The national leader., 1889-02-23

livery good, miss, he answered.
Please bring the dog to the door, and
keep him there till want him.
$50 off went Jones with his lamp,
his dagger, and his rope, we and the
servants following closely with the dog,
who seemed TO possess strong con-
sclousness OF something being amiss.
ZONES opened the door of the little
room quietly, and went in and placed
his lamp on a side-table which stood
near. Then at once, dagger and ropes
in hand, he walked toward the pack,
which still lay on the settle; but 1 now
observed that there were one or two
rents or openings in the wrapper.
"There was deep silence among us
for moment or two, interrupted only
by the low growlings of the dog, who
became manifestly more and more un-
easy, and was with great difficulty re-
strained from rushing into the room.
Then there came scene of noise and
confusion. Jones reached the pack,
and throwing the ropes over his arm,
and still clutching the dagger, stopped
to inspect the slit in the wrapper where
Harriet had asserted she had seen an
eye. AT that moment one of the most
fearful and terrible yells have ever
heard broke from between the folds of
the wrapper. The pack struggled vIo-
lently, then rolled over and fell heavily
to the ground, while a choked voice
begged for mercy; at the same time q
knife was seen endeavoring to effect an
opening. The screams of the servants,
the hysterical sobs Of Janet, and the
loud howlings and winnings of the dog,
who was still restrained by Mildred
from rushing frantically into the room,
made a din that can never FORGET
Il remember that Jones also looked
very composed and unmoved through
out. Before the man in the pack had
time to free himself from the wrapper.
Jones had managed, despite his oppon-
ent's struggles, to pass the ropes several
times round and round him, and to Sc
cure them. BY the time he had accom-
plished this we had all become pretty
quiet. The dog was silenced, and
made to lie down in the hall. while
Mildred and L and two of the servants
the terrified Harriet not being one.
went into the room.
1.-The pack presented very ludicrous
appearance. The wrapper had been
slit open from the center upward, and
displayed the figure Of man, appar-
emily of about thirty years of age, ly
ing IN it, the ropes wound round him.
He had long, pale face, brown,
| grisly beard, and eyes that glanced
doubtfully from Jones and his dagger
who knelt beside him-to us. aS We ap-
preached him. He was perfectly mute,
and refused to answer any questions.
'See, he has got whistle, cried one
of the servants.
"Jones instantly seized it, and, after
few moments consideration, beckon-
cd Mildred out of the room. | fol-
lowed.
"'Young ladies, he said, 'the man
is now secure and his accomplices Will
not attempt to enter much before mid
night. expect the whistle was to
have been the signal. Would you be
afraid if slipped down to the coach
mans house and got his wife to send
one of her boys into the village for as
sistance? We could then probably Sc
cure all the villains
"'But you may be attacked by them
Ou buO UoJ1 oA6Vu NAANAONAs
"'No fear, miss; l can slip unseen
behind the shrubs in the Darkness
$50, then, and quickly SAID Mil
dred. You are sure that the man is
quite safely bound?'
"'Quite SO, miss; but perhaps you
would like to ask the consent OF the
household before l leave you?'
Mildred soon obtained our consent
to the plan, and Jones was cautiously
let out of small side door. In about
twenty minutes-which had seemed
like two hours to us-he returned, and
his low tap was instantly answered.
est is all right he said; i have
seen and heard nothing of the two men.
The boy Is sharp enough; he has his di-
rections, and is to bring party from
the village to this door by the same
way that l took
''More than an hour passed away;
then low tap was again heard, and
six men appeared, accompanied by the
boy who had been sent to fetch them.
about midnight Jones opened the
shutters Of easement window in the
hall and blew low whistle; the whis-
tie was responded to by another. and
two men presently appeared at the open
easement. Jones drew back into the
darkness Of the hall and silently allow
ed them to enter. The moment their
feet touched the hall floor they were
seized and pinioned. Taken utterly by
surprise, t-ey offered no resistance, and
were easily secured"
''And where were you, auntie," [
| said ssdurinu this Scanapp
"We stood in the gallery above" re-
piled my aunt. ''The boy, who had re-
ceived his directions, soon brought for
ward lantern, and we also had lights
at hand in the gallery"
"Were the men tried, auntie? and
what was their punishment?''
Yes; they were conveyed to the
county prison, and, on their conviction.
were sentenced to transportation for
life. The butler, as you may imagine.
| was handsomely rewarded"