Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1880-07-31

we threw ourselves, dressed as we were,
on the outside of the bed, and he was
soon fast asleep.
l lay awake for some time. could
hear them moving about in the next
room, as they prepared for bed, and
then / heard the woman order the
children to make has an go ter
sleep"
"They cyarnt sleep in hyar tonight,
said the man, speaking for the first
time. 81 want all han on yer ter clar
out. l want this hyar room t'-night."
"What for, Damp asked the woman.
".Cause do, that's all; fair folks is
comm"
She did not ask any further questions
and presently l heard her and the chill
dren scrambling up the rough ladder
leading to the loft above.
They speedily took possession of their
beds, and the house became perfectly
quiet. l heard my husbands deep
drawn, regular breathing; l heard the
dog in the next room as he stirred now
and then in his sleep. heard the man
move slightly once or twice. L knew
from the fumes which pervaded my
room that he was smoking some very
bad tobacco. when a haze fell upon my
senses-and fell asleep.
L awoke with start some time after
ward. Had some one been moving
about my room? No.
Everything was as usual, the night
taper burned dimly on the table, and
my husband lay sleeping quietly beside
me.
l felt under my pillow for my watch,
found it, rose, and moved quietly to-
ward the light, that might see the
time. The table stood on the parti-
toned side of the room-the side
farthest from the bed. just as l APP
preached the light 1 was arrested by
hearing voice speaking low and dis
tinctly from the other side of the parti-
ton.
"Shure Their all fas' ter sleep?''
"Shure, sound ez logs, bofe on
'um."
"Come hyar then, femme tell yer.
Cooneyr' summoning some one.
Yes, SIR"
Ibid yer say Their want nobody nigh
tn lookup room?"
Nobody bat Jim Manson; he sleeps
down Their tonight"
And yer know tn way in by tn
winder?'
IL lef' hit soze 1 could git right in
easy"
"An right; Wen fix hit fur 'em, GER
tin, an l reckon ther'll be moin one
dollar gone to-morrer mawnin'."
"When yer gwine ter start. DAMP"
"NOt fore N hour, though l want to
git some sleep fus'."
Suppressed laughter was followed by
some whispered conversation which es-
capped me; but now knew they were
planning to rob the lock-room at Mr..
Rice's. while l and my husband were to
be let alone, because they had ascer-
tanned that we had nothing with us to
tempt their cupidity.
Presently they seemed to betake
themselves to repose. throwing them
selves on the floor; there must have
been four of them, at least. listened
with bated breath-not even whisper.
Then, all at once, l heard some one
say:
.'Hadn't better look in agin mex
door?" A suggestion which caused me
to speed across to my bed in an instant.
l lay there in an agony of terror,
which eliminated as heard Dan Turn
er reply:
Lem me CO. and his stealthy step
advancing to my bedside, he paused
a moment to listen, and then crept out
again.
sFas' ter sleep. Leave UNI lone an
Their good tell mornin'." He flung HIM
self heavily on the floor. and the room
became perfectly quiet. They were all
sleeping soundly now, but in an hour
or two at the farthest they would be on
their way to rob-perhaps to murder.
Could | do nothing to prevent it?
Nothing. If were to attempt to rouse