The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-07-31

| w HeH llls WIS uOlc 1t WIS quite udTk.
Then he ate his supper in the kitchen,
and after that he took down his gun,
which he had been using that day, and
cleaned it carefully, thus using up an
hour of the rather lonesome evening.
He had just put the gnn away when he
heard the sound of steps on the path
leading from the road. ''Uncle Joe
must be coming back" he thought.
| But he was mistaken here. The door
opened, and rather suspicious looking
stranger came in.
''How dye do?' was his gruf' salu-
tation. ''Keepin' house alone, amt
YEP"
"Yes, for little WHILE" answered
Willie.
81 see the old man an woman when
they went away" said the visitor. $50
tho't L d call round an take look
into this ere box" When he said this
he went to the shelf in the corner,
took down the box in which Uncle Joe
had put his fifty dollars. and drew out
the money and put it into his pocket"
"Put that backr cried Willie, in
alarm. 1T doesn't belong to you.
That's what Uncle Joe is going 10
finish paying for his horses with"
''Do you s'pose he willP" said the
tramp, with a coarse laugh. Il don't"
"But you don't mean toto take it?'
Willie hardly dared to use the word
that was the proper one, under the
circumstances.
Il don't mean nothin' else." was the
reply. Il see the money put into the
box, an I've been watchin' my chance
| to get at il ever sence. Dyes pose I'd
let such chance slip to make a good
haul? You must be green, if you do.
But say, hain't you got nothin' to eat
about the ranch? If y'have, dish up
suthin', an be lively about it.
I'll see whatI can find, " said Willie.
and went into the kitchen.
You may be sure the poor lad was in
great trouble. Must he allow this man
to take his uncle's hard-earned money?
But how was he to prevent it? He
happened to look at the trap, which re-
manned on the floor where they had left
it when the boy came after his uncle
and aunt. A plan flashed into his mind.
If he could catch the tramp in it! To
think was to act He had closed the
door after him when he left the front
room. The man on the other side of
it could not see what he was doing. He
placed the lever over the spring, as his
uncle had done, pressed down on it with
all his strength, and succeeded in fast
ening the jaws open. Then he placed
the trap in front of the door opening
into the kitchen.
The next thing he did was to take
such articles of food as he found in the
cupboard and put them on the table.
When he had done this he placed the
candle where its light would be thrown
away from the door and the trap in
front of it. A hasty inspection of his
arrangement convinced him that the
tramp, in coming into the kitchen,
would not be able to see the trap that
had been set for him. The kitchen floor
was some inches lower than the thresh-
old, and the man would be obliged to
step down; therefore there was no dan
ger of his discovering the trap by hit
ting his ootagainst it as he might have
done had it been on level with the
threshold.
If l fail to catch him, and he dis
CONClo WllttO ilftNC illbCli'lttl, tltIt >
no knowing what he'll do" thought
Willie. II must calculate for possible
failure, I'll get outside the Kitchen
door before l call him. If he doesn't
get into the trap | must run for it. In
the darkness can manage to keep out
of his way"
He opened the kitchen-door, took up
his position just outside it, and called
out to the man that his supper was
ready for him.
The door between the two rooms
opened, the man saw the table with the
food upon it. and then he stepped into
the kitchen and into the trap! the
Jaws of which closed on his foot with a
vicious snap, as if they were glad to get
hold of such game. The oaths and
curses which broke from the mans lips
when he realized that he was caught
was fearful to hear, and yet they had a
pleasant sound to Willie, for they as
sured him that the thief felt that he had
been outwitted, and that he knew
he could not escape. Willie's first act
was to run around to the front door,
through which he entered the living
room and secured his gun. With this
in his possession he felt himself master
of the situation. The tramp started for
the door with the trap fast to his foot.
But the weight of it was so great that
he could not make much Roadway, and
the frightful grip of its jaws gave him
so much pain that he sank down on the
thresholdjust as Willie came back with
his gun.
Don't try to get away!' cried the
brave lad. You can't, if you try ever
so hard. I've got a gun, you see, and
I'll use it if you compel me to-" He
meant what he said and the tramp
knew it.
''If you'll take this thing off I'll give
you back the money" he said.
I'm not quite green enough to do
that" was the boy S answer.
"rhen the money'll never do you or
nobody else any good, cried the tramp,
and taking it from his pocket he began
to drag himself toward the candle,
with the intention of burning it.
Hold on. therer' cried Willie.
Don't do that! If you do and
he raised his gun threateningly, while
his eyes flashed iire-''if you do I'll
shoot you"
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