Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-09-09

/
! clock, which 10 my eager ear had taken
on this sound, which it kept repeating
/ over and over:
watch the-box Watch - the
/ box"
| what was that?
Not the clock, not the telegraphic in
/ strument. No, it was a sound as of the
Grating of iron. Faint, very faint, yet
/ still audible to my ear. Breathing regu-
4 lary and deeply, as one breathes in
sleep, | lay and listened Another in
terval of silence, and then the grating
sound came again, this time a trihe
louder than before. The light of the
stars shining through the window made
the objects in the freight-room Just WISH
bic. Almost simultaneously with the
second grating noise | saw the cover of
the wooden box rising slowly from the
end furthest removed from the bed. /
could feel my heart humping away like
,sledge hammer, but | continued to
breath heavily and to watch keenly.
Gently and noiselessly the cover was
pressed upward until it reached an angle
which completely shut out from my view
the window beyond. A moment later
the figure OF man came out from the
shadows, while the box cover was let
down as noiselessly as it had been raised
This, then, was the burden Of the box
This was the meaning of the mysterious
warming which the sonnder had spoken.
With Cat-like tread the figure moved
toward the door of my room Still ! lay
as in deep sleep. On the threshold the
figure paused, and a moment later a
single ray of light like a silver thread
pierced the darkness and fell upon the
bed. Luckily, it did not strike my face,
and in an instant | had closed my eyes.
As had anticipated the ray of light was
directed toward my pillow, and by the
sense of feeling | knew it rested q mo-
ment on my face. Satisfied that | WAS
in deep siumber, the figure, still with
cat-like tread, glided through the bed
room and into the ticket office. My eyes
were wide open again by this time. me
light from the dark lantern had increased
but its rays were now turned toward the
safe. Obviously the rObber believed the
treasure Ike sought was there | waited
until he had knelt down to examine the
lock, and then. with step as noisless as
his own, | slipped from the bed and
toward the hall-open door So intent
was he in examining the safe that it was
not until | was within reach of him that
he heard me. He sI1ang to his feet,
bringing the glass Of the lantern full in
to my face and reaching for his revolver,
which he had lain upon the top Of the
safe. But he was too late. With the
rusty old pistol, held by its long barrel,
| dealt him a cruhiug blow on the head,
Just as his fingers grasped his own
weapon. He fell heavily without utter
ing groan. The lantern was eXtin-
guished as it fell, and with trembling
fingers ! struck Il match and lighted the
lamp in the office. As its rays fell upon
the upturned face Of the robber | saw
that blood was flowing from the wound
| had inflicted and saw, too, that the
mans face was delicate in its outlines
and intelligent in its expression. | had
time to notice no more, for | felt,
now that the long, nervous strain was
overflow that the dagger was past-the
need of aid. So after hurriedly binding
the unconscious mans feet and arms,
and bathing his head IN cold water,
pulled on my boots and overcoat and
started in hot haste for the hotel.
Han way on the road l met a covered
carriage, drawn by ono horse took
it to be the turnout of Matthews, the
hotel-proprietor, and wondering where
he could be out for at that hour /
shouted his name. got no response.
Then [ cried out ut the top of my voice.
1--WE killed burgler down at the stas
ton !"
Whoever was in the carriage must
have heard me, but the horse only
quickened his sharp trot and disappeared
IN the darkness.
They gave me a great deal more credit.
the people of Red Raven, for that nights
adventure, than | deserve. And | do not
blame them for Laughing at how ting
came out. For when party Of us got
back to the station, my unconscious bur
giar had disappeared, and the tracks next
morning showed that the covered car
rage which had met on the road, had
drawn up at the platform. Who was in
it? Well, | couldn't swear, but | had
notion that it contained the gentleman
who had come on with the dead body.
Atall events, neither he nor the body
was ever seen in the town again. | had
the satisfaction of delivering the money
package safely to Eldridge q Rlcketson,
but the check they gaze me was really
not merted. For what would have hap
pened had it not been for the mysterious
message which no man sentn
Facts for the Curious.
Ninevah was fourteen miles long,
eight miles wide and forty-six miles
rnupl with u wall thick puoDph for