The weekly Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1872-1887, 1875-06-12

"'lia, har cried the old gentleman
lose watch, go to the matchmaker; find
Il key, 20 to the locksmith.'
"'And will you kindly let Inc have my
kcyl, 80. '...E -: :
"'All in good time, in good time. 1t
isn't here, my boy; hadn't pocket big
enough. | should have been obliged Ia
hire coach to carry it; In, ha! You must
come and fetch it, that's the fnct. Come
anu crack bottle with me, you and your
gay yoHng friend; jolly dogs; ha, ham
81 WAS little disposed to turn out; but
my new friend was S" pressing in his in
vitation, and being anxious To recover
my key, | was persuaded to accompany
him. We called upon my friend, who
made no Objection to n bottle; and So we
accompanied the old gentleman home in
II coach which lie hired, To his house, full
Of life aud mcrrimcnt all the time. .
"Thc old gcntlcman's house hardly cor
responded in appearance with the charac-
ter of its owner. 1t was decidedly dr-k
and gloomy, in IL low-lying ncighborhood,
| somewhere near the river. But the old
gentleman had boasted so much of his
cellar, and had given lis in his convcrsa-
tiOn such glimpses of his hoSpitable wuy
of life, that we did not doubt we should
he well entertained, notwithstanding the
unpromising look of his abode.
Now, my boys lie cried, pushing us
in before him, first door to the right.
And 1'm away to the cellar to get bottle
Of my very best. In the meantime, re-
fresh yourselves with pinch Of snuff
He gave us his candle and his snufT-boX,
the identical little box now hold in my
hand, and left us in lOw-roofcd, villain
ous-lookinS chamber, its walls black with
the dirt Of years, festOoncd with cobwcbs,
and furnished with only few broken
chairs md table.
"'An eccentric, evidently said my
friend when the old gentlemen had left
us alone; rich, too, III bc bound. Per-
haps, as he seems to have taken n fancy
to us, the old fellow will make us his
heirs
'lTc kept us waiting so long that VIC
began to he uncasy-late ut night, in n
strange place, the aspect of which was
not rcassuring; and yet We could not
doubt the responsibility Of the little old
gentleman. Presently we heard his voice
us he sang and shouted merriiy, and he
returned, carrying in one hand bottle,
and in the other swinging on his finger
my key. AS lie entered we noticed for
the first time n tremendous scar below
his right eye, the result, as it seemed, of
some old wound.
"'Now, my lads, won't leave YOU in
this old lumbcr-room any longer; come
into my own little snug and we'll crack
Il bottle and make merry night of il.
We've got the key, we've got the KEY, and
We won't go home till mnrningp shouted
the old gentleman i'll the most hilarious
voice, snatching up the candle and leading
the way through door Mt the further end
of the room, that opened into dark,
narrow passage. Just as he entered the
passage the old gentleman, rs if by acci.
dent, dropped the candle, so that every
| thing was in profound darkness
"'C0mc along, come along; we shall
fad light at the other end, called the
old gentleman mGrrily. Give me your
arm, young sir, give me your. r.urm.'
81 WIS following him without thought
or hesitation, rs was my friend, when all
of sudden / heard, from what seemed
the bowels of the earth just in front of me,
the barking of Il dog; it WAS Bing's bark
among II thousand. Back, back cried,
rccoiling with such furcc that dragged
the old gentleman several PAGES back
wards; hr lost his hold; heard n cry, n
splash. Back, back 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 tho
passage, and there was such terror and
warming in my voice that lie sprnng back
instinctivcly and rcgaincd the room we
had left. The door went to with bang;
it closed with spring lock, and there
was no means of opening il. We stood
together in the darkness, our arms claspcd
together, not daring to move To one side
or the other, lest some pitfall might open
beneath us. We saw ut once that VIC had
been cntrappCd into this house to be made
away with. We had been lurcd into an
ouJliCttc, from which we should hardly
escape with life. We had been hunted
down by the body-snatchcrs, whose safety
demanded our destruction.
AT this moment n light appeared be-
meath the door by which wc first entered,
and presently the door itself was opened,
and face appeared, pale, ghnstly, and
drawn up with strong emotion. a dog
ran forward, barking loudly. Next mo.
mcnt the dog began TO jump and fawn
upon us.
"'IIN, I}ingor cried in voice that !
| hICN W Hlhhc CNlin Nilu hSSNTcu' where
your master, Bingo1 Where's The pur.
vcyurf
"'Ihc man stepped into tho room sud.
denly and flashed his light upon us. II
was BIackstock. What Mr.. Wilson |
hc cried, 'Mr. JacksonI Ali never
drcamt it was you. Pray, what nrc yar
doing hcrc1'
eve have come here by invitation
said unconccrnctlly, 'to drink bottle o.
wine with the old gentleman
"Ah, said Hiackstock, with n forcct
kind Of laugh, Il know him. Have got
been In there will, him1' pointing TO th'
passage.
"'No,' I said; no. lie left lis just nov
and hasn't come back
"Backstock lnokcd first ut INC, then n
tho dog, which was wriggling and lnwn
ing Mt my feet. Ah,' he said, you wcr
always kind TO ,Bingo, sir. Step this way
ave followed him cautiously enough
} down a flight Of stairs, at the bottom q
: which he hung open n door, which lc'
into the street. How delicious was ti
: breath Of mir upon our checks!
I "'Gnod night, gents said BlNckstock
! You'll keep your Tongues between you
! teeth, know, fur your own AakcS, an
nnothpr fine unu'I van mention nnmr