The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-01-26
RESCUED BY LUCK.


and n blacksmith shop, with two resi-
dences, made up the buildings, and the
families of the merchant ana the Diack-
smith were the only residents The coun'
try about was thickly settled up, how
ever. and trade was always good. Before
the merchant engaged me he announced
that would have 10 sleep in the store o
nights. and that unless / had pluck
enough 10 defend the place against ma
raudcrs he did not want me at any price.
He showed me shotgun, revolver, ana
n spring gun, which were used, or on
, hand to be used. to defend the place, and
The windows were protected with stout
blinds. and the doors by double locks. The
close Of the war had drifted bad popula-
ton into Indiana The highways were
full Of tramrs, and there were hundreds OF
mon who had determined to make living
by some other means than labor. Sew
eral attempts had been made to rob the
store, aud il had come TO that pass that no
clerk wanted to sleep there alone.
The merchant seemed satisfied with the
answers | gave him, and on certain
Monday morning / went to work. That
same night store about four miles away
was broken into and robbed and the clerk
seriously wounded. Two nights later
three horses were stolen in our neighbor-
hood. At the end of the week farmer
who was on his way home from our store
was robbed on the highway. II had not
been light sleeper from habit these oc-
currcnces would have tended to prevent
TOO lengthy dreams as / lay in my little
bedroom at the front of the second story.
al nlapaG
my pillow and the shotgun stood within
reach. The spring gun was set about
midway Of the lower floor. IL was
double barreled shotgun, each barrel con-
tanning big charge of buckshot, and the
man who kicked the string and discharged
the weapon would never know what hurt
him.
Ii did not seem possible that any one
could break into the store without arous-
ing me- There was no door to my room,
and after the people in the neighborhood
had gone TO bed could hear the slightest
noise in the store had looked the place
over for weak spot, and had failed to
find il, but my own confidence came near
proving my destruction. ] should have
told YOU. in describing the store, that just
over the spot where we set the spring gun
was an opening through which we hoisted
and lowered such goods as were stored for
a time on the second floor. When not in
use this opening was covered by trap
door. Toward evening, on the tenth day
of my clerkship hoisted up lot OF pals
and tubs, and had just finished when trade
became so brisk that was called to wait
upon customers. Later on | saw that
had left the trap door open, and said to
myself that I would let it go until i went
to bed. The store had the only burglar
proof safe for miles around, and it was
customary for the farmer who had 500
or so to leave it with US. He received an
envelope in which to inclose 1t, ana he
could take ont and put in as he liked. On
this evening four or five farmers came IN
to deposit, and, as afterward figured up,
we had about 81, 500 in the safe.
There were two strange faces in the
crowd that evening. One belonged TO a
roughly dressed, evil eyed man, who an
nounced himself as dr0ver, and the
other to professional tramp. gave the
latter a piece of tobacco and some crackers
and cheese and he soon went away, and
we were SO busy up TO O'Clock that did
not give the drover much attention.
When we came to shut up the store he
had gone from my mind altogether. we
counted up the cash, made some charges
in the day book, and IL was about III
O'Clock when the merchant left. l was
tired out, and / took candle ana made
the circuit of the store, set the spring gun
and went to bed. | had to pass within
six feet Of the trap door as went to my
room. but did not see it. 1t was a rather
chilly night in October, and we had no
fires yet, and as / got under the blankets
the warmth was SO grateful that soon
fell asleep. 1t was the first night l had
gone to bed without thinking of robbers
and wondering how l should act in case
they came in. did not know when fell
asleep suddenly found myself half up
right in bed, and there was an echo in the
store. as if the fall of something had
aroused me. 1t was O'Clock, and had
been asleep almost three hours. Leaning
on my elbow, / strained my ears to
catch the slightest sound, and after a
minute heard n movement down stairs.
While / could not say what it was, a sort
of instinct told me that il was made by
some human being.
Everything ON the street was as silent
as the grave. My window curtain was
up. and | could see that the sky had
thckened up and was very black. did
not wait for the noise to be repeated.
was just rs sure that some one was in the
store as if l had already seen him, and
crept softly out Of bed, drew on my
trousers, and moved out into the big
room. having the revolver i'm my hand
10 nt