Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-05-16

found, the want of life go depressing g.
not even the dog Dash bounding as usual
to meet me. There was something very
strange SON ewhere. Was it in myself or
in my surroundings? walked to the
door and knocked at it-not loudly, be-
cause it was not. I supposed, required;
rosy-cheeked Nancy would hear
the first rap and answer it. More
over my fingers were numbcd with
Tue cold SO that I could scarcely
hold anything. No one came.
Oh, that suspense! I listened for
voices; surely should catch mammals;
but no, there was rothing-not one
sound. It was most singular. Were
they all 10 front? But where was Nan.
cy? She was not milking the cows, TO,
there was 70 one in the shed IS I passed
by. Suddenly moan faint and indis.
tinct, yet plainly distinguishable to my
listening ear-made me start! Oh, was
it mamma? Frightened almost to
death, yet brave for her, I walked in.
The first object ! stumbled over was
door Dash, quite dead: My heart stood
still. I could rot move. Who had
killed BIN and what for? Oh, where
was mamma? 1 must fnl her.
tried to call out, and could not; my
tongue Glove to the very roof of my
mouth. My feet likewise were spell.
bound-immovab}e. How 10 & I stood
thus I cannot cay, but the moan re.
called me to my senses. Suppose that
was our dear mother in need Of help!
flow could I stand there and let her cry
out? I must 60 and see. Leaving the
kitchen, stole into the next room; and
then what an object met my view! Nc
mamma was there, bat Job, the man
servant, the faithful, working friend Of
the Longtone, was there, tied, bound,
gagged in chair; not sitting up, but
lying on the floor, a quantity of blood
streaming from wound in his head. !
stopped over him and spoke, but he
gave me no answer. He was uncon-
scious, nearly dead perhaps. endeav-
ored to lift him up, chair and all, but
it was more than 1 could manage.
What was I TODD? Run away and fetch
help? Gould I, dare I, cross that lone
ly yard again ? Should I not be
caught and murdered, too? Still as it
was, my life WIS evidently in peril.
And mamma, Oh? where was she
1 wss Oh the point Of flying when my
ears caught the sound Of q heavy foot
step on the stairs. Another, and vet
another after it. Terrified and dis
nayed, sudden courage came to me.
could not fly. I had not strength, but
I crawled under the sofa and lay there.
It was a couch more than sofa, covered
with wishing gingh lam, valance hang.
ing down nearly to the floor. The men,
three in number, enterel the room.
Strong, brutal fellows, as I could see
while lying in GREATNESS ps ril there,
though 1 do not believe l was as fright
ened at my fearful position then as 1
grew afterward. Ittakes the mind some
time to realize acute danger.
1.-The old farmer and his wife are q
long time coming" said one fellow, sui
lenly. you'd better have taken my ad-
vice and waylaid him on his way home. "
"Ugb, ugh, laughed another-such an
ugly laugh as l had never before heard
-'Jeopardizing our lives for naught.
Here we have them este enough. No
help can possibly come. Bill, you fire
at the master, and I will gag the
missus."
"l'll shoot 'em both," replied the one
called Bill; ''dead men tell no tales.
Well collect their money quickly and
make oil. This fellow giving
poor Job kick with his thick boots
sis as tenacious as turtle about his
life. It's lucky that 1 gave him q set
tier, or there's no telling what he'd ave
done"
swell, leave I'M alone" now grum-
bled the man who had first spoken. A
surly enough fellow, yet not without a
feeling OF compunction, as was evil
denced by his stopping down over the
PROSTATE man, and looking iutently at
the wound in the head.
"HeIl bleed to death if it's not
stopped, he said, after pause, land
then ther'll he another to swing for. If
I'D known as there wor going to be
murder done, I'd never a come. Lend us
a 'kerchief, Bill"
''Not I, you soft thing, Bob; we
thowt as we'd brought q man wi us to
help in this job, but Ia TX if you're only
a chicken you'd botter'n go home. No
risks. no spoils; eb, Dick?"
''That's my motter," agreed Dick.
"But we'd best get out; they'll happen
to come on us, inst end OF us on them"
And they walked out. My breath began
to come little more freely Just for the
instant. had no hope or thought be-
yond. As for my mother, all thought of
her had, I verify believe, fled.
"Where is there some soft stuff to
bind this fellows head p said the man
who stayed behind and whom one of the
others had addressed as Bob. 81 DIM
no rs I need mind, and yet he fought us
all go pluckily that I feels sort Of ad
miration for him"
This was spoken aloud and might have
been addressed to me, for the surly look
ing fellow stood facing the couch, glar-
ing at it. My eyes were fixed on the
map. He stopped near me, his boots
within foot of my head.
Was he going to stoop and lift the val
ance?
"Confound it," he exclaimed aloud,
"tbere's naught to be found soft enough.
Alb, here What's this? twill do.
My heart quite stopped. He was
searching for some pieces of material.
Would be discover me instead When
he said that he had found piece that
would do my breath came again. He
stopped and bandaged the mans hand
none too gently, and then, without rails
ing him, passed out after the other two
men. Now was my opportunity to get
up. And mamma. oh yes, mamma.
Where was she? Icrept out and walked
to the foot of the stairs. "Mamma,
mammal called gently, "where are
you?"
No answer came. Suppose another
fellow should be concealed up stairs, or
the other three return. 'Mamma,
mamma, I called again, but much more
timidly that time. I was really begin
ming to feel dreadful. My object was to
gain the fresh air, for was stifled and
choking. I listened for minute and
heard nothing. I only knew that I must
get outside that dreadful house. Once
my foot was on the doorstep; l
felt no better. While looking
around, my eye caught sight of q
sentinel box reared up nearly
against the side Of the coal place, its
face from me. / knew that box had be-
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