Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1892-12-24

| hole and had just tul.ed it when all
| upon d sudden, without sound of wind
or thunder, the whole sky was lighted
mp with wild fire and went black again.
! had to put my hand over my eyes to
get back to the color of the darkness,
and indeed / was already half blinded
when stepped into the tower.
| The house of Shaws stood some five
| full stories high, not counting lofts.
| Well, as | advanced. it seemed to me
the stair grew airier and a thought more
| lightsome, and | was wondering what
might be the cause of this change, when
second blink of the summer lightning
1 came and went. If did not cry out it
was because fear had me by the throat,
and if l did not fall it was more by
heavens mercy than my own strength.
1t was not only that the flash shone in
on every side through breaches in the
wall so that seemed to be clambering
aloft upon an open scaffold, but the same
passing brightness showed me the steps
were of unequal length, and that one of
my feet rested that moment within two
inches of the we'll.
This was the grand stair | thought;
and with the thought a gust of kind of
angry courage came into my heart. My
uncle had sent me here certainly to run
great risks, perhaps to die. swore |
would settle that "perhaps" if l should
break my neck for it; got me down upon
my hands and knees, and as slowly as "a
snail, feeling before me every inch and
testing the solidity of every stone, con-
tinued to ascend the stair.
The tower, l should have said, was
square, and in every corner the step was
made Of great stone of a different
shape to Join the flights. Well, had
come close to one of these turns when
feeling forward as usual my hand
slipped upon an edge and found nothing
but emptiness beyond it. The stair had
been carried no higher; to set stranger
mounting it in the darkness was to send
him straight to his death, and (although
thanks to the lightning and my own
precautions was safe enough the mere
thought of the peril in which | might
have stood and the dreadful height
might have fallen from brought out the
sweat upon my body and relaxed my
joints.
But | knew what l wanted now and
turned and groped my way down again
with a wonderful anger in my heart.
About half way down the wind sprung
up in clap and shook the tower and
died again, the rain followed, and before
| had reached the ground level it fell in
buckets. l put out my head into the
storm and looked along toward the kitch-
en-. The door, which had shut behind
me when left, now stood open and shed
a little glimmer of light, and thought
could see a figure standing in the rain.
quite still, like man hearkening. And
then there came binding flash which
showed me my uncle plainly just where
| had fancied him to stand, and hard
upon the heels of it a great towrow of
thunder.
Now, whether my uncle thought the
crash to be the sound of my fall, or
whether he heard in it Gods voice de-
nouncing murder, | will leave you to
guess. Certain it is, at least, that he
was seized on by kind of panic fear,
and that he ran into the house and left
the door open behind him. / followed
as softly as | could. and, coming un-
heard into the kitchen, stood and
watched him.
He had found time to open the corner
cupboard and bring out great case
bottle of aqua vitae, and now sat with
his back toward me at the table. Ever
and again he would be seized with tit
of deadly shuddering and groan aloud,
and carrying the bottle to his lips, drink
down the raw spirits by the mouthful.
stepped forward, came close behind
him where he sat, and suddenly clap
ping my two hands down upon his shoul-
ders-"Ahr cried l.
| My uncle gave kind of broken cry
like sleeps bleat, flung up his arms
and tumbled to the floor like a dead
man. was somewhat shocked at this,
but had myself to look to first of all,
and did not hesitate to let him lie as he
had fallen. The keys were hanging in
the cupboard, and it was my design to
furnish myself with arms before my
uncle should come again to his senses
and the power of devising evil. found
rusty, ugly looking highland dirk
without the scabbard. This concealed
inside my waistcoat and turned to my
uncle.
He lay with one knee up and one arm
.sprawling abroad, and he seemed to have
n tceased breathing. Fear came on me
THAT he was dead; then got water and
dashed it in his face, and with that he
seemed to come little to himself. AT
last he looked up and saw me.
Come, come" said l; "sit up"
'Are We alive?" he sobbed. 20 man,
are ye alive?"