The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1894-09-08

4 4
he uas mad. His great grief had I'm.
hinged his mind In his solitude. What
should do? Escape seemed itnnos.
sible, I glanced at the door and he
read my thoughts
eyes, it is looked, he said, sand
the key Is IN my pocket, You can
not escape me. +
| crept backwards toward the fire.
place and made sudden dive down
wards for the poker. In nm instant
he sprang on me like q tiger, ana rot
one hand on my throat. In tho strue.
gle the poker was hurled across the
room and rolled out Of sight under an
old bureau. Then wo closed in tor
rible wresSle for supremacy, and in
Keeling along the floor both stumbled
over chair and fell heavily to tho
ground. - ~"
We managed after a while 10 regain
our feet, and disengaging myself
from his grasp, contrived to get the
table between us We stood for 4
moment gasping for breath and glar-
ing at each other.
Then saw he was fumbling with
his hand at the table drawer. He
suddenly drew out long bladed
carving knife, and for some minutes
we lodged one another around the
table. But I was too alert for him,
and after several unsuccessful at,
tempts to close with me he savapely
hurled the terrible weapon at my
head. The knife whizzed past nv
ear, making a very slight cut, and
stuck quivering in the wooden VAIN
scot.
A plan now occurred to me. Seiz-
ing favorable opportunity, I threw
all my strength on the table, and,
pushing it along the floor, jammed
him against the wall behind him.
Here I held him pinioned and groan-
ing with pain. My shouts, mean
while, for help had been futile, for he
had taken the precaution on nv ar
rival, to send his only servant to the
village.
TWAS impossible to hold my position
long. My strength was giving out,
and saw that my assailant was grad
ually freeing himself. I therefore had
! recourse to a new stratagem. l
waited until he was exerting con-
siderable force on the table, and then,
with a sudden jerk, drew it away.
He fell forward and his head struck
the table violently, half stunning him.
In moment I dashed to the win
dow, threw it open, and vaulted into
the garden. Jumping over the low
wall, I seized my bicycle. But the
mailman was close at my heels, and
as mounted my machine he dragged
loose brick from the top of the wall
and threw it at me with such pre-
cision that if had not seen his move
ment, and dipped my head in time, it
must infallibly have dashed out nv
brains. As it was it just grazed nv
scalp.
Once mounted I was soon whirlin Q
down the lane at high speed, with
the mailman chasing me as fast as his
legs would carry him. I was Just
congratulating myself on my escape,
when I saw to my dismay that
the lane ended short distance ahead,
with closed gate. Putting on the
brake and slackening speed, I man
aged, with great care, to avoid a
smash-up and alight at the gate,
which led into a wide meadow.
On the opposite side of the meadow
was gate leading into another field
rather smaller, and apparently skirted
by lane. This gate I vaulted, but,
unluckily, in doing so sprained my
left ankle. This was terrible mis-
fortune, for every step I took caused
me excruciating pain, and I could
barely limp along.
The man behind had not failed to
notice my accident, and as he rapidly
gained on me, short laugh or grunt
OF delight reached my ears. 1 saw
there was no hope, and that soon we
should be in tho grip of death.
was within twenty yards of stile
leading into the lane and shouted for
help as we'll as I was able with nv
scant breath, but all was quiet and
| deserted. No help was at hand. In
desperation and agony + struggled
forward, with the short gasps Of my
pursuer becoming momentarily more
audible. He was now within a few
feet OF me, and I was just preparing
to turn and face his attack when ]
felt his hand strike my shoulder, and
heard him fall with groan and a
heavy thud on the grass. He must
have caught his foot in something and
stumbled.
This gave me a temporary advan-
tage, of which did not fail TO avail
myself, and I reached tho stile in
safety. On getting over it looked
back and to my surprise saw the man
still lying stretched at full length
face downward on the grass. There
was no movement whatever Had he
tainted? It could not be pretense
to allure me back. for he could have
caught me with ease in the lane.
In moment decided to make the
best of my opportunity and bind him
hand and foot before he recovered
consciousness I rapidly tied his feet
together with my pocket handker-
chief, and took hold of his hands
with the intention of securing them
also. But I now discovered at a
glance that these precautions were
| unnecessary The Door fellow was