The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-07-08


tell, but / was awakened by creak-
ing noise in the direction of the door.
i opened my eyes, and the sight that
met my gaze sent a thrill through my
| body. There in the doorway stood the
| owner of the identical face had seen
at the window. In one hand he car
| ried dark lantern, while in the other
was long, murderous looking knife.
Ny. revolver and knife were under
my pillow. l strove to grasp them, but
, my hand seemed paralyzcd.
| He entered, closed the door noiseless-
| ly, and crept on tiptoe toward me,
keeping the knife still firmly clutched.
Heavens! was to he murdered in my
bed, with revolver and knife under
my pillow? But he did not give me
! much time for deliberation. With a
| cat-lilke tread, my visitor neared my
bed. He was now bending over me
with the knife appraised ready to strike
the blow which would deprive me of life.
! could feel his hot breath scorch my
cheek, but feigned to sleep soundly.
Suddenly puff of wind snapped a
limb off one of the trees outside the
cabin and hurled it against the door.
He lowered the appraised hand and
turned quickly about to ascertain the
cause of the noise.
Now was my chance. Far better to
die fighting than be murdered without
raising hand in my own defense.
With weapon in my hand | would
have a chance for life, otherwise l
would have none. Quick as thought 1
plunged my hand under the pillow. I
had no time to make choice of the
weapons, but took the first one / got
my hand on, long, glittering knife, as
large if not larger than the one he held
in his hand
turned quickly about. With yell of
defiance jumped out of the bed and
rushed upon him knife in hand. Nut
tering curse, he dropped the lantern
and rushed forward to meet me.
The knives FLASHED together with ter
rife force, each of us straining every
nerve to break the others guard and
drive his knife into the others bosom.
1t was fight for life now. Each of us
knew that one or the other must die.
My antagonist was tall, muscular fell
low, while was mere boy; but what
l lacked in strength l made up in
agility.
After several vain efforts to force
my knife from my hand he began to
lose all control of himself. BY quick
movement on my part ! succeeded in
n.y. inn I'm nd .,,A .nf,
deep wound in his shoulder.
With yell of rage he sprang upon
me, and before had time to leap aside
and evade him he had struck my knife
from my grasp and hurled it to the
other side of the cabin, far beyond my
reach
With almost herculean strength he
bore me to the floor, and, placing his
knee upon my breast, he held me down
so that | was powerless. His repulsive
face glowed with devilish exultation as
he bent over me, knife in hand
81 guess yer hain't forgot Wolfang,
have ycr?' he said, tauntingly. I'm
goin' to serve yer the same way.
Won't yer partner ramp and tear when
he finds yer here dead with this yer
knife in yer carcass and all his dust
gone. Dead men tell no talesr'
l .shuddered as he raised the knife
high above his head, ready to plunge it
into my breast, and began to think of
the past l tried to utter the prayers
my mother taught me when boy, but
l could not.
The knife began to descend, and l shut
my eyes to hide from sight the horrible
spectacle.
All! what was that? The doorway
was darkened for moment. Then
there was flash, Il report, and the
man with the knife appraised above me
fell lifeless to the floor and tainted.
When | returned to consciousness
Bill Sutton and half n dozen sturdy
miners were bending over me. Bill
was bathing my forehead. When l re-
covered sufficiently he related to me
the circumstances of my narrow escape.
When about fifteen miles from the
cabin he had met the supply wagon on
the way to the mines, and, as he had
no other business in Stubville but to OBJ
tain supplies, he returned with the
wagon to the miners headquarters,
about quarter of a mile distant. After
leaving it he ut once FASTENED to the
cabin and arrived just as the villains
knife was about to pierce my breast.
Without moments hesitation he
brought his rifle to his shoulder and
fired, with the results already known
to the reader.-Thomas Charles Levy,
in n V Wecl,lv