Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-01-09
he raised the lstch; he pulled; he suggsd
at the door,
II was locked from the outsidel



The wrath Of Richard Ryder rose with
his astonishing discovery. He brandish-
I'd the poker and shouted to the covering
-What does this mean, you hounds7
Which of you has been conspiring with
one OF those men in the parlor to do mur-
der? Speak, or I'll brain some of you'll"
Its not we, Measter Ryder. We
knows nothin' of it." one of the terrified
fellows whined. and all joined in the dis
claimsr.
The landlord stopped and put his eye
to the keyhole. With the aid Of candle
he could plainly see the key in the wards
of the lock, inserted from ths outside.
open the window, therel" he cried.
Two windows lighted the tap-room in
day time, looking from the front Of the
house. For some reason unknown the
builder Of the inn had made none to the
seaward. The two referred to were made
with heavy sash and the small diamond
panes common at that time, and heavily
shuttered from without. The shutters
were always closed at night.
One of the countrymen at each window
now tugged and lifted, but neither could
raise the sash.
"Let me try" said the impatient Ryder.
But his efforts could avail no more than
those of the others.
The windows had no fastenings; the
hasping of the solid shutters inside was
sufficient protection.
The landlord now made a close in
spection with the light, and soon dis
covered the difficulty. Between the up
per and lower sashes on each side a
small hardwood wedge had been inserted
and driven in SO tightly that only the
butt could be seen.
The discovery almost unnamed the
landlord. He dropped the poker, and
beads of perspiration stood out on his
forehead.
"Merciful God, protect us!" he groan-
ed. 20, my wife and babes! Are we all
to be murdered together, like rats in a
trap2"
The terrors of his imagination gave
him new energy. He dashed at the door
leading from the tap to the dining-room
and the living rooms Of the house.
And that door was also locked-the key
was gonel
Ryder seized the poker again. He
paused one instant to listen. Save the
noise made by the heavy breathing of the
terrified rustics as they covered together
in the corner there was no sound. In the
parlor, everywhere in the house, outside,
so far as could be heard, there was no
cry, no alarm, no noise. With that om-
inous fall in the next room silence had
come.
But it was silence more alarming than
an outery for help could have been. The
unknown, the mysterious, is ever more
appalling than that which is plainly seen
and understood, however horrible it may
be.
what can it mean2" Ryder asked.
"It's the French has come over" blub-
bered one of the men.
IT'S the highwaymen, said another,
with chattering teeth.
Keep up your hearts, boys, cried the
landlord. by the bones of Marlborough
I'll soon know!"
He began dealing heavy blows upon
one of the windows with the poker
Panes and sash were shiyered together
and there was soon q clear aperture
through which man could pass. I'm.
fastening the hasps which confined the
shutters, he tried to push them open
They would not yield. He threw hi
whole weight against them. Useless
useless! They were fastened from with
out.
The fortitude of Dick Ryder was al
most vanquished by this crowning proc;
of deliberate and well-executed design
to confne himself and the others to the
house while violence was being done IL
the parlor He raised his voice in {
mighty shout.
"Help-ho-helpi"
An answering voice instantly replied
from the outside.
Whats wrong, Master Ryder?"
1t was the voice of the hostler. He anC
the boy, attending to the lame horse il
the stable, had remained ignorant of al
the excitement and terror that prevailed
inside the house, and had just reached
the door on their return when they heart
the landlords shout.
as that you, Tobias2"
@It be, sir"
whats the matter outsider"
Il doan' know an5 matter. Here's
and the boy. We've bedded and fed tn
horse, and rubbed on the liniment
and"
"The devil take the horse! Haven
there been men about the house, out
side?"
mot as / seen. !"
aCan you get the door open?"
Easy. Here be the key"
The hostler unlocked the door from tn
outside, and opened it. MFR. Ryde
seized the lantern from his hands an,
rushed out. An inspection of his win
dows from without showed him that tn
shutters were fastened with stout woodel
bars set into the ground and jammet
down against them.
The Landlord was good husband an,
father, and his first care was to satisI
himself of the safety of his little flock
He found the outer door leading into hi
family apartments unfastened, and hi
wife sitting by her table with her needle
work, the children having been put t.
bed. In answer to her husbands ques
tions, she told him that she had heard n,
unusual noise, and that nobody had dis
| turbed her. Having given her SOM
alarm by his manner and questions, Mr.
Ryder did not hesitate to invent q littl
| lie to soothe her. He assured her tina
there was no trouble except from tn
capers of man in the tap room who ha
taken too much ale, and he said that h
would lock up and join her in half a
hour.
He hurried back to the tap. The idler
had summoned courage enough to com
out. and we're examining the device b
which the shutters had been fastened
Toby said the landlord. the devi
has been to pay about here tonight, eve
if you haven't seen nor heard hin
You've got some pluck; get weapon
anything to fight with, at pinch an
! come round the house with me-"
The hostler was man of few words
and almost too stolid to be afraid. Will