The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-06-12


"Come, SIR he said, shortly, pre-
pare for death! Fate, whom l serve,
commands me to slay you at the rising
of the sun. You have just five minutes
in whi cl, to make your peace with
Heaven then you must dieP
The I lstol was what was then called
a pepper-box,' the prototype of the
whole modern arsenal of revolving
weapons. AS he held it toward me, |
could distinctly see the balls at the end
of the chambers; and | realized that the
man who held the weapon of death was
a maniac. III made the least movement
toward the door, my young life would
be the forfeit.
"What should dop"
"Like flash of light came the
thought: The landlord will be coming
presently to rouse you Try to keep
your wits about you, and gain little
time
"' Are you prayingP" said the mad
man.
I'm thinking replied, as quietly
as could, fixing my eyes upon his livid
countenance, that is very. harsh treat
ment to offer man who has done
nothing worse to you than to give you a
share of his ROOM.
Cant help it, sir; must obey orders. ,
"'Do you know l said, trying to
control my voice, that you've deceived
me? You didn't tell me, yesterday,
about YOUR being an agent of Fate, or
should have been better prepared; but
you allowed me to believe you to be a
gentleman, travelling on ordinary bust
ness or for pleasure; so | offered you a
bed in my room; and in return, you take
my life! To say the least, you have not
behaved like gentleman
"He looked little troubled. De
ceived is strong word, sir, he began.
"'I can call it nothing else,' 1 re-
turned, still speaking as quietly as l
could; and what is more, sir, when a
man deceives me about one thing, I'm
very apt to distrust any other statement
he may make to me. l doubt, now,
whether you We're ever in the East at
all; l doubt whether you were ever mar
ried; doubt if you have daughter.
Why, l remember how you said. last
evening, you'd show me her miniature;
but you didn't produce it. | don't be-
lieve now you've such a thing in your
possession
80 have I swear l have it here in
my carpet-bag = he said, letting his hand
which held the revolver fall to his side
in his earnestness.
"Well,' said I, nonchalantly, I'll
believe. you when l see the picture, not
Before
He laid the pistol down on the foot
of my bed, and strobe across the room.
You may believe l lost no time in Sc
curing the weapon.
Just then footsteps sounded in the
passage outside. The landlord was
coming at last. / sprang to the door,
and pointed the pistol at my late would
be eXecutioner, who had turned, and
was looking at his empty hands in con-
sternation.
- You stir another step,' cried, it
will be your last stepr'
50 then opened the door and admitted
the astonished host, who looked per-
fectly aghast as l tried to explain to him
what had occurred. / was excited al
most to frenzy, while my companion,
well-dressed, bland and selEpossessed,
expressed the greatest amazement at my
story, which he denied in every particu-
lar.
"'Just look at his appearance he
said. Contrast his manner with mine,
and tell me which of us looks like the
madman. You heard him outside, just
now, landlord, threaten to shoot me.
He has the pistol in his hand now. Is
it slikely that, if it belonged to me, l
would give it into his possession? The
man is perfectly insane-has been act
ing like a lunatic ever since he awakened
this morning.
"' At this unexpected turn of affairs,
| was so nonplussed that, in an excited
manner, | endeavored to show the de-
ceit of the fellow, moving the pistol in
my excited gesticulations.
"'Help, help Murder, murderr
screamed the man, in apparent terror.
IIaln hnlnf A1,,rlar ~
echoed the wretched landlord, who
clutched at the others arm, and dragged
him toward the door, vociferating,
'Helpn There's a crazy man up stairsn
:" | don't know how l should have con-
vinced the landlord of my sanity if I'M
expected help had not arrived soon after,
in the shape of two stout, burly keepers
from an insane asylum in Philadelphia,
who pounced at once upon the old gem
tleman as their legitimate property, and
handcuffed him in the twinkling of an
eye.
"They had most opportunely arrived
by the mail-coach during the alteration
up stairs. ,
formerly been an actor Q could well be-
lieve iD, but was possessed with Il homi-
cidal mania, and had been pronounced
the asylum was discovered, it at once
occurred to the keepers to inquire for him
at the different coach offices in the city.
"No such person being booked as a
passenger, they were thrown off the
track, and were searching the city and
its environs, when they were put upon
the right track by countryman who
had seen him waiting on the roadside to
take the stage.
"They had Just time to send off two
men by the mail-coach, which left Phil
adelphia at ten, and which arrived at
the inn just in time to rescue me from a
distressing dilemma.
"How the maniac obtained possession
of loaded revolver they could not con-
lecture, and he obstinately refused to
tell.
However, as you may imagine, did
not concern myself great deal with that
question. | hurried on with my clothes,
ate what breakfast l could, and left the
house by that blessed mail-coach at six
o'clock, thankful enough that | was able
to pursue my, journey uninjured.-
Youths Companion.