Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-08-27
CLEARFIELD, Pa, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 1871

unwittingly have gotten into q nest Of
cut-throats and thieves? ? As thought
of this, the peculiar conduct of the old
hag below came to mind, and | became
more and more impressed with the fact
that | was in most perilous predica.
ment, still remained at the window
while these thoughts were darting
through my brain, and presently ! saw
tho strangers leave the shed and ap-
proach the house. One of them knock.
cd at the door, but it was not until the
rap was repeated for second or third
time that the old woman was aroused
from the sleep into which she had evi.
IDENTIFY fallen. The party was finally
ladmitted, however, and as | retired
from the window / heard the tread Of
their heavy footsteps on the lower
floor. Some words passed between
them and then all was quiet for time.
My agitation had become wrought to
terrible pitch, meantime, and | look
ed about for the means Of escape from
the danger which seemed to me TO be
SO imminent. hastily donned my
clothing, and running to the windows
looked out into the yard below. They
were fully thirty feet above the ground,
however, and ] knew some broken
bones must result il | attempted 10
secure safety by q jump. This was
out OF the question, and as there was
no other exit except by the stairway
by which had come, all avenues of
escape seemed to be closed against me.
The pcrspiration came out in large
drops as realized this terrible state of
affairs, and a moment later my heart
leaped almost into my throat at acci-
dentally overhearing the fragment of a
remark made by the woman in the
room underneath
"Take the big knife, Bill, and cut
straight across. Bo careful not to
waken himl Those were the exact
words used, and they have rang in
my head for almost a quarter of cen.
tury. AT the moment of their utter.
ancc thrill of agony passed over me,
and feeling assured that my last hour
had come, again ran TO the window,
determined to jump therefrom at what
ever cost. My feelings can be imagin-
ed at the moment was about to make
the attempt, when | discovered that
pack of half dozen dogs wero prowl-
ing about below, they having been evil
dently placed there TO cut off all
chances OF escape. ! gave up in des-
pair, and with murmured prayer for
help, sank back on the bed almost OK
hausted by my strong excitement. l
had only lain there for q minute or so,
when horror the heavy boots of one
of the men were heard tramping up
the stairs, and at the same moment q
light from a candle in his hand began
to throw a dull glare through the open
ing in the floor. Fascinated by the
sight, | was unable to move from my
position on the bed, and, like the vic
tim Of the serpents charm, awaited in
daze the coming evil. Presently the
mans head appeared, then his shoul-
ders, and finally portion of his body.
He wore red shirt, and bis face ap-
peared all infamed, and more like that
of demon than man. In his right
hand the villain held the candle, while
in the other he cutched the handle of
a large and horrible looking butcher
knife The time had come. / closed
my eyes, and -"
Heavens, how horriblel" interrupt
ed the writer, and the ejaculation was
echoed by chorus OF ten or twenty
other voices at his elbow.
"Well," continued the narrator, "my
fears were groundless. The intrudcr's
intentions were pure and honest. lie
had come up stairs for the purpose of
cutting off piece of bacon from one
of the hams suspended from the raft
ers That wasall. Ny silly fears had
been groundess, and caused only by
distorted mind. 1t seems, as / learned
from the people when regained con.
sciousness in the morning, that the
party which had been the means of
my terror was made up Of farmers of
the neigbborhood, who had been out
fox hunting. They had returned about
two o'clock in the morning, after a
successful expedition, when they sat
down to partake OF an early breakfast,
as is customary in the country on such