Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-04-09

mouse, commenced taste llng the wire III
one of the door-staples.
She had just done this to ner satisfac-
ton, when, happening to Look around,
she perceived a dark figure creeping
stealthily along the garden fence toward
whore she stood.
1t was just as she had foreseen. Here
were the chicken thieves!
For an instant her heart failed ner, and
her impulse was to fee to the shelter of
the house; but the next, at the thought
of being basely robbed of her valuable
Cochin Chinas, her spirit rose in indig-
nation. She would save her fowls or
! perish.
So quickly arming herself with the
| stout stake which served as a prop TO
one of the roosts, the heroic woman
esconced herself Just within the door and
there lay in wait for the thieves.
! She had not long to wait A mans
figure approached; there was some FUN
bling with the wire attached to the staple,
and the door, which Mrs. Cobb had
closed after her, was softly opened and Il
head thrust in.
Now was her time With a tremend-
Gus thwack the stake descended on the
intruding head; there was half stran-
! gled cry of surprise and rage; and the
next m )ment two figures were grappled
together in fierce combat, striking, chok-
ing, gasping, scratching, and finally roll
ing on the floor of the poultry house,
while all the fowls added to the tumult
with fearful cackIing ana screaming.
The tn eff was holding Mrs. Cobb down
on the ground with one hand. and with
! the other defen ling himself from her
| fingers, which were vigorously clawing
his face AMI tearing out handfuls of hair.
Her first attack had somewhat daZed
him, and she WIS just realizing this ad-
advantage and eXulting in prospective
victory, when she discovered, to her dis
may, that there was more than one an
ttgonist in the field,
| A loud report, as OF a gun or pistol,
was heard and Mrs. Cobb felt sudden,
sharp pain in h'r wrist, like the prick of
a red-hot needle.
At the slme instant her unseen enemy
uttered howl, and as he loosened his
hold of her the heroic woman struggled
to her feet, dashed through th3 door
way, and never paused till she reached
the house, where, sinking exhausted
upon the nearest chair, she faint,d dea
away.
When Mrs. Cobb recovered conscious
ness, she found the room full of the
neighboIs, men au women, and recog-
nized her husbands voice, broken by
dismal grunts and groanings
Eyes, l was ju in time l found
them already in the heu-house and had
a desperate tussel with them. was
Just getting the advantage, when one of
them fired, and the rest ran off. There
were three or four of the rascals at
| least"
"a dozen of themn' said Mrs. Cobb
family "But, Lyman, | didn't know
that you were there. You must have
go.ten there after left"
"You, Sarah3 Why, you don't mean
to say that you were mixed up in that
fuss"
81 guess I was. One of the villains
nearly killed me, but got hold of a
handkerchief around his neck and would
have stranglei him, only-only, ,"-hys-
terically--' zone of them shot me-"
Here she held up her wrist, from
which few drops Of blood were oozing
'Its not much said Mr.. Kimberly,
examining it -'only Craze of bird
shot; the same sort that hit you"-to
Cobb, who was gingerly stroking down
the calf of his leg.
"But how did it all happen?" said
Mrs. Kimberly, curiously, while Master
Tommy, who had just entered, pressed
eagerly forward with wide-open mouth
and eyes.
"Why, you see,' commenced Cobb,
''we had started for the country when
the buggy broke down, and thought it
best to walk back to town. stopped at
Cousin Mulbys-ugh. to supper Got
home little after nine. Thought heard
n noise at the poultry house and crept
up and put my head in at the door, when
-ugh!-one of the rascals knocked me
down with club. I grappled him, and
had just got hlm down, and was about
to secure him, when another shot me. |
think that fellow must in his desperation
have torn half the hair out of my head,
added Cobb, slowly and tenderly press
ING his hand over the red -hued locks re-
naming
- Il paid them back for it," said his
wife, eXuItantly. "Why, when ran in
the house. | had handkerchief and Il
handful of hair that | had torn off the
wretch that was choking me. :
"And I brought off coat that |
Stripe from the villain who was pulling
my ha,r" said Cobb, vindictively. "We
shall be able to identify them by these
things
Here he beld upa coat and Mrs. Cobb,
aftera little search on the floor, exhibited
IA handful of red hair and blue polka
dotted handkerchief, with knot tied in
one corner of it.
Everybody gazed at these familiar tell
tale artice3 and then gazed at each
other. Mr.. Kimberly was the first to
speak.
81 think, neighbors," he said gravely
II think there's been something of a
mutual mistake here. There have been
no chicken thieves in reality, but only
an unfortunate meeting in the dark be-
tween our good friends here and"
| But Mr. Cobb Indignantly inter-
rupted:
II don't see how you can say that, Mr.
Kimberly, when you yourself heard the
shot fired, and have seen with your own
eyes the wounds made. How do you ac-
count for thatl"
Mr.. Kimberly made no verbal reply.
but turned and gently pushed forward
Master Tommy Cobb, who, finding him
self thus arraigned, as it were, at the bar
of Justice, instantly burst into fearful
howl
ttGo II uoc vo,i Tnp,p,,t ,.,oa 4 !