Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1877-09-19

haps, for laying his hand on my
arm, lie said:
"Not as you do, perhaps, but
them" pausing abruptly, he
added: "For Miss Daisy's sake, !
mean to go back on my mates to-
night"
Ashamed of my suspicious, en-
treated him to explain his meaning
more fully.
"Bloody Mike and Gambling
Charlie mean deviltry tonight
he replied. "They have planned to
go to Sunny Dell, and rob the
house under cover of the fires in
the village" 'h- "a.
"Good Heavens p / exclaimed,
as leaped into the saddle. "Mr.
Ward and all the farm hands and
servants are busy at the fire."
"Stop. do you want to ride down
there, and get shot for your pains,
and kill the woman, too?" he ad-
ded, seeing that l was bent upon
riding on as quickly as possible.
"We're two long miles off, and
Daisy is alone and unprotected,
Dick-Dick, what shall / do!' l
said, excitedly, my thoughts dwell
ing on the danger and alarm of the
darling girl at the Dell.
ave been thinking it over," he
replied, "we can swim the lake,
that'll save a mile, then we can run
through the woods to the garden
gate in the lane--that will bring
US to the rear piazza-then we can
nab them. It's all for Daisy-Pd
die for her, Mr.. Belmont"
| grasped his hand with ready
sympathy; his SCARED face looked
handsome to me at that moment.
"Time enough" he replied.
"Time enough, when perhaps
my darling is this moment"
"Hush be cautious" he whis-
pered; "we'll creep through the
bushes near the house, and when
we see the flames of another fire
shooting up from below, well act;
that is the signal agreed upon,"
and then, as if a sudden regret had
seized him, he added: "It's hard
to GO agin my mates"
"Daisy shall be our watchword,"
| whispered, close to his ear.
He nodded assent, and We plung-
ed through the bushes, scratching
our hands and faces, and tearing
our clothes. AS we emerged from
the wood, we heard low chuck
ling laugh-the fiends are already at
work, l thought, and was about
to rush forward through the lane,
needless of danger, when my more
cautious companion restrained me.
We skulked along under cover
of the shrubs, creeping upon our
hands and knees, until we reached
the garden gate. There, Dick
and untying his coat, which
he had carried across the lake on
his head, produced two revolvers,
one which he handed to me; if he
had presented me with the Kohl
moor, / could not have been more
"Follow me-" he whis-
pered, and in another moment we
stood upon the back piazza and
were peeping through the half
closed blinds.
i fairly held my breath, as, seat
ed at the dining table in the center
of the large apartment, l saw the
odious looking fellows whom, in
stinctly, thought must be Bloody
Mike and Gambling Charley.
A large black bottle stood upon
the table in close companionship
with a pack of cards, and two
heavily packed bundles of silver
ware and other valuables lay ready
to be grasped at a moments notice.
The rufiians had evidently been
drinking deeply, just enough to
lose q little Of their habitual eau
tion--for once, temptation had in
terfered with their professional
duties.
Where was Daisy !--out of their
reach, / hoped and believed. !
turned to go in search of her,
whom Dick touched my shoulder,
and putting his finger to his lips