Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-06-02
TALE OF 4 TERRIBLE NIGHT.

uncle's estate at Benlea. I made friend
with him when l was a boy, and such
fellow l think / never met. He was a da1
ing fellow, a determined poa her in sbor,
a good-for-nothing-wh at your Scotc
friends, sir. would call a ''ne'er-do-weel,
and he gent to the ''de'i' as fast as b
could. His lame was Tom Clayper. W
called him Tom Caypipe, because he Away
had me in his mouth. Well. the fello,
took q fancy to me and taught me som
tricks which l hope I have forgotten. Whea
we're young we're not very choice in GU
friendships. But Tom really lad som
good points. / have known him send
hare secretly to a poor widow who wantet
cost him little. Perhaps he did not reckon
how much it cost him. However, from
poaching to highway robbery and from
that to BURGLARY was but u step for Tom
He found Benlea too hot for him and dis
appeared. l met him ten years afterward
Looking in the paper one day l saw Their
was a trial Of one with many aliases To-
feloniousIy enteringa certain ~house-Squir'
PelPs, OF Boddington-and stealing, etc
Among the list OF aliases stood the nam,
Clayper. He was condemned and sentenced
to transportation for the term OF hi
natural life.
The sight OF the poor fellows name ane
his position called up some boyish feelings
of mine and l made up my mind to go and
see him. vas able to procure admission
Tom recognized me at once and held out
his hand.
As l was still young enough to be pleased
at hearing adventures, and as Tom, nov
that his career seemed closed, was g~ratiied
in relating his. l had Toms history before
we parted. Its finale seems to have beer
this: for Tom was rather shy OF speaking
about certain matters-a popularity have
noticed in some OF your rogues. lie had
his feelings OF delicacy where women were
concerned. A rather pretty girl was in ser
vice at the Squire's-Squire Pell, I think ]
told you. To her Tom paid court. He
was richer in presents than in reputation.
l fancy the girl gave him reason to think
she liked him. At all events she did not
return bis fineries. One evening Mr.. Tom
met the Colonel in her company-some-
where about the grounds. Tom assured
me that he passed them civilly; but the
next time he came across the
Colonel he vas surly. and managed
to insult him. and then to speak his
mind, which was non Of the cleanest. The
the time to be married to Squire Pell's only
daughter-money, but no beauty. So he
let Tom get the best of him; but from that
day, Tom says, he felt he had an enemy,
and he knew who that enemy was. wasn't
he q coward to hunt q poor devil like that
in the dark" said Tom to me, and de-
clared too he knew the Colonel was coward
and was determined to be revenged, and
Of it.
One night the Colonel was in bed and
heard his door yield it's lock and open.
You shall hear the rest in Toms words:
II knew that man was a coward, sir; SO
once in the house and sure of his room l
knew I had him. 1 knew the bearings of
the bed. l watched how the light fell two
Or three nights before. The moment l
opened the door, I threw the light-carried
dark lantern-threw the light slap on his
open his eyes? Deuce q bit! Slept as
sound as sixpence. I laughed to myself.
Why, if he had got up it'd been a fair
struggle between US, and nabted l certainly
a been. But deuce a bit did he
'tir. Color ell Badger, thinks 1, Ell badger
you! Well, l walked slow up to him, with
he lantern in one hand my pistol in the
,ther. leveled at his head. There he was,
harder and harder. / couldn't
quite see his heart beat, but I'll lay my life
t ~ealloped."
l will spare you Toms oaths.
"Well. sir" he went on. I'D half q
mind at n moment to do for him out
light. For a coward who's nothing better
han a villain, what goods he for, to live?
lose down to his forehead 1 put the mug
lie of the pistol. It was tempting then.
[ust a hair and he'd have had an extin-
on his small candle! Lor', sir, his
yes was shut, but i'll swear he saw it allas
loO, 90 n q lov AID kLovo ,pon ALo -o~c~:~o
a burstin' out OF his forehead, and
ollin' down his cheeks. 1 remember a
drop Of perspiration on his nose!
he pretendin' to sleep hard all the
While! Who, the stoopid ass! did he think
didn't know that d chap never sweated in
lis sleep? Leastways not natural sweat.
Veil! l kept at that, drawing the pistol
and putin of it close, for, I should
hink, forty minutes OF more; but 1 tool
70 account. I was cruel glad, to be sure,
nd he perspiring harder and harder. Nota
right or left. l didn't speak. Thought
o myself, oh GU villain! I dare say you
hink yourself better than me, didn't you?
il you had me in your power, now
'ouldn't you get loose? But l amt such q
oward as you! You shall bleed, my fire
pocket. That'N do! For" said
ON TO me-, II hadn't come there to run
IL lASh, OuAy W lIiSutcA Vic COIOu1l 1WO
irds at one blow was always my game. So
y-and-by,"T Tom pursued, when thought
ID given my gentleman n pretty good
weat for the benefit OF his health l began
o ransack. l knew the whereabouts OF
is desk. and th1ngs-collared the desk en-. |
ire. and made as if I'd walk away. He
ad a chance then. The cowardiy beast!
here he stuck. He'd have liked to snore,
asst to persuade me he was a-snoozin!
nd such q fellow as that to 20 misleadin'
! young young women! Amt it disgustin',
Tom was a bit OF n m~oralist, you see.
Well. the end OF it was that Tom, after |
living the Colonel another lose made up
ia mind to quit the premises. And l
rent, SIR said Tom. Got Off scott free.
just spoke these words in a solemn voice:
Colonel, whether you're asleep or whether
awake. just keep quie. the next
uarter OF an hour, Or you're a dead man.
II alone, sir; l never took a pal if l could
it; but l thought I'd tell him 80, the
.wardD and III stop outside the door, !
avs, till they're sale. So mind your eye, l
ays, I'm in earnest. And then l touched
IS forehead with the cold iron and moved
ack pointin' at him still, and his face
with the cold sweat. He
ont forget that hour. 1 gave him
l a hurry. l knew very well he'd sleep ON
less you, and so he did, and 1 never heard
othin' till q month ago, when they
ounced on me Tor it, and here l am, goln'
D see foreign lands, thanks to you, Col
mel. But you won't forget me, so don't
~. And everybody's talking Of the story.
,r I outs with it at the trial neck and
l told it all about his sweatin' and
retendin' to sleep. l saw the people
lueh. I'll swear the judge enjoyed it, for
he looked that gave you'd think he
as a owl. Ha! ha! Mr.. Colonel! that's
nat a l l calls 1T str * n as as you ny; Ihsyl.
ont cal me one in Van Dieman."
And with this consolation Mr.. Tom
departed on his voyage. You will
Omit, gentlemen, that the C%olonel's night
rust have been sufficiently miserable.
AGie~n110nn0~a E~Hh~ne /