The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-03-29

REDWOOD FALLS. MINNESOTA.
A NERVOUS HERO.
How He Trapped q Burglar.
l AM nervous man; there is no dis
grace in that, and there's no DENYING tn,
fact, which honestly admit. I am .
very nervous MAJ. don't think am {
coward; at least this confession might
prove there is no moral cowartiice about
me, and, after all, that is the right sort OF
courage in the long run. However, nc
moral influence strengthened these nerves
Of mine, which caused me more suffering
than anyone suspected.
Not even my wife guessed the extent of
my nervousness, or l am sure she would
have been the last to leave me in charge,
under circumstances which, to say the
least OF them, were trying. For
our house was situated in lonely
part Of the country. We had nc
near neighbors, and reports had re.
Gently reached our ears of q series Of
strange and mysterious robberies, com.
mitted by evidently accomplished thieves,
Judging from the way they laughed al
locksmiths, penetrated into carefully
barred.up mansions, and the deft manner
in which the hasps of innumerable plate.
chests were removed and the contents alb.
stracted, and no trace left to guide the
baffied police by which to lay hold of the
perpetrators.
Ii may therefore he imagined how
pleasant it was for me when my wife and
daughters announced their intention OF
accepting an invitation up to the city,
lin which was not included, fortunate.
ly," as they exclaimed in . breath, "be.
cause somebody must be left in charge. "
. BE sure and have the silver carried
up in your own room every night, John, ~
said my wife, when we were all seated at
dinner the evening previous to their jour-
ncy.
"Oh, yes exclaimed my eldest
daughter, don't forget, papa, or it may
all be swept off as the Merediths' was
last week. Just fancy if We lost all our
nice solid silver; why, it's worth ever 81
much"
(" Not so very much" answered care.
lessly, having observed, as fancied, the
black eyes of our maid fixed upon my
daughter with rather sharp expression
and remembering that she was a very re-
cent arrival, thought it advisable for
once to detract from the value of the one
possession of which l was extremely
proud-my silver.
exclaimed my wife; "that Old-fashiOned
solid silver not worth 50 very much! Just
feel the weight of one spoon.''
well, We haven't enough to make it
worth anyOne's while to break into this
house, said, with poor assumption of
indifference on the subject
80, joint" and 20, pspav' resound.
ed on all sides, which was followed up by
my wife adding, as if to improve matters
81 should not like my pearls to 60. Nor
should enjoy hearing that my jewel-case
was gone. You must keep that hid under
the bed, john" The black. eyed maid
giggled audibly at this; at least I heard
her. However, her duties compelled her
to leave the room for few minutes, and
took the advantage of her absence to re.
buke them for their extreme thoughtless.
ness in having spoken 80 incautiously be.
fore her.
lit is actually putting temptation in
her way. How do you know she is not in
league with the very gang themselves ?"
wound up, reproachfully.
1t was silly, my wife admitted. "Girls,
don't do it again. But it will te all right
this time, John. We needn't be afraid,
because if anyone came you would be the
first to hear them; and if Mary had told
them anything yours would be the room
they would first come to-
That was evidently a comfort to nv
wife, though could not see much cause
for congratulation. However, l had one
staurch ally to assist me in guarding the
house, and that was my dog Rover, no.
BILE retriever. which kept comfortably
located in kennel placed in the stable
yard. Gentle as lamb with all of us, he
had shown rather lion.like disposition to
strangers on more occasions than one; so l
felt pretty certain if any attempt were made
upon our abode, a very warm reception
would be accorded to the invaders if Hover
got within reach of them. To make GER
tain of his cooperation in the event of an
attack, departed from my usual custom
of claiming him up at night; and, desir-
ing a mat to be laid for him on the lobby,
outside of my bedroom door, I retired to
rest for few nights after the departure
Of my family, feeling pretty confident
that, on the faintest Indication of mid
night marauders, Rover would be on the
alert, and, hearing his Ominous bark, it
would be q very brave man who set his
foot within the hall. Beeides which l
kept a x.barrcled, breech- loading re-
vOlver loaded; and also possessed a very
deadly looking cutlass, which, if every.
thing else failed, could fall back upon.
In accordance with my wife's desire, l
had the most valuable plate carried up
stairs and deposited, not in our room actu-
ally, but in my dressing room, which ad.
Joined, where considered it would be
just as safe. The jewel-case simply re-
manned where it usually was, ON chest
of drawers close by the bed, under which
she had charged me to be sure and place it.
My precautions were, IF course, quite
patent to the servants, who no doubt in
dulged in considerable merriment at my
expense down stairs; and probably pro-
nounced them highly absurd: but one
morning was startled to hear that
house about five miles off, belonging to
Clifford RansfOrd, had been broken into
and everything of value carried off;
worse still, that the butler, who had Seen
awakened by the noise, had received such
injuries from the burglars that he was not
expected to live. As usual. they had es-
capped, leaving not trace behind them by
which to guide the mystified and bewil-
dered police. sat for long time over
my breakfast, Illuminating on what my
mode of procedure should be in the event
of being attacked; and at last a bright
idea struck me, which l resolved to put
into execution; but what it was need not
say until l relate how it succeeded.
had a presentiment that my turn was
coming, and it behooved me to have re-
course to my stratagem without loss of
time.
Accordingly, carried it into effect; ut
least, l made my preparations that very
mOraing; and in the afternoon rode in
to the town, distance of seveul miles,
where made further injuries 1t the DO
lice station as regarded the recent robbery,
but only heard that the thieves were still
at large, and from the quantity Of things
taken at Ransford's, it was concluded that
the gang consisted of four or five men.
Nothing could have been more cheering
news for me of course. Honestly, NV
heart sank somewhere into the region Of
my boots as turned my horses head
hOmeward and cogitated upon the pleas
~ p 81