The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-19

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| up my patrons choice old port This was
| all the more base in me, not only because was
| betraying my trust, and partaking myself OF
thing l had been sot to guard, but because
| Squire Oldboys had befricnded me In ways
which made me feel that I owed my present ad.
vantages and future prospects all to him. Oh, l
was an unconscionable calf in those days.
Meanwhile, had got to think less and less
| about housebreaKers, and my revolver had
ceased to be novelty. That night even forgot
| to put it under my pillow! In fact forgot sew
| eral things which might havo remembered if
il hadn't been for the port
| little after midnight woke with raging
thirst and lay thinking what mserably weak
| mortal was, and trying to summon resolution
to get up for glass of water, when noise
| somewhere in the house startled me i WAS sit
| ting up in bed in moment, straining my ears to
| listen. The room was dark. 1t was good-sized
bed chamber up one fight of stairs, with door
| opening out on the wide landing, and two side
windows. One of the windows was up. but the
blinds were all closed to please Horatio. who didn't
| like to be troubled with the morning light But
the blinds of the entry windows were open, and the
| door leading into the entry should have been.
Hitherto had carefully looked out for that, for
the advantage of hearing any strange noises in
| other parts Of the house But this night my
precaution had been neglected looked in
vain for any glimmer OF light from the hall win
dows, and knew that the door was shut
Then suddenly the noise again; indescribabe
impossible to tell Just where it was or what it
was like. Horatio was breathing hard on mis-
side of the bed; reached over and shook him.
There's somebody in the house" whispered,
| as soon as he gave signs OF waking. At the same
| time put my hand under my pillow. ''Where
| is my revolver2" / gasped out-my hand shaking
as l fumbled, sort of panic terror possessing
| me.
| BE quiet" he said. There can't be any
| body! Isn't 1t under your pillow"
mo! I'm sure l heard somebody twice!-I
| don't remember taking it when we came to bed"
| Still l fumbled about, under his pillow and
mine.
at must be in the drawer then, he said.
| But for heavens sake be careful! You'll be
| shooting Phebe il you don't look out!n
| Igot up and found the pistol in the drawer,
and laid it ready for my hand. Then, while
CROPPED and listened. | got hold of a pair of
ping the suspenders over my shoulders heard
| the noise again-a dull metallic clink, and
sound as of door pushed back SO as to strike the
| wall.
1T must be Phebe,' Horatio whispered. "Or
| if it isn't, you'll ge: shot the moment you open
| the door. Don't open it" he entreated
| held the revolver in my right band, my left
| was already on the door knob. was scared.
| confess, but my resolution was getting the bet
| ter OF my fears. / wouldn't have cared to live
and have it said afterward that had heard
| burglars in the house and made no attempt to
| protect it. My contempt for Horatio's apparent
| cowardice served also as tonic to my courage.
turned tho knob cautiously, and stepped out
| light shining through the open blinds; and in or
| der not to be seen l dropped down upon my knees
and one hand, and crawled to the staircase To
| my CONSERVATION saw that the front door stood
| wide open. At that moment all was still Had
| the burglars escaped
| started to descend in great haste and trepi
| dation, when I heard a light whistle and two
| fures Immediately rushed out through the hall.
| never knew how went down those stairs, but
was at the door just the last one passed out.
| When first had anything like a good sight of
| them between me and the faint outdoor light
| red once at not more than two PAGES, with
the broadcast and fairest mark of a mans back
| before me in the doorway: a second time on the
| porch, and a third following as they 1ed-at
the foot of the steps. My spirit was up; forgot
| all about fear; l meant that if they got away
| they should at least carry some of my lead with
them
| AS they kept on running, ran too, with moth.
ing but stockings on my feet calling on them to
stop or drop their plumber and fred again at the
| gate. They had gained on me by that time for
| lost speed 10 making each shot They crossed the
street. as if undecided which way to 60 then
turned and ran toward the city. pursued re-
| CARELESS OF the pain to my tender soles, deter
mined to get another shot had my pistol
| raised, and was making shorter turn in the
the earth rose in billow. and then suddenly
| dropped from under mel stumbled and plunged
and that was the last remember.
| When returned to consciousness a recollec-
ton of the terrible adventure slowly came to
| me, aud my first impression was that had been
shot. I had a dull pain in my head and
sickness at the heart l felt cold
and numb. l tried to rise from the
| ground, and found there wasn't any ground to
| rise from. or rather, that the ground rose with
me intoa sort of rough wall. which l felt with
my hands. That was somewhere below the
surface of the earth was evident. | could &C.
count for the fact that had on clothing ex-
cept my night shirt and thin socks and trousers;
| hVkfh o nf Oft carRk
ment too much for my shattered wits.
While | was feeling about bewildered, and
| not yet able to stand, | heard a strange sound,
| as of some grating and grinding object. burrow-
| ing in the earth beneath me. 1t seemed to come
| from cave or some sort OF pit beneath the pit
was in. That intensified the mystery Iwasm man
! festly in a hoe-a narrow, deep hole-for could
see the faint lightof thesky over the edges of it,
| few feet above the rough, but very solid, bot
| tom where CROPPED. Gradually my mind be-
position, and the sort of accident that had hap
| pened to me; but the noises | heard were still
inexplicable. In the midst of the grinding came
heavy jarring thud, as of some object thrown
| mistekable sounds Of footsteps more grinding
and grating and finally voices-aall issuing freq
the bowels Of the round and solid globe.
1t was very astonishing, even after found
the key to the mystery and 1t astonishes me
still. wouldn't have believed the thing pos.
ible beforehand nor would I dare to tell you
the story now if 1t wasn't true in every incredi-
BILE particular
The voices were indistinct at first but leaned
my ear close to that part of the bottom of the
pit they seemed to come from, and heard, in
strangely hollow tone-a sort of a resounding.
whisper-these words:
IA mighty good haul!"
Then came a muffled clink, clnk, as of rafting
silverware and voice said
He did his part"
After that among much that I couldn't un-
derstand. caught snatches of a conversation,
along with more sounds of jingling and blinking.
''We found everything precisely as he
While you ran out the front way, and no after
you. we--the back way with the bag--What
became of the fellow2--I didn't look back
too busy thinking about what was to become of
me-" Then there was laughter, and somebody
said: "How like the old boy he did run, though"
More laughter; humble, humble! Then again.