The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-10-18
A MARINE BURGLAR.

People said / was very foolish when
bought 10 acre island three miles from
the shore md built my summer house on
it, but laughed and said quiet was what l
sought, and there would have it, far from
the madding's crowd ignoble strife Being
bachelor, with few wants, I took with
me only my man Henry, who was an excel
lent housekeeper and cook.
don't think ever enjoyed myself more
than the first four weeks 1 spent on the
island. In the morning took to the
water or took walk for an hour or So;
then I wrote for three hours, and the after
moons I read and 1oafed, 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. Some
times I had friend or two to drive with
me. but no woman was allowed to come
ashore there.
Twas 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 I was the kind of a
man any woman ought to marry?
She had, and for that had forsworn all
women.
AS L 6dy, was cQp1CAACly uoPPy OIL w
myself, excepting of course the hurt Isar
healing slowly, when one night the entire
scheme was overthrown.
That night was dark one, but quite
still, and I went to bed feeling fairly COM
Portable, as a coupls of my friends had
been with me until Z o'clock and were to
return early in the morning with sail
4 e G.I,s 1910 - To-,
About o'clock, or perhaps later, I was
awakened by hearing 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 matter?" I exclaimed.
''For Gods sake, major" he gasped, ''get
up and help me. There's burglars in the
house, and Pm done for"
Then Henry went down on the floor in q
heap, and lit lamp, as there came ter
rife banging on the door.
The light showed me Henry covered with
blood, his throat slashed, lying there dead
or dying, as supposed.
What to do did not know, for the only
arms in the house were across the hall, and
the burglars had me shut off from that d.
rection and were rapidly demolishing my
door.
They swore and pounded, entirely regard
less Of the ordinary rules Of burglary, for
they knew that SO far away from the shore
they were perfectly SAFE
'Go down stairs and get that AK" heard
one of them say, land we'll have this
id door out of the way in a minute.
We've done up 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 heard footsteps
down the hall and stairs.
I knew there was no help for me there
and only chance anywhere, and took
that. One window of my room opened out
on back roof and from that 1t was only
short distance to the ground. Once out
of the house I had one chance in 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 I did not
think of that It was life, and life is very
sweet to us, even though some fair Isabella
may have slipped drop of bitter into it.
Over the rocks and stones few, going
know not where, thinking of nothing but
escape.
What brought me to my senses some
what was my rushing into the water, and
at first I thought of swimming out and
trying to reach the mainland, but was
only poor swimmer, and knew should
be drowned or caught and knocked on the
head in the water by the burglars as a
hunter might knock muskrat on the
head, and the horror Of it drove me back.
Then I thought of my boat, but before /
started that way 1 remembered that my
friends had moved it 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 sig
nails now? Only means whereby the MUIR
derers might discover me.
One thinks rapidly at such moments,
fancy, and all this took place in much less
time than it requires to tell it, but there
was time enough for the burglars to learn
I was not in the room and with their quick
ewes see the window through which l had
escaped, and I heard some Of them coming
along the course l had taken, and one go
ing down toward my boat landing to cut
me off there.
Then aimlessly again and utterly dazed
began to circle the little island, running
on the beach. They could not see me, and
my bare feet made no noise in the sand,
and l rushed madly ahead, when all at
once went down with terrible crash over
something on the beach. They were near
enough to hear my fall. and one of them
Shouted:
Here he is, Bill. We've got him. D.
him for giving us so much trouble, we'll 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.
| almost shouted with joy when | made
this discovery. 1t was their boat, and once
in it and on the water was safe. by this
time could hear their footsteps along the
shore. which was quite rocky and rough
aers, except the little bit of beach where
he boat laT and they could not make such