The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-21

unprotected" said I. "There is no know
ing how many of his accomplices may be
lurking about. must get you home now
as quickly as possible. The fellow may
come back with re-enforcements.'
"But we can't leave the honse at their
mercy" said Lou. '"Ihey know that we
haven't any police in this town, aud they'll
only wait till we go away, and then come
back to plumber the house and perhaps
burn it down. Suppose you wait here till
l run home and send father over here to
help you.'
l couldn't regard this plan with favor.
l told her that it would be ungallant to let
her go home alone, but there we're other OBJ
J%ections much more serious, which l didn't
mention. We finally agreed that l should
see her safely home, and then come back
with somebody else and a couple of guns to
keep watch.
When we got to her house her father had
retired for the night, INK he said he'd not
get up to &c on my such wild goose chase.
He strongly intimated that the whole story
was a freak of our imaginations. We reused
up one or two neighbors, who took the same
view of the case.
When l saw the burglar hunting party
narrowing down to myself alone my hair
began to stir at The roots and I had a sus-
picion that it was turning gray. But Lou
was getting interested. She had raked out
al old dark lantern and had borrowed a
six-shooter from one of her uncles. She
gave me these and her blessing, and l per-
celved that nothing but a square backdown
would save me from a night in Judge
Allerton's house.
The thunder clouds had risen and the
lightning was flashing as l took my way
towards the scene of my trial. l regretted
this exceedingly, because it interfered with
my plan, which was to hide in an obscure
corner of the Judges veranda till morning;
but if this lightning kept blazing away the
burglars might discover me and stain their
souls with my blood. In this view of the
case, the inside of the house seemed safer
than the outside. / had brought n big
bunch of keys with me, and 1 operated on
the door back of the judges house with
trembling hands. Almost the first key l
tried turned back the bolt, and l entered.
l passed through n hall and entered the
dining room. Was it my excited fancy?
Surely not. Somebody hastily left the
apartment as l entered it. + could hear
him in the adjoining room, and a minute
later on the stairs.
l was somewhat unfamiliar with the in
terror of the judges house, and could not
at once decide what part Of it would be
safest IN such an emergency. II ! had
known where there was a closet with a re-
liable lock on the inside of the door, |
should have lost no time in getting into it.
As it was, l stood trembling, and every
time a crash of thunder came, / supposed
that | was shot.
BY and by it seemed ss if / could hear
somebody breathing in the room. IL was
impossible to endure the suspense of this
thought. l had hitherto kept nv dark
lantern covered for fear a CLEAN from it
would betray me-, but now ! determined to
turn it loose and explore the room, even if
| made a target of myself by doing 1t. In
my nervousness l dropped it on the floor,
but 1t did not break. It's rays struggled
faintly out and showed me a figure. dim
and indistinct, but facing me menacinely.
| could see the glimmer of a weapon in its
hnnd. With a hoarse CRY l raised my own
pistol. III @ figure did the same. We fired
simultaneously, and l lodged unhurt; but
my adversary had persisted In the wreck of
Il large mirror, worth about $50.
l did not realize that l had fired at my
own image. | was too scared to understand
what the crash of the glass meant. | SIM
ply fled. In the darkness l lost my bear
lngs and tipped over tables and chairs.
lending showers of valuable and fragile
objects down upon the floor. At length my
hand touched some curtains. | pulled
then. aside and as | did 40 n flash and crash,
rlgnt III my face, made mo certain that the
entire top of my head had been shot off. In
reality had pulled the curtain away from
a window, and what l had supposed was a
pistol shot had been a flash OF lightning at
close range. But l took il for an enemy md
biaxed away, blowing several large panes of
glass to fragments.
By this time my nerves were totally un-
hinged. l had no idea but flight; and, per-
oeiving by u lightning flash the door which
led to the main hall, I darted through il,
leaped up the front stairs. and lodged
through tho frat door that I could ind. 1t
ied INTO u closet and there was somebody in