my body at every pore.
NV wOuId-be murderer lay very still
7 scarcely a tremOr betraying that theI
= was life IN him.
There was a hurried trampiUg OF fee
below, aud a pale light glimmered o
the ceiling as the grim ola man and tW
or three others assembled the stairs, BRING
I ing candles.
We had aroused the household, a
=, though neither of rs had cried out.
: As l am not fighting character, an
my courage nothing to boast of, thin
, [ may safely acknowledge that l shove
the white feather when it was all owe
q, and dropped over from exhaustion an
p excitement.
My man with the black beard, WI
had followed me three da1 with an il
tent to take my life, believing me- to
another person Cthis I aiterward Learn
O ed, was held in charge until daylIgt
= by the cOach-driver and Job Silver
and at last astOnished these wOrthit
very much by knocking them both dow
, and making good his escape.
= have this knife yet; keen Italia
stiletto, a perfect beauty IN temper an
3 | carving and keen as a razor.
, There are many pleasing adventures
the life of a commercial traveller, {
o drummer, as they are called, but thel
are also drawbacks.