The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-06-18
4 WATCHMAN's ADVENTURE.

Mr. Dipper was one of the most efficient
night watchmen we ever knew, for you could
no more catch him asleep than you could the
proveIbial weasel. Every hair in mis- head
seemed charged with electricity, and con-
stantly on the alert and it was very evident
that stroking his hair would produce the
same sound as rubbing a cats fur in the
wrong direction.
The building under his nightly charge was
q large silk warehouse on the outskirts of
New York, and within stones throw of
large field. on which, at the period embraced
in my story, a travelling menagerie haG pitch
ed its tent. As such exhibitions often
brought bad characters into the neighbor-
hood, Martin was more vigilant than usual ];
and, fearing that he might fall asleep, he
took along a small bulldog to act as deputy.
The night which Martin had such terrible
cause to remember was a very guSty one in
the latter part of autumn and the tree in
front Of the warehouse was showeTing down
its crimson foliage as if the red snow that is
sometimes seen in the Poland regions were
falling in huge flakes.
He was a strict teetotaler and as every
night-watchman requires some stlmuIant, he
was in the habit of taking pint of coffee
with him and warming it up duringthe night
Between twelve and one O'Clock, he went
up stairs for that purpose, as the only fire.
place in the building was in a small front
room on the second floor. After splitting up
some old boxes, he made blazing fire on the
hearth, which lighted up the little room so
resplendently that his lantern became a mere
superf1uity. The warmth was so grateful to
his rheumatic limbs that he kept putting on
fuel long after he had drank his allowance of
hot coffee.
1t was his custom to inspect the doors and
windows on the ground floor of the building
at regular intervals 50 at two o'clock he
went down stairs for that purpose, leaving
the dog in a comfortable GOze by the fire.
He had completed his round of inspection,
and was on his way up stairs again, when he
heard tremendous crash of glass, followed
by howl from the dog, scuffiing sound
and all was still again. Martin cooked his
Colts revolver and rushed into the room,
only to find the window-saSh shattered to
fragments and the dog gone
How was that state of things to be ac-
counted for? The dog couldn't have jumped
through the window, because the scufiiiug
sound succeeded the crash; and furthermore
all the glass broken from the window was
strewn upon the floor of the room, showing
conclusiyely that the window was broken
from the outside.
Martin was puzzled for once, and the more
he revolved the matter the more it seemed
that some supernatural agency had been at
work. glance from the window satisfied
him that no human being could reach it ex-
cept by means of a ladder; for, although the
tree we have mentioned stood directly in
front Of it, the intervening distance was too
great for any ore to use the tree as a means
of access to the window.
Martin then resolved to examine the ground
Immediately under the window, for traces
left by the feet of a ladder, or by those OF
robbers. He was aware of the risk attached
TO such a course, but that could not deter him
from seeking clew to the disappearance of
his favoritc dog. lie was on the point of go
ing out when it occurred to him that his duty
to h;s employer, which was always a para
mount consideration in his mind, forbade
that he should tahe so rash step, and that
he had already been guilty of gross negli
gence in leaving the broken window for an
instant So he hurried back to the room
from which the dog had disappeared, anC
prepared to watch there until morning. The
fate of the dog had warned him of the dan
/ ger of having light in the room, and thus
making himself a conspicuous target to any
+ one or anything outside 50 he extlnguisheC
/ the fire, covered up his lantern in one corner
of the apartmen6 and sat in the dark, will
his finger on the trigger of his pistol, await
ing further developments.
At this juncture there was a luII in tn,
I gale, which had raved with maniacal fur,
for several hours, and Martins acute ea
heard an iudistinct sound below that was ev
identity caused by some one creeping on Iii
hands and knees. Martin had often heard o
hunters crawling in that manner to surpris,
their game.
\ momentary silence ensucd, and then h,
heard the tree violently agitated as if SOM
giant were ascending it for there was II,
wind blowing at the time. y moment after
ward, what appeared to be the legs Of a bur
/ glar was thrust through the window, and h
i fred one barrel of his revolver at it, but wa
unable to fire a second, as the exploded per
custom cap had got wedged in behind tin
chamber of the pistol so as to prevent it fron
revolving.
But Martin meant business /; so he threw
the revolver at the mysterious object an,
then followed it up with a bowie knife. Blu
+ it soon dropped from his paralyzed hand, a
be was jerked through the window, an
found himself IN the coils Of boa constructor
The mensgerie tent had blown down, tn
pole Of u falling upon the seTpent's cage, ah