Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1875-05-28

rival of the coach. | clambered in. took
a forward seat. and as as somebody
swung a lantern back ward and forward
diseerned that save n very old gentleman.
who seemed to be dozing in The back
that | was the only passenger.
The driver cracked his whip with
terrific ioltinr we started at a furious
rate of speed. We had. perhaps. accom-
plished five or six miles in this way.
when the rickety old affair gave sud
den lurch before coming to a full stop
and the driver appeared at the window
dripping with rain.
Gwen have to tumble here for the
night | reckon, gents for the storm has
blown tree right square in the road and
the leader has got rock in his foot and
can't 90 on any way."
Pleasant prospect truly: "There's
old Job Silvers cabin, wonder; we
can put up with him until mornin.'"
AS the driver had already began to
unhitch, there was nothing to do but
beg hospitality of Mrs. Silvers. and the
old gentleman and myself scrambled out,
the former growing savagely when he
found the road ankle deep in a sticky
mire. and the rain pouring in torrents
~ should like to throttle that viii
lain, and shoot that cursed leader on the
spot." said the old gentleman. making
off toward the miserable sbantv to the
right some thirty rods. After supper
of frizzled bacon, fried eggs and excel
lent c Office, which was not SO bad supper
eaten before a sparkling fire of birch lors
the host a tall. grim old man. with the
face of one of Nanoleon / soldiers NJ
belt with a certain look of simplicity i'm
possible to soldier, conducted me up a
rude pair of stairs to a sleeping apart-
ment. The room sloped low in the cell
pe on two sides. being inst under the
roof, and was furnished with two narrow
beds and two chairs.
| took off nv coat and waistcoat. and
flung myself into bed, putting my pistol
and watch under nv head.
The grim old man excused his poverty
and took away the candle. his eowbide
shoes creakino on the stairs as he de-
scended. On second thought took nv
watch from under the pillow and placed
it between the mattresses on the further
side of the bed. next the wall, and soon
fell asleep, lulled bv the droniug voices
underneath. and the rain that fell on the
sbineled roof, sound | used to love in
nv boyhood.
/ was awakened by the creakinr of the
board floor under a stockinged foot
The room undoubtedly owned another
OCCUPANT than myself, whether lepiti-
mately so remained to be discovered.
What money | had with me | carried
in the right pocket of nv trousers, the
safest place, by all means. also car
ried large and clumsy iack-knfe, such
as sailors cut tobacco with / don't
know WHY | should have remembered
the knife, but | did. The walking had
ceased but | fancied | heard stiAed
breathing in the room this might have
been only fancy. However, i gently
drew myself to the side next the wall,
between which and the bed there was
lust room enough for human body,
and slipped to the floor. | think
smiled at this impulse. but at that mo-
cnt the creaking recommended, followed
by smotbered oath. and | knew that
some one was softly .approaching the
he'd had ceased TO smile. | did not
admire the idea of struggle in the dark,
and unfortunately INV taners were in nv
woistcoot which 7 had thrown On 4 chair
when RETIRING Nevertheless | had no
notion of he;no ou;osccnt nortv 70 q
murder and beoan 10 work nv wav
to Tho eoot ~ tho Rcd which I Ind .uc-
GOOD n do;na verv on;etIv
I tbopoht of the tniee AGAIN and onen-
;na i st,iaL i n mo .a;s1band = tb;no
rs 7 sa ~ not 10 aaa;n under Tho snme
a;ronmstancos IfIh,d onlv rco,oved
tba a;s,ol
A. ,be noyoI;ot would cav al ,bis oc.
Cured in less time than il takes to write
it. or to read it either. and only few
moments had ELAPSED since NV first
wokino.
NV next move was rather singular
/ had noticed a light print spread on the
he'd n oaudv niece of calico like our attic
window curtains at home. snatched
this from the bed and sprane 10 the side
whence the noise proceeded.
a man leaned over the bed he turn
ed with a erowl of rage. but being 1.-the
81 cat. enveloped his head with the
calico. INV hands at his throat in an in
slant He was powerful wretch and
i