Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-02-05

the stairs and proceeded to barricade
the door, when . thought flashed
across my brain. How was it that il
escaped me so long2 The carrier
pigeon that had Just received from
Uncle Toby / would release With .
message; il would return to Uncle
Toby's, and l would be saved, and
the robbers foiled in their search for
plumber.
/ wrote q message hurriedly, Sc.
cured il to the bird, which / placed
upon the window-sill, when, after .
moments hesitation, it assembled
skywards, and when it passed from
my sight was flying like the wind in
the direction of Uncle Toby's. The
message read az follows:
UNCLE Tony: The house has
been entered by six masked burglars.
Come Immediately. Boz"
Scarcely had the bird started on
its homewsrd fight when the rob.
bers reached my door and tried to
force it; but l had pushed my bed
stead against the door, and with my
personal efforts to prevent them from
entering, had improvised barri.
cade that promised to resist all at
tacks made against it.
The prolonged defence l was max
ing incensed and exasperated the
fellows to such q degree that they
poured forth threats Of vengeance
upon me. Their patience became
exhausted at last, and . pistol shot
which grazed my cheek warned me
of the danger of my long remaining
in that position. 1t had been fred
through the panel of the door.
rushed to the window and gazed
out upon the lawn below. The dis
lance was great, and it seemed to
me that, while torture awaited me il
captured by the robbers, there was
certain death in leap from the win.
dow.
What should / do? The distance
to Uncle Toby's house was Eve miles,
which the pigeon must have covered
by this time. But suppose the bird
should not be discovered? Suppose
Uncle Toby had gone to his room
for the night, and my message should
not be seen and read before morn.
ing? The very thought was so
agonizing to nae that / refused to en-
terrain it.
All this tine the fellows were
working at the door. The bolt was
forced, and slowly and surely the
barricade was yielding to the power
outside. / saw q masked face peer
through the opening thus made, and
the glimmer of the dark lantern from
OUTSIDE. / could remain no longer.
Death itself seemed preferable to the
uncertainty or my fate at the hands
of these desperate fellows.
/ rushed to the window. and with.
out hesitation, jumped. It seemed
to me to be lifetime before / struck
the ground, and when did, rolled
over upon the grass temporarily par.
alyzsd from the shock I had re.
ceived. When ! attempted to rise,
the grip Of an iron hand pressed my
throat, and / felt the cold steel of .
pistol as it was pressed against my
temple.
TO resist meant death. The house
was surrounded. / held my peace
while the robber proceeded to bind
me; for whenever l displayed any
restlessness that cold steel was
pressed against my head. The only
struggle l made was when he at.
tempted to insert gag in my mouth;
but had to submit, for l received a
blow from the butt OF the fellows
pistol that multiplied the stars that
saw in the heavens . hundred fold.
Completely discouraged gave
| myself up in despair. l resisted no
longer, closed my eyes to shut out,
as it were, the gloomy prospect from
me. Somewhat surprised at the
prolonged delay of the robber in
perfecting my pinioning l opened
my eyes.
Uncle Toby stood over me and
stretched upon the grass by my side
was the fellow who had attempted to
secure me, gaping wound in the
head affordine an explanation of the
sudden ending of his attempt upon
my liberty.
a dozen determined and well.
armed men were with him. The
masked robbers at FIRST showed q
disposition to resist but on reflection
and seeing the hopelessness of the
attempt, they surrendered uncondi.
tionally. AT the next term OF cour,
they were sentenced to fifteen years
imprisonment.
Uncle Toby was making the final
round Of his grounds for the night
on the night in question, when the
rustling OF birds wings attracted
his attention. 1t entered the pigeon.
cote. Unable to control his curiosity
and anxions to ascertain the cause o.
such proceeding he procured q lad.
der, assembled to the cote, and there,
to his surprise, he found that the
carrier pigeon had returned with q
message. He read it, summoned his
neighbors, and arrived just in time to
bag the fellows.
The old bird is dead now, but
while it lived there was not money
enough in our town to buy it from
me.