The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1878-03-01
M i 8 Q eIIane us.
One Night.
CREswELL, Md.

lived at the far west, in little log cabin,
at long distance from any other habita.
ton. Our household consisted of nv ia
ther and mother, my brother Mark, two
years older than myself, my sister Grace.
who was Marks twin, myself and two no
BILE dogs, large, strong and fierce to strang-
ers, but very gentle to us. Ours was very
happy life. We were not troubled with
much school learning, except what was
impaired in very charming way by orr
mother, who had the happy faculty of
making study appear like entertainment.
from our father we learned the arts of
hunting and fishing, and we boys could
handle Il rifle as dexterously as our teacher.
Grace was lovely little girl fond of her
brothers, yet clinging to her mothers side
as timidly as child, and refusing to sleep
anywhere but in a small room, literally
only Il closet, that opened from within a
larger one where my parents slept In the
day time she would follow us out into the
woods a short distance, but the least sound
OF anything unusual to her ear, would send
her, pale and quivering, to our arms. and
we despaired of ever making her brave
enough to enjoy our wild and restless lives.
80 altogether missing us sadly, she was
quite content to stay at home, with locked
doors, whenever our father and ourselves
were absent, and keep our mother COMPANY E.
1t was not often that strangers visited onr
lonely dwelling; but with Grace if seem.
ed fixed expectation that we should one
day be annoyed, perhaps injured in some
way, by INSCRIPTIONS men. Her terrors
did not diminish with timo and at four.
teen she was as timid as at six-so mucb
so that my father thought seriously of re.
moving to settled district, two or three
miles off, where we should have the socje- |
ty of few neghbors. But we all loved |
our little home, aud Grace would NOT con.
sent to the sacrifice, just to humor her idle
fears, she said.
One night, just at dusk, when we had |
set down to plentiful supper, which had |
been kept more than an hour for nv father |
to return from the next town. where he |
had been selling an immense quantity of
hops, and for which he had gone to receive
the money, we were somewhat disturbed |
at the entrance OF two stout men. Had
they come in my fathers absence, believe
Grace would have died with alright. As
1T was her terror and alarm must have been
manifest. She had eyed the
strangers closely, her face growing whittier
every instant. The men asked for food.
and my father Hospitality invited them to
partake OF our supper They ate enor-
mously, and drank large quantities of CT
der. They were not at all good looking,
and their'eyes met frequently. as if con-
ferring silently upon some subject which
they had before spoken of. At least, such
was the impression which Grace conveyed
to Mark and myself in hurried whisper.
when we had all escaped from the room.
20, that father would see it as do ~
she whispered; "but he will only call it
my foolish fears. l wish he would come
out" she added with quivering lin.
that you might coax him into Watching
them" A moment after, she turned still |
paler, as she said, 10, Mark, Robbie. think
OF the money o, that is what they want. |
They have followed father home to rob
him !"
Her agony was now 30 great that we |
feared she would faint. We assured her
that we would not go to sleep for the night.
If they stayed, as we supposed they would, |
as we knew father would not refuse them
a lodging by the kitchen fire. Our rifles
were already loaded. and were in our own
little room which led from the kitchen. |
the door being close to the fireplace.
AS we anticipated, they were to sleep
there. Father, mother and Grace retired. |
and the men stretched themselves ON some
bearskins before the hearth, on which blaz.
ed some Knots OF wood, illuminating the
rough ceiling. Their own rifles were plac-
ed near our door.
1t was not long before they slept heavily.
Mark, who had left the door ajar, now
reached out his hand softly for one of the
rifles, IRON which he noiselessly removed
the charge. The other soon shared the
same operation. Our eyes were kept open
unwinkingly until twelve, when one the
men awoke. Mark and | were snoring
powerfully at that time, which seemed to
reassure the villain, for he touched the
other with his foot, and said in hoarse
whisper:
"Now is our time! Take your gun,
while the boys sleep, and make sure work
of the Others"
The others o, Heaven, who were thew
Our beloved father, our dear, beautiful
mother, and the sweet sister, without
whom we could not live-were they all to
be sacrificed to these horrid wretches a.
We saw them approach their door stealth
lily. 1t was barred from within. Grace
had told us she would do it herself, as IA
ther was so careless; and we had told her,
too. where to hide the money which we
knew he would place in an unlocked
drawer, as was his custom. We knew that
her eyes would be as sleepless as our own.
The men uttered whispered curse when
they tried the door. Their rifles were in
their hands, and one proposed, loud enough
for us to hear, to go out and fire into the
window of the bedroom.