Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-02-27
THE STORIES
THREE BURGLARS.
By FRANK R. STOCKTON.
OF TIE
(COPYHIGHT, 1881


We now proceeded to search the in
sensible burglars for arms. Upon the
tall man we found large revolver,
heavy billy, which seemed as if it had
seen service, and q lOng-bladed knife.
The stout man carried two double-bar-
relied pistols, and upon one of the fingers
IF his right hand wore a brass ring with
1 looking iron protuberance
lpon il, (which when driven forward by his
powerful arm was probably moro danger
GUS than a billy. Upon tho younger man
we found no arms at all, and his hip
pocket contained nothing but small
handbook on civil engineering.
1 now briefly explained to David the
nature of the trap which had caught the
burglars He gazed upon me with face
glowing with amazed admiration.
what q head you have got, sir" ne
exclaimed. Il don't believe there is an
other man in this State who would have
thought OF that. And what are you GO
ing to do with them now, sir; hang 'em?
That's what ought to be done with
them, the hounds!'
..All | shall do" / answered, will be
to keep them till daylight, and then l
shall send word to the sheriff at Ken
ncrto,yn. and have him send officers for
them
Upon my world" exclaimed David,
''they are in the worst kind of a box"
Now my wife called me again:
ss!Yhat in the world are you doing
down there" she called; why don't you
come upstairs?'
This annoyed me, for | was not yet
ready to GO upstairs. | wished to re-
suscitate these fellows, for their stupOr
was 50 profound that | began to fear
that perhaps they had taken too much
of the drug and ought to be brought to
their senses as speedily as possible.
This feeling was due more to my desire
that serious injuries should not occur to
the rascals while in my house than to
any concern for them.
My dear" said l, stepping to the
bottom of the stairs, Il have some
things to attend to down here which
will occupy me few minutes longer,
then | viii come up to you.
Il can't imagine what the things are, y
she said, ''but / suppose l can wait, =
and she went into her room and closed
her door after her.
| now began to consider what was to
be done with the burglars after they had
been rcsuscitatcd. My first impulse was
to rid the house of them by carrying
the Il out of doors and bringing them tC
their senses there. But there was an
objection to this plan. They would be
pretty heavy fellows to carry, and as il
would be absolutely necessary to watch
! them until they could De given into the
charge OF the officers OF the law did
not want to stay out of doors to do this
for the night air was ra" and chilly
| and / therefore determined to kecf
| them in the house. And as they co.ld
/ be rCsuscitatCd better in q sitting pc
/ sition they must be seJup in some Wsy c!
/ other. | consulted David on the subject
! You might put 'em up with thcil
/ backs agin the wall, sir said he, "bu'
the dirty beasts would spoil the paper
/ l wouldn't keep them in decent room
/ like this. I'd haul 'em out into the
kitchen, any way
/ But as they were already in The
, library I decided to let them stay there
+ and to get them as speedily as possible
/ into some position in which they nigh
/ remain. | bethought me of a heavy wood
/ en- settle or bench with back and arm:
/ which stood on the side piazza. With
/ David's help l brought this into tho
( room and placed it with its back to the
window.
/ Now. them said l to David, Eve vii
/ put them on this bench and l will tie
/ them fast to it. We can not be too care
! full in securing them, for if one of then
/ there is no knowing what trouble ht
/ might make"
well, sir" said David. ''if I'm tx
! handle them at all I'd rather have then
/ dead. as I hope they are, than have then
/ alive: but you needn't be afraid, sir
| that any of them will get loose. III Sc;
, any signs of that I'll crack the rascal:
/ skull in a jitfy."
/ It required a great deal of Juggling ant
/ lifting to get those three men on The
/ bench, but we got them there side b!
+ side. their heads hanging listlessly, so
/ one way and some another. i then tiet
+ each one of them firmly to the bench.
| | had scarcely finished this when
/ again heard my wifc's voice from thu
/ top of the stairs.
IF any pipes have burst" she called
down, tell David not TO catch the water
+ in the new milk pans
Very we'll. 1 replied. I'll see to il,
+ and was reioiced to hear again tn;
! shutting of the bedroom door.
/ now saturated q sponge with the
+ powerful preparation which DR.. Mark:
/ had prepared as an antidote. and held
under the nose of the tall burglar. II
/ less than twenty seconds he made ;
/ slight quivering in his face as if ht
| were about to sneeze, and very soon h'
! did sneeze slightly. Then he sneezec
violently, raised his head and opened
his eyes. For moment he gazet
blankly before him, and then looked
| stupidity at David and at me. But il
| an instant there flashed into his face
| the look of wild beast. His quick
| glittering eye took in the whole stu
| alton at glance. With furious oatl