Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-01-22
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THE BELEAGuERED HOME.
fcoxc1rpEp FROM YESTERDAY

in the sick room; in another hour il would
be safe to open the doors and wander
freely about. IL was one OF those mo-
meuts suitable for surprises. when vigl
lance is lulled by feeling Of coming safe
~. Suddenly | heard sound upon the
roof. as of some heavy body humping up
on the states. Could they be effecting an
entry through the roof Then bethough'
me Of the skylight in the closet bedroom
which / had overlooked. l ran to the
place. and sure enough, the skylight was
opep, and the ill-omened face OF Morris
peering in. Luckily the room was quite
dark. and the man hesitated to lower nm
self down into the seeming abyss. lie
turned to call his man. and l seized the
opportunity to spring at the fastening OF
the skvliglit. and pulled it down. hanging
upon it with all my weight. Alter sever
al ineffective attempts to raise it. the men
desisted. supposing it securely fastened
This was their last enterprise for the night
Soon after, the men drew OH, ana WAS
free to open the doors.
All was still going on we'll with mother
and child; but the former had been good
deal disturbed by noise on the roof; her
face was quite fevered and flushed as she
eagerly asked what the noises meant.
IA man came to look at the roof; sent
him away, Of course
Presently the doctor came. He was not
satisfied with his patient.
There is feverishness,' he said to me,
after he had left the room, (which don t
like. She must be kept quiet at all baz'
ards
But that was easier said than done, for,
now that the immediate peril was over,
she began to worry and fret about me.
Was made comfortable, and did the SER
wants look after meP Had had proper
dinnerp She should like to see cook, to
give her some directions.
1.-The doctor expressly forbids any one
to see you."
81 don't care what he says
Then l forbid you," said, making
prudent retreat to avoid further re-
ioinder.
/ had a long walk in the darkness,
thinking over what / should do. l had
written to several friends, on the spur oil
the moment. the night before, asking for
a temporary loan to meet this sudden call
but had little hope of any favorable re-
ply, and l almost regretted having sub
iected myself to the humiliation OF refusal.
Nv father was in India and had troubles
enough of his own, for his fortunes, too,
were embarked in this bank. Of course
couldn't hold out very long; the men
would fad a way in at last. and all my
goods would be seized. Fairly sold. there
was enough to satisfy all my liabilities
here, and give handsome surplus; but
in the hands of these harpies everything
would go for an old song. Still if could
keep them out for week, till Jane got
strength enough to rally from the shock,
that was all could expect or hope for.
Preached home weak and hungry, tor
had not enterprise enough to cook any
thing for myself, and had eaten nothing
but bread all the day. To my surprise
was greeted by fragrant smell of cook
ing from the kitchen, and, entering, found
David standing over a capital fire, his face
glowing in the blaze. Caught some
trout for your supper. Captain" quoth
David. Delicious they were, those crisp,
brown trout, to a hungry, weary man.
David waited upon me with gratiiied pride.
and urged me to eat still more and more
hot from the pan. He had come to the
conclusion, he told me after supper, to
which he had been prompted by his wife,
that he must come and look after me and
assist in the defence of the house. and he
would employ his leisure moments in look
ing after my fishing tackle and tying some
particularly killing flies for our next fish
ing expedition. was very glad Of David's
company, for had felt the strain of lone
illness and isolation very much that day
After supper, David produced truss OF
straw and spead it over the oven and
about the kitchen floor to dry.
Whats that for, David p | asked.
Every likely sleep in it, he replied,
knowingly.
There were plenty of beds up stairs, |
told him but he went on with his opera
tons with the straw.
We had quiet night but the patient got
very little sleep at first, being nervous and
frightened when was out OF her sight, SD
that ! took my rest in an armchair by her
bedside, and, after that, she had some re-
freshing slumber Daybreak brought on,
besiegers back again. but this time there
were three OF them and they carried
among them something that took to be
ladder.
woke David and set him on the alert,
and went over the house once more TO see
that all was safe. David took up his posi-
ton upon table in the little closet-cham-
Der, with his head out of the skylight, re-
connoitering the neighborhood. Sudden
ly heard him close the skylight and hur-
nv down stairs. Come along. Captain,
he cried, IL shall show you some fun" |
followed him into the back kitchen, where
there was wide, open chimney of the
old sort. A scramblng sound was heard
in the chimney, and the bottom of light
ladder appeared, gently lowered down.
Come you then, boys?' shouted David
up the chimney; and with that he put a
match to the straw, which blazed up fierce
ly. We heard loud cry of rage and
pain, and quick scrambling mp the Chin
nev. David laughed defantly. PLENTY
more fire down here" he cried. and
dragged the captured ladder into the ktch-
en-. The enemy suddenly retaliated by
throwing some water down the chimney.
But David did not care for that; he had
reserve of dry straw ready to set fire if
any further attempts Were made. They
presently abandoned any active means TO
gain an entrance, and contenled them
selves with strict blockade; but it was a
very narrow thing, that AZ, inp' on the
chimney, and if David had not been
warned by the man they had borrowed
the ladder from. it would have assuredv
succeeded.