The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1875-07-01

lust under the roof, and was Furnished
| with two narrow beds and two chairs
/ took Off my coat and walstc0ht, ano
flung myself into bed, putting my P'''o
aud watch under my head
The grim old man excused ms Poy'I,S
and took AWAY the candle, his cowhiu'
shoes creaking on the stairs ~ IL uo
scented, On second thought took my
watch from under the pillow ana place.
il bctwcep the mattresses on the inrthcl
aide Of the be T., rext the wall, ana SOoi
fell asleep, luIied by the dronlhB. yGlcof
underneath, and the rain that fell on
the shingled roof, II SOUND ! nSed ''
love in my b%oyhood. -.
| was awakened by the creaklng o.
The board floor under n stocklnged ioot'
The room undoubtedly owned an0thcf
occupaut than myself whether IegltI'
mateIy 10 remained 10 be d~iscovcreu'.
What money / had with me carried
in the right pocket Of my trousers, the
safest place by all means hiso cur
red II large and clumsy lack'khIie' Slci.
us sailors cnt tobacco with. ! doht
know why 4! should have remembered
the Knife, but ! did. The walking had
ccaged, but / raucicd ] heard II stitled
breathing in the room this might have
been only fancy. However, ] gently
drew myself TO the side next IN" wall
between which and tho bed there was
inst room enough for II human body,
and slipped to the ioor, think
smiled nt tins impu se, but ut that mo
mcnt tho CrcakInR recommended, ioi'
lowed by u smothered oath, and Knew
that some one waB softly approaching
the bed. / had ceased TO emile, dIh
not admire the idea of II struggle IN the
dirk. and unfortunately my tnporB were
in nv wnlbtcOat, which ! had thrown on
n chair wien retiring. Nevertheless, J
had no notion OF being a 1ulcscent
pnrty 10 II murder, and began 10 "ork
NV "ny lu tine foot Of the bed, winch !
bal succeeded in dong very quietly.
! thought Of the KNIFE hgaIn, aln
oupuing 1t, stuck It in my wnlstDiha'
thing | would not do rGaln under the
samo circumstances. If had only
removed the pistol IN u,o
Az tho novelist would say, all TINS
occurred in much less Tune nan "
tokrs ia write IL, or TO road IL oItncr,
and only II very few moments h"'
eInp,cd since my first waking
NV next move was rather singular
! hal noticed Il light print spread on
the bed, II gaudy piece Of calico iiho our
attic window curtains Mt nome
snatchcd Ibis from the bed ana hpra"R
TO the aide whence the noise proceedcd'
A man leaned over the pea ne
TUNED with IL growI Of rage, but neihS
1.-the 40 Il cat, | cnycIopcd ms lle"l
with the cnIlco, my hands at ms throa,
in nm instant, Then began a droldlhl
struggle, ns We rolled ON the moor
togcthrr, My nasailAnt dragged me
nearer tnc bed, md it flashed upon mo
in nu instant that the recovery ol t'Io
knife was in his mind.
felt now with my left hand Tor
mine it was gone. II had slipped ont
dn,ing the scunIc, and ! was thHuk'nl
that | hnl nol been thrown ON ITS sharp
point. .n..
from hIB head, aud was altogether hSihG
| me in short order. The domincnt ldch
| IN both OF uB now WA to soizo the KIM"
hy the bed. My chnnci was not worth
the nip Of II penny, yet II nhythI"P
wonl he calculated 10 lend II mtl sipoi
unrural strrugth, IT was conditions llh'
these. and | nstoni,hcd myscII. WIN
n suprrhuman effort, | got on top, nht
planting my right knee on his breast
nnd npuru pulHlug hi8 throat WIN dth
nrrntlou glOu had the Subtraction o
feeling his clutch relax, until ho WA
pOw'rIcSs M n ri'ild.
NV oGn STRENGTH begun to f"II now
and Il cold, hicbIy sweat broke oIt o.
my body Mt every pore.
My would be murderer hay very sun,
scnrccIy 1t tromor botrayIng that there
wls life III HIM. .
There was II hurried trampiug Of feet
bolow. mud II pale light Rlunmerri on
the ceiling rs the grim OF man and two
or three others agccndcl the stairs, brlER
ing candles.
We hud aroused the household, nj
though neither OF us hnd cried ont.
Az ! am not u nBnIlhB S''h'"''.i W.
my courage nothing to boNAt OF, | think
| mny snfcIy acknowledge that showed
the white feather when III was Ill over,
md dropped over from exhaustion ana
excitement.
MY man with the blnck benrd, who
had followed ne three DAYS with an III
tent to take my life, believing NE to ho
another person Cthia | aftcrwnrd learn.
ed, wns held IN charge until daylight
by the conNl. driver and Job Sllvcra,
and ~ lust aStonishcd these worthlcs
very much by knocking them both down
and making good hls cscnpc.
have tins knife yet n keen Italian
stiIctto, II perfect beauty III temper and
carving, and keen ~ II rnHor,
There IRE many plcnsinG adventures in
The lIf" Of IL cOmmcrclal traveller, or
drmumcr, M they are called, bit thtr"
are also drawbacks.