The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1886-08-07

"Now, boys, for the big barn. We
kin wait there till this 'uns well a
going"
They made a run for it, but the
only reason they were not more
closely pursued, or even fired upon,
was that Gilbert Morse deemedi it his
duty to stop and scatter the growing
blaze behind the saw mill.
1t was not hard to do, although the
fire was beginning to come up very
well when the desperadoes left it.
The brands could all be kicked into
the snow, and there was not trace
of it in three minutes after he got
there.
But those three minutesl
The big barn was better than either
of the small ones, because farther
from the house and more easy of
entrance. 1t contained no horses
and was not even locked.
The three tramps were inside
quickly enough, and the big one
climed one of the high mows.
"Better light it up here" he said
to his friends below. "They can't
get at it to put it out. Say when.
Is the saw mill well a-going?"
"Can't say edzackly," growled one
of the smaller ruffians, peering
through the door. "And there's a
feller runnin' acrost the field"
"Here goes. them" exclaimed the
leader, as he caught up awisp ofhay
and scratched match.
"Now, boys, I'm coming. Make
for she shed. Well work it"
A slippery thing is Il hay-mow,
and uncertain footing in the dark.
Instead of coming down as he went
up, the big tramp found himself slid
ing, sliding helplcssly into that
twenty-foot gulf between the two
mows.
In vain he grasped at the dry
timothy and clover; he did but scat
ter his lighted wisp among the tin
derish masses he pulled down with
him in his fall.
Down in half-stunned heap,
with a vast pile of kindling hay on
top of him, to choke and stihe him
with its smoke as he limped about
in the suffocating darkness, and
vainly groped for way ofescape.
Bang, bang!
One of the smaller tramps went
down amid a storm ofleaden pellets
but the other reached the shed Just
as the door of the houseswung open,
and the two mastiffs bounded out to
see what he might be doing there.
Squire Van Veleck and his "hands, u
old and young, were out in the short
est order, and the female part of the
household were not far behind them
but twas to late to save the big barn
whatever might be done for the Others
Well for the squire's pocket that
he had built them some distance
apart.
As for Gilbert Morse, he was calm
ly reloading his duck-gun when the
squire discovered his presence.
"I'm going in minute" he re-
marked coolly.
"Don't be in a hurry. I've put
out the fire at the saw-mill. and
think I peppered that fellow lying
there by the shed. If I'd been 9
little quicker, 1 might have saved
the barn"
$50 you've been out here this
winter night lookin' out for my
property, hev YEP" said the half-be-
wildered squire. "The barns gone
and no mistake; but we kin save the
Others"
The old squire was just the mar
to be steadied by an actual calamity
but, while his "hands" were doing
what little could he donein the way
of a fire department, he strobe
straight for the two tramps.
The one who had been in the way
of the buck-shot would never answe
any more questions, but the one the
dogs were holding down gave some
information.
"Where's the man that attacked
my daughter this aiternoon?" ask
ed the squire stenly.
"In the barn, replied the tramp.
"But the barns burning up" saiC
the squire.
$50 is he" doggedly returned tn,
ruffian, "and sarved him right, 70
getting me into sech ascrape as this.
Some profanity there was; but tn
, dogs were taken off, and the maj
was tied up.
"Oh Gil, come into the house,
were the pleasant words that cam
> to the young mans ears as he stoo
looking at the tramp he had shot.