Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-08-14
until until 1 h;s prisoner would bs kept safely

way to the sick-room. where he found
q hight burning, and a pale face star
ing out anxiously at him from the had
c,. .;mope I don't disturb your he
v Whan.e,. I've trapped a burglar!
wy vClyrqsP' said the pale young man.
why ne went home about an hour
~. SAD something about having for
go!len TO lock up the granary. He was
gong TO DO that, and then come back.
Haven't you seen him?"
The elder Cradlif stood bewildered
and speeches. for a moment, then ex-
claimed giving his thigh a loud slap
With the flat of his hand:
III pet a cent I've locked up Cy!'
Ii any person had been present, rash
enough to accept MI. Cradfif's not very
neayy wager, that person would GER
fanny nave lost. While the father had
taken his for a robber, the son had
entertained an equally absurd suspi-
cion of his father, whom he was await
ing in the granary with an uplifted
peck-measure. ready to bring it down
slammed, and he found himself locked
in.
1t was some seconds before, in his
excited state of mind, he was able to
reason out the actual fact of the situa-
ton. by the time he came to the CON
clusion that it was his father who had
shut him up, his father had gone Inn
medlately his strained nerves began to
relax, and he seemed melting into a
cold perspiration, while a CHASTITY
sense of the humor of the thing sue
ceoded his terrified but heroic resolu-
ton.
mo use of calling how" he said to
himself. 81 ought to have done 1t be-
fore" The little window was nailed
fast, and could not be opened. ..Never
mind; he'll get help, and a rope, and a
lantern, and come by and by to take
me out. l can wait; but-plague on
it," he exclaimed, remembering he was
a night-watcher, cts pretty near time
for Tom to be taking his medicine; and
what will he think?"
He settled himself to wait patiently
as possible for his release. and was sit
ting comfortably on a bag Of meal, in
his dungeon, into which only a feeble
CLEAN Of the starlit sky entered
through the narrow window, when he
became aware Of somebody stepping in
the barn.
He heard a sound like the scratching
of a match; and peepipg through the
key-hole, saw a faint glimmer of light.
All at once it became a flash, and he
had a near glimpse of a big brown
hand holding something like a key,
and a coarse gray sleeve, close to the
granary door. Nothing more was
visible through the small aperture, and
even that glimpse was lost as the key
was inserted IN the door. But Cyrus
had seen enough to know that the COM
er was not his father.
1t was, intact, the real barn-breaker
this time; advancing to his work with
out the slightest suspicion that a men,
Der of the family he was going to rob
was locked up in the granary. Having
fitted his key and extingushed his
match, he opened the door and enter
ed, passing directly before Cyrus. who
was making himself exceedingly small
aga nst the bins. with his peck-meas-
ure-not a very deadly weapon-again
uplifted.
The man seemed to know where the
wheat-bin was, and he was moving
straight toward it in the dark, when,
as his head passed before the little
window, the peck-measure descended
upon in, and he was hurled forward
against the bin; while with the agility
of fright Cyrus rushed out, slammed
the door andlocked the burglar in with
his w key, which he secured and
carried away
MRS. Cradlif had arisen and dressed
herself, and was awaiting anxiously
her husbands return in her little
kitchen, with the curtains closely
drawn, and with a lantern lighted
ready for his use, when she was sur
prised to see Cyrus burst in. and still
more amazed to hear his story.
we shall want more help" he said,
taking up the lantern. cpl run over
through the woods and get Joe Ferris.
Tell father to wait till l come back"
By a short cut cross the farm, the
Ferrises were their nearest neighbors;
and Joe was just the fellow, Cyrus
thought, to assist in the capture of the
burglar. He was one of those easy
natured, unsteady, adventurous indi-
viduals Known to almost every country
neighborhood, who work well when
they are absolutely obliged to, but
spend most of their time going a-flsh.
ing, or Longing about the mill and
tavern.
Cyrus, lantern in hand, was soor
knocking atJoe's door, and calling hin
loudly by name. 1t was some time be
fore he got any response, but at last {
head was put out of an upper window
"That you, Joe?" cried Cyrus, hold
ing his lantern so that it would cast ar
upward CLEAN.
.'No; what's wanting of Joe?" said {
trembling female voice.
Cyrus did his errand briefly; he hae
caught a robber, and wanted Joe t.
help take him out of the granary.
JPN awful sorry!' said the woman
.:Joe, he amt we'll. He ketched colo
going a-fishing Saturday, and he!
down with a fever. 'Twouldn't bt
safe for him to go out tonight, no ways
in the world! Besides, two OF the chill
dren is sick"
"Then 1 suppose 1 must 60 on anc
get the Dunfry boys replied Cyrus
t.1%,, 400 hodi for Tn afraid the bur