The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-10-27
BURGLARS IN A TRAP.
How They We're Caught by an
Intended Victim.

People said | was very foolish when
bought a ten-acre island three miles
from the shore and built my summer
mouse on it, but | laughed and said
quiet was what l sought, and there |
would have il, far from the madding
crowds ignoble strife. Being bache-
Tor, with few wants. | took with me
only my man Henry, who was an eX-
cclient houselleeper and cook.
don't think | ever enjoyed myself
more than the first four weeks / spent
on the island. In the morning / took
To the water. or took walk for an
hour or so; then | wrote for three
hours, and the afternoons | read and
loafcd. and at night | slept. Some days
| would row over to the mainland. and
every day Henry went over after the
mail, unless it was stormy. Sometimes
! had a 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 ore Isabella
Vcntnor told me two weeks before
bought the island that she did not think
! was the kind of man that any wom-
an ought to marry?
She had, and for that | had forsworn
all women.
As | say, l was supremely happy all
by myself, excepting, of course, the
hurt Isabella had done me, and | think
that was healing slowly, when one
night the entire scheme was over
thrown.
That night was dark one but quite
still and l went to bed feeling fairly
COW, F,,t1l,la S.o,,,,la Of NV
had been with me until seven o'clock
and were To return early in the morning
with sailboat for fishing trip out 10
deep water. About one o'clock, or per
haDs later, | was awakened by hearing
a disturbance of some sort downstairs,
and before l had my eyes fully opened
Henry rushed into the room, slammed
The door and locked it.
What's the matter?'' l exclaimed
For Gods sake, major" he gasped,
get up and help me. There burglars
in the house, and I'm done for"
Then Henry went down on the
floor in a heap and l lit lamp, as
there came a terrific hammering on the
door
The light showed me Henry COW
cred with blood, his throat slashed,
lying there dead or dying, as | sup
posed.
What to do | did not know, for the
only arms in the house were across the
hail and the burglars had me shut off
from that direction and were rapidly
dcmolishing my door.
They syvore and pounded, entirely re-
gardleSs OF the ordinary rules Of bur
glarv, for they knew that so far away
from the shore they were perfectly safe.
Go downstairs and get that AK |
heard one of them say, and we'll have
this blame door out of the way in a
minute We've done up one of EN-,
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 ! heard foot
steps down the hall and stairs.
| knew there was no help for me
there, and only chance anywhere, and
took that. One window of my room
opened out on a back roof, and from
that ii was only a short distance To the
ground. Once out of the house | had
one chance in a million Of escape. In
minute | was out of the window, over
the shed and on the ground. | had on
only my pajamas, and the sharp stones
cut my feet cruelty, but did not think
Of that. 1t was life, and life is very
sweet TO MS, even though some fair lsa-
bella may have slippe q a drop of bitter
into it.
over the rocks and stones ] flew, GO
ing / knew not where, thinking of
nothing but escape
What brought me TO my senses some
what was my rushing into the water,
and at first / thought of swimming
ont and trying To reach the mainland,
but | was only a poor swimmer and
knew 1 should be drowned or caught
and knocked on the head in the water
10y the burglars as a hunter might
knock musllrat in the head, and the
horror of it drove me back. Then l
Thought Of my own boat, but before
| started that way, remembered that
my friends had moved it over ~ the
mainland To return at daylight ~'.E
the sailbuat, leaving me only my -S-
cts to signal the shore in case u need,
and what were signals now? Only
means whereby the murderers might
discover me.
One thinks rapidly at such moments.
fancy, and all this took place in much
less time than IL requires u tell it; but
there was time enough for the burglars
to learn | was not in the room, and
with their quick eyes see the window
through which / had escaped. and |
heard some of them coming along the
course / had taken, and one going
down towards my boat landing to cut
me off there.
Then aimlessly again and utterly
dazed. began TO circle the little is
land. running on the beach. They
could not see me and my bare feet
made no noise in the sand and rushed
madly ahead. when all at once | went
with a terrible crash over something
on the beach. They were near enough
10 hear my fall, and one of them
shouted:
Here he is, Bill; we've got him; well
fix him now"
/ thought about as the burglar did,
but as | tried To get up | found was
in boat drawn half way up on the
sand.
l almost shouted with joy when /