River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-09-21
BURGLARS IN A TRAP.
low They Were Caught by an
Intended Victim.

Intended Victim.
People said was very foolish when /
bought a ten-acre island three miles
from the shore and built my summer
house on IL. but ] laughed and said
quiet was what ! sought, and there /
would have IL. far from the madding
crowds ignobIe strife. icing a baehe-
Tor. with few wants, 1 took with me
only my man Henry, who was an ex-
cellent hOuSekeeper and cook.
I don't think ! ever enjoyed myself
more than the first four weeks spent
on the island In the morning l took
20 the water. or took walk for an
hour or %; then I wrote for three
hours. and the afternoons I read and
loafed. and at night slept Some days
would row over To the mainland. and
every day Henry went over after the
mail. unless IL was stormy. Sometimes
] had friend or two to drive with ne
but 10 woman was allowed TO come
ashore there.
] was rigid in my determination on
this point, for had not one Isabella
Nentnor told me two weeks before
bought the island that she did not think
] was the kind of man that any wom-
an ought 10 marry
She had. and for that had fOrswOrn
all women
rs ! say, ] was supremacy 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 | went to bed feeling fairly
com 'Ortable. as a couple of my friends
had been with me until seven o'clock
and were to return early in the morning
with sailbOat for fishing trip out to
deep water. About one o'clock. or per-
hsps later, was awakened by hearing
a disturbance of some sort downstairs.
and before had my eyes fully opened
Henry rushed into the room, slammed
the door and locked it
whats the matter?~ / exclaimed.
''For Gods sake, major" he gasped.
get up and help me. There's burglars
in the house, and I'm done fof.
Then Henry went down OF the
floor in a heap and lit lamp. as
there came a terrific hammering on the
dOcr.
The light showed me Henry COW
cred with blood, his throat slashed,
lying there dead or dying, as ! sup
posed.
What To do I did not know for the
only arms in the house were across the
hall and the burglars had me shut off
from that direction and were rapidly
dcmolishing my door
They swore and pounded, entirely re
CARELESS Of the ordinary rules OF bur
glary. for they knew that 80 far away
from the shore they were perfectly safe.
Go downstairs and get that aN."
heard one of them say, land we'll have
this blame door out Of the w1y in a
minute. We've done up one Of 'em.
and now we've got 70 do mp the other.
30 there won't be any teilin' tales out
of school"
Then he laughed. and / heard foot
steps down the hall and stairs.
I knew there was no help for me
there. and only a chance anywhere. and
took that One window OF my room
opened out on a back roof. and from
that il 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 and on the ground ! had on
only my pajamas. and the sharp stones
cut my feet cruelty. but did not think
of that II was life. and life Is very
sweet to us, even though some fair lsa-
bella may have Slipped drop of bitter
into Il.
Over the rocks and stones ! flew. go
4 Il a
nothing but escape.
What brought me 10 my senses some
what was my rushing into the water,
and at first ! thought Of swimming
out and trying To reach the mainland.
but ] was only poor swimmer and |
knew I should be drowned or caught
and knocked on the head in the water
bv the burglars as a hunter might
knock a muSisrat in the head, and the
horror of II drove me back. Then
thought of nav own boat, but before
i started that way. ! remembered that
my friends had moved IL over To the
mainland To return at daylight with
the sailboat, leaving me only my rock
cts to signal the shore in case OF need.
and what were signals nOw2 Only a
means whereby the murderers might
discover me
One thinks rapidly at such moments.
] fancy, and al, this took place in much
less time than ID requires to tell il; but
there was time enough for the burglars
10 learn was not in the room. and
with their quick ewes see the window
through which lad escaped. and
heard some Of them coming along the
I hi
down towards my boat landing TO cut
me of there
Then aimlessly again and utterly
dazed, began Ia circle the little IS
land. running ON the beach. They
could not see me AID my bare feet
made no noise N the sand and rushed
madly ahead. when all at once I went
with terrible crash over something
on the beach. They were near enough
20 hear my fall. and one of them
shouted;
Here he Is, Bill; we've got him; Wen
fiN him now"
thought about as the burglar did.
but as l tried To get up I found I 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 IL aud on the water l was
safe BY this time I could hear their
footsteps along the shore, which was
quite rocky and rough here. except the
little bit of beach where the boat lay,
and they could not make such Roadway
rs did. as they dId not know the way
through the 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 a wild
strain ] tried To shove il into the water
But il would scarcely bulge. Again
and again J tugged, the blood almost
bursting through my ears by the eNer-
ton and tive skin tearing from my
hands and bare arms. i
50 near thought ~ safety, and still
the danger increasing every second. |
then as l heard an oath. more wicked |
than the others. as one Of the bur
glars fell over a stone. | felt the boat
move. and a little wave rolled in and /
lifted IL. 50 that with one more push il |
slid off into deep water jumped in. |
caught the oars. and as the burglars !
dashed down through the darkness 10 /