Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-02-01
Wiz, -. !. Fl. - 4 -

raised The light in the room. which
had been burning low. With hard
ly glance at me. they took seats
upon the floor, and began to play
cards. ss&f- az tff- A.t6rf-3l
Soon the door again opened
another man entered. 4 hardly
had a hope as | looked at him, for
/ saw The exulting face Of my en-
emy-Dick SOmers!
/ At q glance he saw that IFec0g-
nixed him. With a malicious leer
/. he steppsd forward, and quotisi9
his own words of two years before,
said:
"You have ruined my love and
my life. Remember that, and fear
me-"
/ saw in his face, at once show.
ing his revenge and desperation,
that nothing could turn him aside
from his purp lse.
"Somers," / said-for my life
couldn't have called him Mr.. Som
ers-"L know that you have trap
ped IN here for the purpose of re.
venging yourself upon me, but re-
member, sir, / have friends. he
member law and justice ~
Il fear nothing" he answered
Il defy man and God Revenge
OF you is dearer 10 me than life;
aud though for me the bottomless
pit was yawning, / would have it.
/ saw it was useless to appeal tO
this man, and | sullenly waited for
what seemed fate.
AT his command the ruffians
searched me. One of them, who
appeared TO be kind Of treasurer
for the gang, secured my watch
and pocketbook. Then they tied
me with stout ropes to chair.
SOTners did not address me again,
but sat upon the floor and gam
bled with the rest. Presently he
rose. and saying he would return
by daybreak, left the room. He
evidently felt | was i'm his power.
and seemed in no hurry to com
plete his revenge. %
When he had gone, the card
playing was kept up for a couple
OF hours. Then they all stretched
themselves lpon the floor and
slept. The door opened inward,
aud across il was the bnrly form
of the treasurer. In spite ol the
parently hopelessness OF lie tri.
al, l set about devising some plan
OF escape.
The first thing TO do was to free
myself. ! have large wrists and
small hands. In tying me they
had not taken this into consider
alton. Without much difficulty /
liberated my hands; then. of course,
it was the work of but few sec
Eonds to entirely liberate myself
from my bonds.
Taking the precaution 10 place
the ropes in such a position that.
should any of the gang awaken, /
would still appear TO be bound,
thought. upon my chances OF es-
cape. They certainly appeared
very few aud small. The fact of
the men upon the floor being
asleep seemed little in my favor.
1 could not move the rutTian at the
door without awakening him. As
| have before stated, escape by the
window was impossible. Every
plan that had suggested itself had
lHsurmountable objections to IL. |
had almost given mp my scheming
in desp ir, and concluded TO adopt
some hopelessly desperate meas
ure, when | thought of the con-
tents OF a bottle l had in my pock-
ct.
In searching me the rufIians had
not disturbed it, thinking it of no
Importance. 1t contained chloro-
forns. / also had sponge in my
pocket lin moment had re-
solved what TO do. Drawing the
bottle from my pocket, / soaked
the sponge thoroughly with its
contents. a#
Slowly, painfully, II could hear
my heart bea), with all the eau
tion that a man uses when his life
may depend on the slightest noise,
| stepped TO the side of The near
est rufiian. | placed the satura.
ted sponge TO his nose. / saw him
quickly yield to the influence OF
the vapor. From man to man
stepped. One by one they were
made senseless, helpless.
The man at the door was the last
| drew him away, first securing
my watch aud pockethook. / also
found in his possession a black
jack. which / took the liberty OF
appropriating. Then opening the
door, | stepped out in The hall.
| still moved cautiously. feeling
that all danger was not past. ]
thought there might be q watcher
there, but to my relief | saw no
one. | descended the first fight
of stairs, and reached the second
story in safety.
-Iliad gone about halfway down
the second flight. NY heart stood
still, forI heard some one enter be.
low; then, ,inthe muttered oath, IRE.
cognized Somers's voice. Icrouch.
ed down upon the stair next the
wall, hoping he might pass me
But as he came uphis hand brush.
ed my face.
N . moment he had me by the
throat. / knew him TO be By fal
the most powerful man, and il Rai
not time for seruples. Quickly