People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1894-04-20

Even had the strength TO unlock
that iron grasp, he carried arms and
would shoot me like q dog before |
could escape. Involuntarily thought
Of those snake charmers and HinGoo
jugglers who. by the skillful use OF
feather are able to make a sleeping
man change his attitude or release
his grip upon whatsoever he holds,
but | had no such power to
make faced this mans muscles, and
in sheer helplessness and desperation
! sat for what seemed to me life
time with that heavy arm weighing
on MY breast
What real length of time elapsed,
| cannot say. but suddenly he turned
with a heavy groan, as if some
spectre troubled his sleep. and his
arm fell to the ground with a dull
thud, then he fell to snoring loudly
and regularly as before.
Kneeling down. | ventured on a
tiny shaft of light that showed me
his relaxed hand lying on the ground
palm uppermost, with-and the sight
of it nearly took my breath away for
joy--the horn box loosely held in
the relaxed fingers.
For once in my life rose to the
emergency of the moment, and with
out hesitation slipped the box from
beneath that nerveless touch and
stole away.
But | had reckoned without that
instinct, belonging of right only to
animals, but found in savages and
men who live almost entirely in the
open air; an instinct that becomes
developed almost into a sixth sense,
that keeps sentinel over the others
while they sleep, and gives instant
warning OF danger
On the instant the Syrian awoke,
found his hand empty, and held his
breath to listen for the slightest
sound that might give evidence of a
strangers presence. Then he swept
his hand along the floor as thinking
he might have dropped what he
missed, and. not finding it, hurled
his huge weight out Of bed, and ]
said to myself, "Now if he possesses
a light | am a dead man. ;" and lis
tened for the striking Of a match
that, thank God did not come.
| heard instead a click, ominous
enough, and doubling if in the dark.
ness he so accurately knew the posi-
tion Of the staircase as to cover il
successfully, | stopped down, and
getting on my hands and knees
crawled TO the stair-head with all the
speed could command.
Instantaneously, with the frs
sound | made, came a shot thai
passed directly over my head, ant
then the boards groaned under the
Styrian's weight as he dashed acros:
the narrow room towards me, JUS
missing my heels as l slid down the
stairs, checking my too rapid de
scent by grasping the low hand-rai
that on one side guarded them.
He fired again with the same re
suit as before, then came laundering
after me, but l had the start. ant
knew that if lcould reach the secre
door, (which had left open l wasIsafe
But even as slipped through il
sharp report and singing sensa
tion in my right shoulder told m
that was hit, and had barrel
drawn the door close behind me
when he fell against it with a crasl
that shook the whole place.
/ heard him cursing and raging o.
the other side, completely baffled b
my disappearance, and probably no
aware that he had winged me.
Softly | slipped out at the door
and sped down the winding path a
the top Of my speed never drawin
breath TIL reached the nearest col
tage, where lived a fisherman wit
his three stalwart sons, all sound
asleep, and with difficulty awakened
Il have been shot at, and wounde
by the man at Smuggler's Hole"
said, you must come with me 4
once and secure him"
The blood that lripped from m
coat sleeve corroborated my stor
plainly enough when the three joine
me, but the emergency left no tim
for those explanations that | shout
have been puzzled to give, and n
more was said till We arrived at tn
hut.