Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-08-14
NIGHT OF BLUNDERs.
low Mr.. Cradlif's Burglar Was
Finally Captured. VT

"A ' N
,isht, Mrs. Cradliff nudged her Sleep
MO- consort, and as he turned on his
blow, whispered softly: "Are you
wake. Moses?" Mr.. Moses Cradlh
having acknowledged that he vas wide
awake, she continued:
.Did We lock up the granary?"
NO he replied. II supposed Cy-
bus did; he always tends to that"
'But he went off SO early l don't be-
lieve he thought a word about it. I'll
pet up and see if he has left the key on
the sink shelf"
She CROPPED her way to the kitchen
in the dark, and passed her hand over
Ae shelf. but found no key. AS it was
left in the granary lock during the
day. and returned to the shelf after the
door had been duly fastened at night,
she felt sure that her sons customary
duty had been neglected.
Then l suppose | must get up and
tend to it," grumbled Moses Cradliff.
"How could he be SO careless?" But
The reminded him that Cyrus had gone
to watch at the bedside of a sick friend,
and that it was unjust to blame him
under the circumstances.
As a good many mysterious thefts
and burglaries had of late been COM
nitted in the neighborhood, and as
The barn was an old one, which could
be easily entered, the locking of the
granary, which served as a store-room
for produce and other portable proper
~, was considered important. So Mr..
Moses Cradliff got up, poked his bare
feet into a pair of old shoes, and pro-
ceeded, h~alf-dressed. to the barn.
1t was a starlit night, and approach
ing the barn door, he was surprised to
find it open about far enough to admit
a man. AS he was sure that it had
been closed in the evening, a curdling
thrill Of suspicion and alarm crept
through his flesh. and made him wish
he had some weapon in his hand. He
thought of the wooden bar which
served as a fastening to the door, but
Just as he vas reaching to get posses
sion of it, he heard a noise in the di-
rection Of the granary.
He %thereupon dropped down upon
his hands and knees, and putting in his
head, SO low that it would not be re-
y,ealed against the starlight to the
burglar within,-for he felt sure there
was a burglar-he listened intently.
For a moment all was still; then came
the creaking OF a door-hinge. He
knew the sound. 1t was made by the
granary door, as it swung slowly to-
gether of its own accord, after it had
been opened.
Mr.. Moses Cradliff was possessed of
atair amount of courage; and though
ne naturally shrank from an encounter
With a man who might have a deadly
weapon, he determined to risk an at
tempt to capture him, or at least to
protect his property.
lie crawled into the barn, and reach
lng up, found little difficulty in arming
himself with the bar. He then glided
almost noiselessly, in the dark, toward
!he granary. ready at any moment to
thwack the burglar should he attempt
"rush past him.
tie met with no adventure until he
put out his hand and felt the door,
which was open a few inches. Then
ne heard a man breath not much more
Than half a yard away. The man was
IN the granary, standing close beside
the bins; Mr.. Cradlif was outside with
ms hand on the door, each aware O.
me other, and both alike frightened
put resolved to gain what advantage
was possible in the encounter thai
seemed unavoidable.
With one hand Cradliff grasped his
cub, while he slipped the other along
me edge of the door until he felt the
Key; which had been left in the lock
lie had conceived an idea. which he
proceeded instantly to carry out. He
smut the door and threw himself
against it, while he fastened the maj
in!
Still holding the club in one trembling
nand, and carrying away the key il
me other, he shut the barn-door after
u N and to the house, where ne
pfeatAlessly told Mrs. Cradliff what hao
happened, and charged her to keeE
perfectly quiet while he fastened to the
lnelghbors for assistance. The granarl
mad a stout door and but one small
window, too narrow for a man to ge'
~ ut Or out; and he did not much doub'