Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-04-10
THE STORIES
-oF THE
THREE BURGLARS.
BY FRANK R. STOCKTON.
lCoPYRIGHT, 1881
fCoNTINUED.

haunbeu Dy luflSlDlo ahAHieAo, H~@ ANs.N
the story Of the maiden whose comings
her lover perceived by the earting of the
tall grain in the field of ripe wheat
through which she passed, but whose
form, although it might be folded in his
arms, was yet as invisible to his sight
as the summer air. did not doubt for
a moment that the animal that had come
TO me was one of those strange beings.
] lifted his head; it was heavy. / took
hold of paw which he readily gave
me; he had every attribute OF real
dog, except that he could not be seem"
ST call that perfectly horrible" said
Aunt Martha, with sort Of gasp.
ssPerhaps," said the young man, ''you
would prefer that should notcontinue."
At this both my wife and Aunt Martha
declared that he must go on and even
did not object to hearing the rest of the
story.
'sWell," said the young man, "Ajax
never came back. 1t is generally be-
lieved that dogs can see things which
are invisible to us, and l am afraid that
my faithful hound was frightened, per-
haps to death. when he found that the
animal whose entrance into the court
yard he had perceived was supernat-
nral and uncanny thing.
"But IL / needed canine companion
had one, for by day or night this in
visible dog never left me. When slept
he lay ON the floor by the side of my
bed; If put down my hand could
always feel his head, and often he would
stand up and press his nose against me,
ss IL to assure me that he was there.
This strange companionship continued
for several days, and / became really
attached to the invisible animal. His
constant compromising seemed to in
dictate that he had come to guard me,
and that he was determined to do 1T
thoroughly. felt so much confidence
in his protection, although knew not
how it could be exerted, that one morn
ing decided to take walk, and with
my hand on the head of the dog, to
make sure that he was with me, l
strolled into the open country.
az had walked about mile and was
approaching group Of large trees, when
suddenly from behind one of them the
tall figure of man appeared. In an in
slant knew 1t to be Colonel Kaldhein;
his was face which could not easily be
forgotten. Without a word he raised
a pistol which he held in his hand and
fred at me. The ball whistled over my
head.
'Istopped short, startled, and fright
,ened almost out Of my senses. | was
unarmed and there was no place Of
refuge to which l could fly. 1t was
plain that the man was determined to
kill me.
"Quicikly recocking his pistol, Kald-
helm raised 1t again. 1 involuntarily
shrank back, expecting death, but be-
fore he could fire his arm suddenly
dropped and the pistol was discharged
into the ground. Then began strange
scene, The man shouted, kicked and
beat up and down with his arms, his
pistol fell from his hand, he sprang from
aide to side, he turned around, he strug-
gled and yelled.
81 stood astounded. For an instant
supposed the man had been overtaken
by some sort of fit; but in a flash the
truth came to me. Kaldhein was being
attacked by my protector, the invisible
dog.
'Horrified by this conviction, my first
impulse was to save the man, and, with
out knowing what was going to do, !
stepped quickly toward him, but, STUN
bling over something l did not see, !
fell sprawling. Before l could regain
my feet l saw Kaldhein FALL backward
60 the ground, where scene took place
80 terrible that l shall not attempt to
describe it. When, with trembling steps
approached, the man was dead. The
invisible dog had almost torn him tc
pieces.
ST could do nothing. / did not re.
main upon the spot another minute, but
hurried home to the castle. AS rapid
1y walked on felt the dog beside me
and, putting my hand upon him, fell
that he was painting terribly, and fol
three days did not leave the house.
"About the end of this time / was sit
ting in an upper room of the castle, re
fiecting upon the recent dreadful event
when the thought struck me that the in
visible Jog, WHO wan ny my oluc, aPpaA
entity asleep, was Of an unusually pow
erful build to overcome so easily such {
strong man as Kaldhein. 1 felt desire
20 know how large the creature really
was, and, as had never touched AM
portion of his body back of his shoul
ders, now passed my hand along hi
back. 1 was amazed at his length, and
when / had moved my hand at leas
seven feet from his head it still resteC
upon his body; then the form Of tina
body began to change in manner which
terrified me; but, impelled by a horrible
but irresistible curiosity, my hanC
moved on.
"But no longer touched the body o
a dog; the form beneath my hand wa
cylindrical, apparently about foot il
diameter. As my hand moved on tn
diameter diminished, and the skin Of tn
creature became cold and clammy.
was feeling the body of a snakel
II now had reached the open door o
the room. The body Of the snake ex
q -. l.