The Van Buren press., 1894-10-20

ot uia. foosns thefe ono o. them taking /
rom hisa pocket Hoinething which I
looked ike straws or matches. th .s !,
procrefte.l TO draw lots
f'rfssentiv netieea the smaller oue |
OF the tsYo suctdenlF tiirs1 rllr. Reacn. I
ing OF ttlis hand ne received the darrcr1
lI1fn MS e0npanlea nnd dcIibaratciy 1
pfoceetied 60 measure of ahont five !
Inches Of its pladn. With 1ievitish |
gieaInsin his eye ne SLOWLY apnroached |
meIaud felt that the critical moment I
had arrived
q H8en nYeyes upon those OF the as |
sassia rs nc slowly approaetleti me.t
ana upon mentinr uvEguzc he seemed |
ua aiilsa Tor ti1e momenb anu he paused |
'is ms eyes restealapon taeisnife which |
heldzin my hand lie did not seem |
20 kuov the exact nature of thet
weuponi 50 ne retreuted few steps, / /
eouia teei the cold sweat standing up-Hl
on ngztoreireatt. my tongue and lips |
pecatnea pareiied ana I would have
given 4 kiuEdom. mad possessed it, for
a drop OF water
The mans eompnnion. seeing him |
hesitate. iaude an effort to urge MIN |
ons but 10 no purpose. and finaitF they
hotn withdrew to the further side of
the room ana again held u hurried com
versation. turning towards me again
the enc 8ith the dagger inv down on t
the ttaoE. in ORDER To be below the
range ea myweapoa. ana working lirus
SELF lowarzis me prepared to striiSci
posing himself upon mis- right arm anu
loot. Nzltn the dagger IN MS left hand.
he matte fearfui= luugc toward met,
the blow tell short of its marK.
The demon IL my nature became
aroriseti aua assumed the offensive. !.
IhtowinE the vhuic woigat OF mv1t
body forward upon my left foot /
lunge4 forward. bat n1issea nv op-
ponentowi 10 MS low position on
The lioor. Seeing thati WIS abont to
force the ight myopponent lost cour.
/ age ana began To SOB anu eTys-iike
chiid ana retused to renew tire attack,
although urged on repeabetIIY by his
companion While this WAS eotnr on
the suspense % me- was terrible:
dared not force the hight, rs It was two
TO one. anai knew that If I1eft mvcor-
uer Il WIS sure death.
Losing patience the largerone OF the
assassins seizeu the dagger from the
hand Of his coInpanion and prenared to
renew the attack. At this momenI
i the door WIS untDeised and opened. Il
stranger rusned into the room ana
ssizingtfie hand that held the dagger
/ exclaimed;
You fools. this Is not our man
The w0utu.he assassinE immediately
fed. ana turning TO me tho stranger
cautioned me Ito leave the place as
! quIciklV aslp0sslbie. did not stand
upon the order OF going. but found NV
wav out upun the street IN quick time.
Passing down the street. [ ran upon
I anold friend. Detee1ire Allen. Upon
Y SEEING me he exetnimed: MY God.
\ M--HtInt is the Ina1Ier-Eeu look
I aslf vuu mad seen n gnostia ] related
! to him as briefly as possible nv adven-a
i ture and he assured me that j was
4 LUCKY 10 escape with NV life. as had
3
Frisco.
I spent the rest of tina night with
nv friEndu Allen and early the next
morning went ON board. That same
/ day wsF left for the tilSbotsio sea, and
y on re tszruInu some two months la ter
! We ewera surprised to hear that Lieut.
! N larsilaii- mted States narv, had
H. , ', "A
Y on-the street near the palace saloon
\ Great excitement prevaffed in navatE
i circles beeeusa fiis1 death. and tho
7 most strenuous eiforts were maize TO
! discover mis- murderers. but they were
! of lnozavari.
" TIE excitement soon died aour.u and
! shortly after our ship sput out of
7 commission ana her officers and creyy
Y ordered east Upon arriving ut New
I YorizrI WAS oricrefi 10 the naVat acaasl
Y etnvu z r. Annapntis- ! WAS oneaday
K strattsur bout the ancient city when
observed an elderlr- gentleman npz
Y proachinn me-. Extending his hand
he greeted me- eurdiallv exciaimiuE.
lk,sWell. I4ient. NJ arsnali. how are uvou:-
when hid YOU Hrrirnas Befereaf could
I offer aanv7 exptanatiouu his armrwas
j drawn within mine ana be form 1 knew
I it WIS at hlsdeorsren.
\ saw that something must be uonc.l
and ! immediately informed him that
4 he was Inistnisen, as my uame WAS not
\ iI,ient. MARSHALL. but Mate M
United states nary. He could
4 hnratv bea convinced and wouid
4 NOT accent mv explanation ufi-
until he had caliearone of his ununn-
te,.s.s-sgi-tl whom tho lieutenant was
Z intfna atniv aeauaintnd. The moment
she saw. mex her1 vomauas wit dc tected
tha mistake: but thew nii declared that
4 hay never saw two persons who so
! closeiy resnmhfed eacn other This
\ Incident enused me- TO reflect some-
1 what and the circufnataHces OF than
eventfuf nirilt in san francisco came
\ viviSitp be fore me ag ain ana after pom
aer,nnr awhile the whole mystery was
solved
~ 1t seemed that Lieut.. Marsnnit had
,pivp,r ,4fersn TO some of these wortnies
: yvhy, freuucnrnd the gambling saloons
I and thev had sworn 10 take hisilife Mt
4 tho firzt opportunity. he resemblance
between mvseif and their INTENDED
\ yictim mad indeed nearly cost mezmy'
I life
Years have passed AWAY since them
Z hntt although tin1e shaseffacedafrom my
4 memory rlnnv stirring events. yet the
i,nnrnssions of that night Of peril are
\ indelib1y fixed upon my mind ana
7 perhuus there are those aof my snip-
: na1ns nownliivinr wtio---stie'liu this
| find its wav IN to port=--witi recognize