Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-10-07
A MARINE BURGLARY

when | bought ten-acre island three
miles from the shore and built my
summer house on it, but / laughed
and said quiet was what l sought,
and there / would have it, far from
the madding crowds ignOble strife.
Being a bachelor, with few wants, ]
took with me only my man Henry,
who was an excellent houSekeepel
and cook.
/ don't think I ever enjoyed myself
more than the first four weeks l spent
on the island. In the morning took
to the water, or took a walk for an
hour or so; then l wrote for three
hours and the afternoons read and
loafed, and at night l slept Some
days l would row over to the main
land and every day Henry went over
after the mail, unless it was stormy.
Sometimes l had friend or two
to drive with me, but no woman was
allowed to come ashore there.
was rigid in my determination on
this point, for had not one Isabella
Ventnor told me two weeks before I
bought the island that she did not
think ! was the kind of a man any
woman ought to marry?
She had, and for that [ had for.
sworn all women.
AS / say, / was supremelY happy
all by myself, excepting, of course,
the hurt Isabella had done me, and l
think that was healing slowly, when
one night the entire scheme was over
thrown.
That night was a dark one, but
quite still, and went to bed feeling
fairly comfortable, as a couple of my
friends had been with me until 7
o'clock and were to return early in
the morning with a sail boat for
fishing trip out to deep water. About
1o'clock, or perhaps later, l was
awakened by hearing a disturbance
Of some sort down stairs, and before
/ had my eyes fully opened Henry
rushed into the room, slammed the
door and locked it.
"What's the NATTER" exclaimed.
''FoT Gods sake, major" he gasped,
''get up and help me. There's burg
lars in the house and I'm done for"
Then Henry went down on the
floor in heap, and lit lamp, as
there came a terrified hammering on
the door.
The light showed me Henry COW
cred with blood, his throat slashed,
lying there dead or dying, as 1 sup
posed.
What to do 1 did not know, for the
in hn
the hall and the burglars had me shut
of from that direction and rapidly
demolishing my d"or.
They swore and pounded, entirely
regardless Of the ordinary rules of
burglary, for they knew that so far
away from the shore they were per-
fectly safe.
'Go downstairs and get that AK"
/ heard one of them say, land we'll
have this d door out of the way
in a minute. We've done one OF 'em,
and now we've got to do up the other;
so there won't be any tellin' tales out
OF school,"
Then he laughed. and l heard foot
steps down the hall and stairs.
knew there was no help for me
there, and only a chance anywhere,
and I took that One window of my
room opened out on back roof, and
from that it was only short distance
to the ground Once out Of the
house had one chance in a million
of escape In a minute was out of
the window, over the shed on the
ground. had on only my paiamas,
and the sharp stones cut my feet
cruelty, but I did not think of that
1t was life, and life is very sweet to
us even though some far Isabella
may have slipped a drop of bitter
into It
Over the rocks and stones I few,
going ] knew not where, thinking of
nothing but escape.
What brought me to my senses
somewhat was my rushing into the
water, and at first thought of swim
ming out and trying to reach the
ma inland, but I was only poor
swimmer, and knew I should be
drowned or caught and knocked on
the head in the water by the burg
lars as hunter might knock musk
rat in The head, and the horror Of it
drove me back. Then / thought of
my own boat but before started
that way, / remembered that my
friends had moved 1t over to the
mainland to return at daylight with
the sailboat, leaving me only my
rockets to signal the shore in case of
need, and what were signals now:
Only means whereby the murderers
might discover me.
One thinks rapidly at such mo-
ments, I fancy and all this took
place In much less time than it re-
quires to tell it; but there was time
enough for the burglars to learn
was not in the room, and W tn the r
quick eyes see the window through
which ] had escaped, and / heard
some Of them coming along the course
had taken, aud one going down to-
wards my boat landing to cut me of
there
Then aimIessly again and utterly
dazed. began to circle the little TO-