Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-06-12

mate had not moved, but / cast more than
one anxious glance in his direction, and
kept my weapons of defense about my. por-
son. A pistol in the hands of madman
would be truly dangerous and should have
been inclined to follow my hosts advice and
leave mine below but FOR the dumb woman's
warming. She must have had some reason
Tor her action.
In few minutes more SCOTS heavy step |
on the stairs was audible, and he came in |
with glass in his hand.
al have brought some whiskey tn make /
YOU sleep we'll after your wetting. | ought /
to have thought of it sooner, but | forgot /
there was any liquor in the house, he said |
rather awkwardly.
As he handed me the glass | caught sight |
of the dumb woman in the stairway making
rapid gestures behind her husbands back |
to prevent me ing the liquor In the ur-
eency Of her entreaty the silent lips seemed
almost to form the word Don't" Then, as
If afraid of being seen, she vanished with
noiseless steps.
"Thank you. | will drink it presently" |
said, taking the glass and placing it on the
projecting ledge of the window.
"Don't let him get hold OF it 1t might be
dangerous you know" Scott said with AS
sumed careessness, and bidding ma good
night he left me, locking the door behind
him.
was now imprisoned with mad mau, to
whose possible violence | must either op-
pose my deadly weapons or trust to my uu-
| aided strength. As | looked around the
| dirnly lighted room my thoughts were not ot
| pleasant nature, and formed q chain of
evidence against my host. MY horse was
out of my reach, my pistols would have been
| secured but for his wtes interpositon, aud
now | was justified IN suspecting lurking
danger in the glass ot so-called grog. He
| might possibly have meant to drug and then
| rob me, | thought MY suspicious at that
time went no further, but were destined to-
take a darker hue.
While was plunged in these reflections,
ha ms ntnt ha t,l, al
with swift and silent movement crossed
the room toward me. His feet were bare, and
as said before, he was only half clad. with
long hair falling over his naked shoulders,
but he was taller and more muscular than
his brother was on my guard aud had
risen to meet him, but his first proceeding
| were friendly. Without saving \ word he
| caught my chain and drew out my watch, n
| little roughly, but apparently with no ill in
tentlon.
| He was, indeed turning away with his
| new acquisition, as 1t to examine it AT his
| leisure, when his eyes fell on the glass, aud
/ snatching it up, he drained the contents To
the last drop, before could offer any opposi-
| ton. was at loss what to do, as calling up
| my host and telling him of his brothers $
| action would betray my suspicious, and after
| all, II the drought was drugged, it would not
| hurt my companion to sleep through the
| night. My apprehensions extended no
further and as had no means of egress |
| resolved tO await the result
| Inc Ulautlan seated hltnSelf on the moor
| near the lamp, and opened the watch, pre-
| paratory 10 taking out the works. but | was
| quite willing to buy his quiescence at this
| price, and observed his proceedings with
| some curiosity, All at once, by a careless
| movement he eXtinguished the light, aud we
| we're left in utter darkness for the night, as
L had toolishy neglected 10 accept S,ott's
offer of matches, thinking the lamp would
| burn all night
1awaited my companions n ext movements
| with anxiety, as 1t would not Toe pleasant To
| engage with him in the dark, but tO my sur
| prise he did not come near me. On the con-
trsry, he was perfectly quiet, and ] did not
| disturb him by the least sound or motion.
| All was still below, and we could hear moth
| ing but the wind and rain outside.
| siter tine which seemed long to NE, |
heard the madman throw himself heavily on
| The noor and grOan deeply, and for q " hie he
| continued to move restlessly about but
gradually seemed to grow quiet There was
evidently nothing for me to do hut to await
the dawn with such patience as | could mus
| ter, and then leave the ill.omened house. As
| the slow hours dragged on my companion's
| heavy breathing became more regular, and
| after time heard no sound from him.
| Scntts foot was on the stairs before the
| faintest glimmer of day light was visible, but
| he brought another light with him, as If
| dlvinlng that ours would be eNtinguished.
| lie expressed surprise at finding me dress
| ed and standing in the middle OF the room,
| aud asked if his brother had disturbed me ;
out as the light fell on that brothers upturn-
| ed face he uttered an imprecatiOn and glanced
| quickly at tho empty glass. We both tried
to raise the PROSTATE torn, but it was heavy
| and inert, for life was extinct
| The woman Joined Us, and added her efforts
| TO ours, and as she knelt by the dead body, |
| fancied that she cast an imploring glance at
| me, as II asking me not 10 betray her. The
mailman still held my broken watch in his
/ dead hand, and Scott asked me hoarsely
| what had happened
When | told him all, mentioning the
whisky, he said that his brother had always
| had heart disease, and added that there was
nothing III the glass to hurt him, then look ed
| deh sntly at me, as il challenging denial
was in no mood or situation to declare
| suspicious which could not be verified, and
| was only anxious to get away from the place.
| oHered To 90 back to the village which |
| had left on the preceding day, and send help
| to him, but he declined my proposal, and
said that his wife and himself could manage
| all withoutald that he had no friends or
| neighbors. ] settled my bill with him, adj
ding donation to the woman who had twiCo
| lnterPosed to save my life, and leaving with
her my watch, which | found to be hope.
lessly injured.
My horse was not to be found, but Scott
promised to send ii TO l. with my saddle
at the first opportunity, and said that wagons
often passed that way. | declined his
oifer OF breakfast, and shouldering my valise
SET out to walk To l. only too glad to be
allowed 10 leave the scene Of horrors. Not
lar from the house, however, / was over
taken by the dumb woman, who pressed into
my hand paper parcel and was gone before
could signify my thanks The paper con-
tanned some cold provisions, which we're very
acceptable after my sleepess night and after
walking a mile or two. |
was so fortunate as TO be overtaken by a |
wagon which carried me to l.. There ! |
rested, and to my surprise received my |
horse and saddle III good order day or two |
aiterward. ] have never seen Scott again |
nor revisited that part OF the country but | |
snail never forget my experience with 1.-THE |
man on the mountain"