The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-10-28

the infant would he spared by he
compliance. 1t was to risk all agains
nothing. Like u discreet girl, sh,
consequently held fast in he
resolve to abide as she was while
life remained, or until assistanc,
should reach her.
can ye open not the door, shouted
the william from without, accompany
ing his words with the vilest abuse
and the hercest imprecations. "I'l
hack the whelp's limbs to pieces will
my knife, and then burn the mil
over your head. Twill be u merry
blaze, / trOw."
IL put my trust in God" replied
the dauntless girl; ''never shall we SET
foot within these walls whilst ! have
life to prevent ye."
The ruilian laid the infant for q
moment on the sward, as he sought
about for combustibles wherewith to
execute his threat. In this search he
cSpicd. perhaps, the only clandestine
entrance to the building. 1t was a
large aperture in the wall, communi.
eating with the great wheel and other
machinery of the mill. and was a
point entirely unprotected, for the
reason the simple occupant had never
supposed it feasible for any one to
seek admission through such u dan
gerOus inlet. Elated with this dis.
covery, the ruflian returned to the
infant, and, tying the hands and feet
of the little innocent, threw it on the
ground even rs the butcher will fling
lamb destained for the slaughter,
to await his time for Staying. He
then stole back to the aperture, by
which he hoped to effect an entrance.
all this was unseen by the dauntless
girl within.
In the meantime her mind was
busted with q thousand cogitatiOns.
She clearly perceived that no means
would be left untried to effect an ell.
trance, and she knew that on the ex-
clusion of her foe depended her own
existence. A thought struck her.
ut is Sunday" said she to herself;
"the mill never works on the Sabbath,
suppose / set it a-gOing nOwl II can
be seen far off. and happily my mas
ter, or some of his neighbors, wonder.
ing at the sight may haste hither to
know the cause. \ lucky thought"
she exclaimed, its God that has
sent it to mel"
No sooner said than done. Being
all her life accustomed to mill.gear.
it was but the work of moment for
her to set the machinery in motion.
A brisk breeze which sprang up, as
it were, by the special interposition
Of Providence, mt once set the sails
flying. The arms of the huge engine
whirled around with fearful rapidity;
the great wheel slowly revolved in its
axle; the smaller gear turned and
creaked and groaned. according as
they came into action, and the mill
was in full operation.
1t was that very instant that the
ruilian Diether had succeed in squeez.
ing himself through the aperture of
the wall end getting safely lodged in
the great drum-wheel. His dismay
however, was indescribable when he
begin to be whirled about with its
rotations and found that all his eff.
forts to put q stop to the powerful
machinery which set it in motion, or
to eXtricate himself from his peri.
lOus situation. were fruitless. His
cries were most APPALLING; his shrieks
were truly fearful; his curses and
imprecatiOns were horrible to bear.
Hannchen fastened to the spot, and
saw him caught, like a reptile rs he
was, in his own trap. 1t need not be
added that she did not liberate him.
She knew that he would be more
frightened than hurt, if he kept with.
in his rotary prison; and she knew,
also, that unless lie attempted to
escape, there was no danger of his
falling out of it, even though he
were insensible and inanimatc all the
while. In the meantime the whee
went round and round with the ruffiar
along with it, steadily and unceasing
| ly, too. In vain did he promise the
stout hearted girl to work her NJ
harm; in vain did he implore her pit!
on his helpless condition.; in vain die
| he pray to all the powers of heaven
and adjure all the powers OF hell, u
his aid. She would not hear or heat
him; and, unheard and unheaded o
them, likewise muttering curses. h,
was whirled round and round in TIN
umtiring wheel, till ut last feeling
and PERCEPTION failed him, and h
saw and heard no more. He fel
, scnseless OH the bottom of the engin
but even then his inanimate bod
continued to be whirled round an
round us before; the brave girl nc
4 daring to trust the appearance l
connection with such villain, an
g being, therefore, afraid to suspen
|. the working of the machinery. or
stop the mill gear and tackle froi
,. running ut their fullest speed.
e a loud knocking at the door WI
IS afterwards heard, and she hastene
II thither. 1t was her master and h
family, accompanied by several
,e their neighbors. The unaccustome
Or appearance Of the mill-sails in fu
:" swing on Sunday, had, rs she antit
,e pated, attracted their attention, al
II they had FASTENED home from chur'
for the purpose of ascertaining Il
an cause of the phenomenon. The fat
IS. er bore his little boy in his arm
IN He had cut the cord wherewith t
N. child was tied, but he was unable