The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-09-15

through tho rocks.
But they were coming fast enough
and cursing at every step, and with
the energy of despair, caught the
boat in my arms, and with wild
strain tried to shove it into the water.
But it would scarcely bulge. Again
and again I tugged, the blood almost
bursting through my ears by the exer-
ton and the skin tearing from my
hands and bare arms
So ne ar thought to safety, and still
the danger increasing every second,
then as heard an oath, more wicked
than the others, as one OF the bur-
glars fell over a stone, felt the boat
move, and little wave rolled in and
lifted it, SO that with one more push it
slid off into deep water. jumped in.
caught the oars, and as the burglars
dashed down through the darkness to
where they heard the noise, the boat
shot out into the water and was safe.
They might have shot me from tho
shore, but they had either left their re-
volvers in the house or had none, the
revolver being too noisy weapon for
burglars as rule.
Whatever the cause they did not fire,
and did not wait for it. at least that
close A hundred feet out began to be
myself once more and 1 stopped rowing:
''Why don't you come on?' l shouted
back. half Historically.
''Hold on" they yelled, and could
hear them running up and down tho
| shore in the darkness.
''Oh, you're all right" I laughed
shrilly. 'I'll come and take you of in
the course of few hours" and then,
fearful that they might get their guns,
rowed away as fast as could for tho
| mainland.
I think I made that three miles In
half the record, and when found tho
first policeman, he was for running me
in as lunatic or sleep-walker, but
he knew me, and as soon as l told my
story, force of ten men boarded tug
and we returned to the island. By this
time the first gray streaks of dawn were
showing in the summer sky, and as we
cautiously ran up to my wharf, it was
almost light enough to see the house.
We saw no burglars, however, nor
any signs Of them, though knew 1 had
them penned up on the island and es.
cape was impossible. We waited until
daylight, and then, deployed as skir-
mishers, the policemen began to move
] across the island, expecting any mo-
ment to flush a burglar or get a shot
from ambush.
AS we came up to the house one Of
the burglars appeared in the doorway
and was covered on the instant by
dozen guns.
''Come in, gentlemen, come right in,"
he said, cheerily. 1--WE were expecting
you and we've got nice breakfast
| ready"
The mans GOODNESS almost gave me
the Mysteries, for knew by the sound
of his voice that he was the fellow who
wanted to Elk" me.
But he was uttering the truth-they
did have nice breakfast for us tout Of
my larder), and not that only, but they
had found that Henry was not dead,
and they had washed him and done
what they could in caring for him, and
had done it so well that he is alive to-
day with only an ugly scar on his neck
as memento.
There were four in the lot and we
soon had them handcuffed, and then
we sat down to breakfast and enjoyed
it, though 1 must confess that by this
time the condition I was in physically
was not pleasant
You're a queer gang" said tho
lieutenant of police to the leader, who
had invited us to breakfast. 'What did
you do this for?"
''The breakfast, you mean?"
"And all the rest Of it," said the
officer.
"Well cap'n, "he replied, SITS like this:
We wuz here fer de swag, kill er no,
and we thought we had killed the fust
one, and, of course, the other one had
to go, to stop talk. Then when he got
away and had us penned up like rats
we came to the conclusion that we had
better git out the best way we could.
The one we thought was dead only
needed repairs, SO we repaired him, and
we knowed you'd be here bimeby to
look fer us, and probably coming out
SO early in the morning you might be
hungry. So, begin the gents pardon
fer trespassin', we turned in and fixed
you up a nice breakfast. Now, wasn't
that about the white thing to do?"
Ihad had enough to put most men in
a bad humor, but this candid statement
struck my funny-bone somehow, and 1
laughed until the tears ran down my
checks, and even the policeman smiled.
OF course. the burglars had done the
best thing possible for themselves and
the very unique plan they had adopted
of necessity was in their favor. and
they only got ten years apiece, Henry
testifying SO earnestly to their polite
ness and care that that part of it was
not taken into the count at all
But can assure you l did not 20
back to the island again. gave it to
Henry, as it stood, and he lives there
with his wife, respected and admired, I
do believe, by every burglar in the
guild, for he holds them in the highest
esteem.
On, yes, almost forgot. When this
story came out in the papers, and my
part of it was set forth, as only report
ers know how to do such things, Isa-
bella. of course, heard of it, and one
moonlight night she said to me:
Major, thought once you were not
the kind of a man for a woman to mar
~, but I've changed my mind"
feel under obligations to those bur
glars myself.-W. j. hampton, in De-