Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-05-21


myself held helpless by large, be-
whiskered and raggedlydressed man.
There was no need for him to caution
| me not to make any noise, for was too
| frightened to utter a sound. He grinned
in horrible manner as he saw the look
| OF abject terror which must have set
tied on my face. His eyes were waver-
ing and unsteady, while they had red
dish glow which have never seen in
human eyes since tn at day, but which I
| have often seen in the orbs of mad
dened animal. l knew in a moment
that was in the clutch of Crazy Burk!
But where was Sam?
A glance showed me that he was gone.
! I was alone in the power of the mailman.
Swiftly Crazy Burk bound my hands and
feet, knotting the cords 50 tightly that
they seemed to entirely stop the circu-
lation. When this was done, he lifted me
with one hand, and tossed me over his
shoulder. Then, picking up my gun, he
started off through the forest, carrying
me as if had been bag of oats. On,
on che tramped, without word or
sound, save now and then horrible
chuckle of delight. made no struggle;
! I'knew that it was useless.
Finally, we came to deserted log
ging camp. By deserted, " mean that
| it was not in use by lumbermen, and
| had not been used for years. But I
| soon learned that it was Crazy Burk's
| home. The terror of the woods carried
me in and dumped me on the floor, as if
had been some inanimate object.
"Ha! hal" he laughed, iendishly; "a
good supper! a good superb
did not comprehend his meaning
| then, but soon under stood it in all its
! horror. With feverish haste, my captor
set about making fire in the great,
open fireplace, and soon he had heavy
| volume of smoke rolling up the Chin
| ney, which was wide, old fashioned
concern, plastered with clay on the in
| ner side. Then he took long, wicked
| looking knife, and sat down on bench,
deliberately whetting it on his boot,
while he grinned at me in the most
blood-chilling manner. In despair, I
asked:
"What are you going to do with me?"
''Ha! ha! hap came his rasping laugh.
''You will make good supper-a fine
supper! And I am hungry!'
"You don't mean to eat me?" 1
gasped, with feeling of horror that is
indescribable.
He nodded, as he felt of the edge of
the knife with his thumb. Just then
heard a slight thump upon the roof of
the cabin, but 1 scarcely noticed it. The
door was closed and fastened, and it
seemed that was doomed to become a
feast for the mailman of the woods.
"You will not be the fust one I've
eaten" chuckled the fiend. ''They
were sweet-oh. so sweet! There is no
meat like it, will not hurt you much,
for this knife is sharp. A quick, sure
stroke, and in a few moments it's all
over. Ho! what does that mean?'
He stopped short as the smoke began
pouring into the room, as if it could
not escape from the chimney. Thicker
and faster it came, making it plain that
| II it continued the hut would soon be-
| filed with smoke. Burk uttered an ex-
clamation and sprang to his feet. He
hesitated moment, then, unbarring
| the door, he rushed out. The next mo-
ment l heard a scraping sound in che
big chimney, and dark object dropped
down and landed in the midst of the
lire. Then Sam Faber leaped out and
stood before me, his face aglow with
excitement! Never, in all my short
life. had l seen more welcome figure.
| ''Quick, Sam!' cried, ''bar the door!
BE has gone out but he'll be back in az
instant, and he's got knife!"
Sam made an agile leap and seized the
heavy bar; but the maniac had heard
my voice and came rushing in at that
moment Sam swung the heavy bar
in the air and brought it down on the
mans head with crash, putting all
his strength into the blow. Crazy Burk
went down like log, fairly knocked
senseless.
''By jingoes! I've fixed the old whelpr'
shouted my friend, in triumph.
''Cut these ropes lively!' painted.
HE may come to-"
Sam seized the knife which the mad
man had dropped and quickly set me
free, Tut for some time could not use
my limbs.
''What shall we do with him?" asked
the brave little fellow who had saved nv
life.
''Tie him up as quick as you can," was
my reply: Il will help you in mo-
ment."
Tie him! Well, I should say we didl
We bound him so that if he had DOS
sessed the strength of ten men he could
not have broken loose. Sam feared that
he had killed the maniac, but it soon
proved that Burk was far from dead.
for he recovered consciousness and be-
gan to froth and rave in a manner that
was terrible to hear. ~#s.
! What shall we do with him?" i i.
That was question which puzzled US,
but when Sam explained that there was