The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-04-15

Iwrote message hurriedly, secured
; it to the bird, which I placed upon the
! window-sill, when, after q moments
hesitation, it assembled skywards, and
when it passed from my sight was fly.
ing like the wind in the direction of
Uncle Toby's. The message read as
follows:
UNCLE TopY: The house has beon entered
By six masked burglars. Come Immediately.
Bob
Scarcely had the bird started on it's
homeward fight when the robbers
reached my door and tried to force
it; but I had pushed by bedstead
against the door, and, with my per-
sonal Efforts to prevent them from en-
tering, I had improvised a barricade
that promised to resist all attacks made
against it.
The prolonged defense I was making
incensed and exasperated the fellows
to such a degree that they poured
forth threats of vengeance upon me.
Their patience became exhausted at
last, and a pistol-shot which grazed
my cheek warned me of the danger of
my long remaining in that position. 1t
had been fired through the panel of the
door.
I rushed to the window and gazea
out upon the lawn below. The distance
was great, and it seemed to me that.
while torture awaited me if captured by
the robbers, there was certain death in
leap from the window.
What should I do? The distance to
Uncle Toby's house was five 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 morning2 The
very thought was so agonizing to me
that refused to entertain it.
All this time the fellows were work.
ing at the door. The bolt was forced,
and slowly but surely the barricade was
yielding to the power outside. I saw a
masked face peep through the opening
thus made, and the glimmer of the dark
lantern from outside. I could remain
no longer. Death itself seemed prefer
able to the uncertainty of my fate at
the hands of these desperate fellows.
I rushed to the window, and, without
hesitation, I jumped. It seemed to me
to be lifetime before I struck the
ground, and when I did, T rolled over
upon the grass temporarily paralyzed
from the shock I had received. When
1 attempted to rise, the grip Of an iron
hand pressed my throat, and I felt the
cold steel OF pistol as it was pressed
against my temple.
70 resist meant death. Tie house
was surrounded. Iheld my peace while
the robber proceeded to bind me; for
whenever I displayed any restlessness
that cold steel was pressed against my
head. The only struggle I made was
when he attempted to insert sag in
my mouth; but I had to submit, for
received blow from the butt of the
fellows pistol that multiplied the stars
that I saw in the heavens hundred
fold.
Completely discouraged, I gave N.Y.
self up in despair. 1 resisted no long
or, closing my eyes to shut out, as it.
were, the gloomy prospect before me.
Somewhat surprised at the prolonged
delay of the robber in perfecting my
pinioning, I opened my eyes.
Uncle Toby stood over me. Stretched
upon the grass by my side was the fell
low who had secured me, q gaming
wound in the head affording an explain
alton of the sudden ending of his at
tempt upon my liberty.
A dozen determined and Well-armed
men were with him. The masked rob-
bers at first showed a disposition to re-
sist; but On reflection, seeing the hope
lessness of such an attempt, they sur
rendered Internationally. At the
next term of the court they were each
sentenced to fifteen years. imprison-
ment.
Uncle Toby was making his final
rounds of his grounds on the night in
question, when the rustling of birds
wing attracted his attention. It en-
tered the pigeon-cote. Unable to con-
troll his curiosity, and anxious to asccr-
tain the cause of such a peculiar pro-
ceeding, he procured ladder, assembled
to the cote, and there, to his surprise,
he found that the carrier-pigeon had
already returned, and with a message.
He read it, summoned his neighbors,
and arrived just in time to bag the fell
lows.
The old bird is dead now, but while
it lived there was not money enough in
our town to buy it from me.