Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-04-11

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moment, we were eating and drinking witt
them,-he was, at least; as for myself,
was chiefly occupied in examining th'
place and the faces of cur hosts. Tney
had the appearance of charcoal-burners
but the house might have been taken fol
an arsenal. On every side were guns
pistols, sabers, knives, cutlasses. All thii
dIsplessed ME, and | saw well that
pleased the people as little. My comrade
on the contrary, made himself one of tht
family, he laughed, he chatted with them,
and with singular imprLdence which
ought TO have foreseen,-for | should moi
haYe trusted to head of 20 years,-hs
told whence we came, whittier we wert
going, and, worse than all, that We wert
Freedmen Imagine little:-alone, lost,
among mortal enemies, far from ell human
help; and, that nothing might be lacking
that could destroy us, he pretended to be
rich, and proGIsed these people whatever
they wished Tor olr expenses and tor a
guide the next day! AT last he spoke oil
his valise. prayed them TO take the greatest
CARE of it and TO place il at III. head of the
bed. He wished, he said, no other pillow.
One would have believed he carried the
diamonds of the crown-when what caused
him such anxiety in that valise was only
the letters of his lady love.
The supper ended, the people all left
us. Our hosts slept In room below; an
attic OF loft raised six or eight feet above
the room in which we had eaten, and to
which we climbed by a ladder, was the
sleeping apartment that awaited us,-a
sort of nest INTO which we introduced our
selves by creeping under rafters laden
with provisions sufficient for an entire
year. My companion climbed first, threw
/ himself upon the bed, and was asleep Id u
moment. Determined to watch, made a
good FIRE and seated myself by it.
The night wore away very quietly.
was beginning to be reassnrred and TO
think my fears and suspicious wholly
groundless, when, just before daybreak,
as it seemed to ue, 1 heard the voices of
our host and his vie in loud talk, appar
entity arguing. Placing my ear to the
chimney, which communicated with the
room below, clearly distinguished these
words from the husband -
swell, let US see finally, will 1t be nee
cessary to kill them both ~
To which the wi1e rep lied, ''Yes, kill
them both"
| heard nothing moIe-I stood breath
less-mY whole body cold as marble, to
have seen me, you would scarcely have
known whether / was dead or living
Heavens when l think of 1t even now,
shudder. We two, almost without srins,
against 10 or 90 who had SO many, and
my comrade dead with sleep of fatigue !
To call him, tc make sound, dared moi;
to escape without him, | could not i; be-
sides, though the window was not high
beneath it were two great bull dogs howl
ing like wolves. ImasIue, if you can, the
Eorror of my situation.
AT the end of quarter of an hour
which seemed long enough, / assure you,
| heard the sound of steps upon the stair
case, and looking through the crack of the
door saw the husban' a lamp In one hand
in the other one OF his great knives. He
ascended the stairs, opened the door.
passed the lamp to his wife, who had fo,-
lowed him, then entered with bare feet.
Shading the lamp with her fingers, his
wife, from without, SAID to him, ''Soitly,
" IiC lCtiSnCl tLC
ed il with his knife between his teeth, anu
coming TO the head of the bed on which
the poor young man was extended uncon.
scious, helpless, Offering his barred throat,
with one hand he took his knife, with the
other, ne seized. .... All cousin 1 tell
this to you because 1t Is the truth.
... he seized. great leg OF ham
that was suspended from beam, cut
large slice from it, and retired as he had
come; the lamp was withdrawn, the door
closed and lett TO my own reflections.
as soon as it was daylight the whole
family came with great noise 10 wake us,
as we had desired A very good break
fast was served to us, 1 assure you; two
fowls made part of it, one OF which,
said our hostess, We must eat, and the
other we must carry away with us. On
seeing them 1 comprehended at once the
meaning of those terrible words ''MIll II
be necessary TO kill them both, and YOU,
| believe, have sufficient penetration 10
divine without explanation what they sig
nlripd