San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-06-01

endure to be dead weight on Others
for so many years.
"Wait, and you will see,' said my
aunt.
"After supper, l went out to the
kitchen, from whence came loud shouts
of laughter. Kits coffin was placed
near the fire, and square box, which
he carried under his head, was open be-
fore him. lie was distributing, at
once, his jokes and cures-for burns,
toothaches, corns, and more serious
diseases-patterns of children's clothes,
recipes for buildings, every kind of use
full information, in word, which could
be carried in his head or in his box. l
stood listening to him, and, boy as 1
was, noticed the remarkable tact and
homely kindness which he displayed
under all his fun. He turned his bright,
shrewd eyes on me presently.
"You see, young gentleman, can't
follow profession or trade, so have
to take up the odds and ends which no.
body else attends to, to make myself
useful
"My uncle told me that Kit had &C
quired much skill in the cure of simple
ailments, and that, with his odds and
ends, he was in fact one of the most
useful men in the country.
"The storm increased, and Kit re-
manned all night. He was carried in
front of the kitchen fire, the straw of
his bed renewed, and warm coverlids
spread over the coffin.
"My own chamber was over the
kitchen. There were cracks in the log
flooring through which 1 could look
down, and through which, too, ruddy
flashes of freight came up cheerfully.
After the house was all quiet, Patsy,
the innocent came into the kitchen,
and, throwing down blanket on the
warm hearth, near to Kit, curled up on
it like dog. The neighborhood Of the
queer pair made me restless, l suppose,
for could not sleep. l heard the clock
in the hall strike midnight, and then
O'Clock. Then a muf1led sound struck
my ear, very different from the noises
of the storm. 1t was the drawing back
of the heavy bar from the outer door.
"'Probably Dennis, the shepherd, is
going out to look after his lambs 1
thought, and turned over to sleep. But
the next moment l rose uneasily, and
crept to the window. Through the
gray storm without 1 could see that the
road and yard were fill
ed with dark figures, stealthily
surrounding the house. 1 understood
it all at glance.
"The year had been one of great
suffering-almost of famine-and bands
of desperate men had attacked several
of the farm-houses in that part of the
country, which they had plundered,
and then set on fire. These desperate
men were still at large. TWAS asserted
that they were peasants, heretofore de-
cent and honest men. Whoever they
might be, it was certain that, as soon as
caught, they would swing for it.
81 shook with terror. 1 knew that
my uncle had large sum of money in
his chamber, just received for cattle,
and doubtless these men knew it too. l
saw that there were enough of them to
overpower the men in the house, even
if they were awake and armed.
"My room was separated by a long
corridor from my uncle's. CROPPED for
the door, my teeth chattering with cold,
when the freight, flashing up below,
showed me sight which held me mo-
tionless.
"They were already in the house!
The kitchen was full of sturdy fellows,
all armed, their frieze coats covered
with snow, their faces swathed in black
cloth.
"The kitchen was separated from the
house by long passage. They made
no effort to keep quiet, therefore, but
began to drag out the provisions, talk
ing loudly, and in their natural voices.
As yet they had not seen Kit or Patsy.
The idiot lay sound asleep on the warm
hearth, but Kit had raised his head, and
his keen, pale face turned quickly from
one to another as they spoke.
"'They'll murder him!' thought,
but my lips were glued together with
terror. Kit, helpless as a dead man,
was cool and calm.
".Be jabers,' said one, 'we'll hev
.-....,atk;n, 70 ntn hnfnrn we fIIr the