Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-03-30

thought heard movement on the Kitchen
roof and l drew, the bedclothes over my
head and began kicking Jim. He uttered a
grunt or two and turned over. After min
ute popped out my head. and now | saw a
man with his face pressed against the glass
of the lower sash of the window to survey
the room. l tried to utter yell, but could
not make a sound. tried to kick jim,
but my legs were paraiyzed. could not
even draw the sheet over my head again.
With my eyes wide open and my heart in
my mouth / watched the fellow gently lift
the sash and fasten it up with a wedge. He
could have entered any door or window be
low but perhaps ne feared that some one
might be watching Ii was threSfeet from
the window II to the roof. The man drew
himself mp and paused for nlQment in the
opening.
What did deserve no credit for, because
it was born of terror and was an involun-
tary actor. i jumped out of bed to r,n
down stairs. Then l remem bered Jim ard
would not leave him. The bureau was close
at hand, and by accident | touched the eggs
Picking up one of them, hurled it with all
my might ut the object in the window
Those EGGS were boiled hard, and the one
threw struck the man risG, between the
eyes The shock and the p@iu caused hlIn
to loosen his hold and frii IL. sSv;,-d on the
roof In trying to recover himself he fell
off the edge of it.
As he went ont of the window l yelled
and brought Jim on end. ana next instant
we were flying down stsiTs and whoopirg
like savaces in chase. In about five min
utes the household was really to inVesti-
gate While we believed the man had
made of, we yet thought it wiseSt to lock
outside We mad scarcely got outside the
kitchen door when we found him. Uncle
Joe had a few days before placed n cid2r
barrel under the caves spout coming down
at the corner Of the shed roof. 1t was an
old cider barrel and about one-third fun vf
water. In going off the roof the man
turned over and fen head first into the bar-
rel and the first thing we caught sight Of
was his heels kicking the air.
There was water enough to have drowned
the fellow, and it was really wonderful
how he could have pumped into the barrel
without doing himself great injury. Hy
pushing his hands down to the bottom q
could keep his mouth above water. but he
could not lift himself out of the barrel.
When he heard IA about, be began shouting
and cursing and kicking. but we realized
that he was in a fix and were not at all
frightened. Jim seized one of his feet and
/ the other, While Uncle Joe trotted around
and got a piece OF clothC~3in0 to tie them
together. When we hca : ia securely
dashed. Aunt sally was give. -'se candle to
hold, and the other three cd got clubs
and tipped the barrel over. he rush Of
water almoS- StTaugled JSc rubber, and
while he was gaSpiuE and sputtering w
drew his arms behind his back and tieG
them there. He was AN ugly chap and TO
mistake. We got u knife and revolver OH
OF him while tying his arms and when he
finally got his breath he knew that he was
helpless. Had he protested peuitence and
begged forgiveness l think Uncle Joe would
have let him 20. Aunt sally, with her big
heart. had air fldy begun to find excuses for
the prisoner, when ne suddenly opened on
us. | have Leari some tall cusSiuir sii o..
then, but not hing TO beat his record. :,
threatened, l'Uded, commanded and dc
mandcd, anc Aunt sally had TO flee and
Uncle Joe TO pretend that be didn't hear.