Sharp County record., 1880-02-12

nv mlnd as 1elI Gne uIeau lo"l "I''P
pearing, and found myself of sudden
grown strangely calm. -,
The clock struck 10. turned to the
shelf, and, with hand that no longer
trembled, inserted the key, and wound
it composedly. Would it be the last
time that | should perform that simple
ask? No matter. Happier than most
men, because content with my humble
lot, it should never be said that Old
Billy fiinched in the face of duty. For
that night it was my duty-my one sa-
cred, all-important duty-to guard the
treasure left to my safe-keeping. Ana
Guard it I would while life remained.
When | had finished winding the
clock, | took down from the shelf an
old rusty pistol, which had lain for
wears undisturbed. 1t was not loaded,
nor had either powder or bullet any
where in the station. But the weapon
was ugly looking, and carried sort OF
silent force in case of too aggressive ar
cument. After examining the rusty
lock, put the pistol on the table, made
fresh glass of toddy, drank 1t, lighted
nv pipe, and-closed the door that
opened into the freight-room. Now
that | was thoroughly myself again,
| found it easy enough to shut out the
sipht of that ominous oblong box.
Itwas not until the clock struck again,
that is, eleven-that made up my mind
to 90 to bed. Ali this time the storm
held on, although the thunder had be-
g1ln to rumble more distantly. l threw
off my coat and slippers, put out the
light in the ticket-office, and turned
that in my sleeping-room down
to a low flame. Then drew
the money-package from under the
mattress and pinned it securely to my
wooden shirt under my vest. This done,
and with the table so placed that l could
reach both the lamp and the pistol,
opened the door into the freight-ro,om
some three or four inches, and then
threw myself upon the bed. Just as
nv head touched the pillow the instru-
ment, which had grown quiet now,
clicked off for the third time, loudly,
distinctly, slowly, its words of warning;
WATCH THE BOX!
This time the warning was not
needed. l had not gone to bed to sleep,
but for the very purpose of watching
the box. Standing as it did, with the
head close to the door, and therefore
close to the box itself, the bed afforded
tho worry hest noint from which to keep
an eve on the suspicious freight. Had
my faith in the telegraphic clicking been
less, or had my own sense of great re-
sponsibility deserted me for single
moment, I should certainly have
given up the job of watch
inc as foolish; and, in that case, it is
not likely that this narrative would ever
have been written. But | believed in the
thricc-repeated message, and | did not
j let drowsiness overcome patience.
Twelve, one, two-how very slowly the
hours seemed to drag themselves! The
low flame of the lamp went out, as the
oil had run dry. What a relief it was
to hear the clock strike? At last, some
where about midnight, the storm had
broken. l could see the stars as they
came out, through the window in the
freight-room, which was on line of
vision with the box. How strangely
still it seemed after the mighty roar of
the storm and the sharp claps of thun-
der! Not click from the instrument
now. Not sound save the steady tick
inc of the clock. Still / lay listening,
watching, with faculties all alert and
my eyes always on the oblong box.
A little past two-perhaps ten min
utes. The silence almost painful in its
profoundness. Nothing but the tick-tick
of the clock, which to my eager ear had
taken on this sound, which it kept re-
peating over and over:
"Watch-the-box Watch-the-
box"
What was that?
Not the clock, not the telegraphic in
strument. No, it was the sound as of
the grating of iron. Faint, very faint,
yet still audible to my ear. Breathing
regularly and deeply, as one breathes in
sleep, | lay and listened. Another in
terval of silence, and then the grating
sound came again, this time trihe loud
er than before. The light of the stars
shining through the window made the
objects in the freight-room just visible.
Almost simultaneously with the second
grating noise l saw the cover of the
wooden box slowly from the end
furthest removed from the bed. | could
feel my heart humping away, like a
sledge-hammer, but l continued to
breathe heavily and to watch keenly.
Gently and noiselessly the cover was
pressed upward until it reached an an
gle 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