The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1881-10-22


His blood ran chill. Must be kill this
old woman? Was she the s'rapgler who
carried out the crimes her demon son
planned2 1t would seem so.
The ladder was creaking beneath her
ascending tread. A moment later, and
the waiting man in the loft could discern
a crouchipG figure on tho Aoor, creeping
oat-like toward lin. He even noted the
glisten of her fendish eyes, tho light
scratch Of her clag-like nails against the
logs. Motionless he lay, bis knife thrust
back into his boot-top, both hands ready
for the attack.
The woman was alone. Her noble son
waited below until the danger was past,
Nearer and nearer she drew, now halt
ing to listen and again advancing, but 80
directing her course as TO ctm me upon her
intended victim from the direction in
which bis head lay. SO doing, she could
seize his throat with her whole strength,
aud be, thus terribly awakened, would
vainly beat the air without danger to the
strangler, It WAS simple plan, yet dia-
bolically cunning.
Already the hag was in place already
her skinny arms were outstretched, hor
sinewy hands open to grasp the warm
throat of her victim, h,r poisonous
breath upon his brow when, with sud
den sweep of bis arms of steel, Morrison
caught his nssailant as if in vice, lifted
her bodily from the floor, and buried
her face downward in the blankets upon
Which he lay, winding her body from
head to feet in the heavy cloth, until she
WAS securely gagged and bound then he
again drew his knife and crept slowly to-
the edge of the hole.
Lamoreaux was standing below. The
sound of the struggle had reached him;
and now. with outstarting eyes and trem-
bling limbs, he awaited the signal to
seize bis prey. But it.came not.
The man was troubled. He visited
softly, then called;
"Grannyl How Is itr'
No reply, and only the far-away cry of
an owl broke the deathly stillnes Of the
night. Lamoreauxs breath came hard
and kissing through the teeth.
courses upon her wrinkled hide what
has bappened?" he muttered, and called
a second time.
Still no reply; even the cry of the owl
was silepced now. Night and mystery
reigned.
THE devils witch is robbing the
corpse herself" exclaimed the desperate
in low, intense tone. Il must see to
It,"
And the man began slowly and with
the utmost silence to ascend the ladder.
Above crouched Morrison, every nerve
tense as steel, his eyes cleaning with
that light which shines from those of q
panther ere he springs, his breath in
drawn--waiting.
Step by step Lamoreaux drew near. un-
til first his head, then his neck, and last
his shoulders were above the level of ihe
floor; then, with fierce yell--an ISdian
war cry Morrison's ann shot forward
like the holt from O bow. There was a
single CLEAN of a flashing blado, half
uttered cry of horror cut cleanly in two.
a sudden sinking of the mans body, and
with heavy plunge the desperate went
backward 20 the floor below, dead,
Morrison was savsd
And then terror seized him, aud The
strain onoe gone lie trembled like an as
pen leaf. Quickly descending, with a
shudder he passed the motionless figure
at the ladders foot, stayed not TO secu-c
his pistols even, mounted, and spurring
hard the astounded steed through all the
starry night that remained, be rode south
ward until, just as the sun tipped the
eastern sky with red, the stars and stripes
above Camp Brown gladdened his weary
eyes, and little later, exhausted and
wan, he told bis tale to the wondering Of
ticers at the post.
Ere night mounted guard had inves-
tigated the cabin upon Bitter Water
creek, found and buried Lamoreaax and
his mother, who had died the death she
would have meted to others, strangl,d d by
tho blankets in which she was bound,
and returned to Morton his stolen pis-
tolls; but the younger woman was never
seen sgain. The hut was burned, the
the lonely grave hidden beneath its ash
es, and no trail to-day remains of tie
: den or its inhabitants; but the memory OF
that terrible night will sadden the life OF
Ben Morrison even though he live be-
yond the allotted period of three-score
years and ten,