The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-02-28

for half -an-hour quiet reigned.
1t must have been midnight, when
was thoroughly awakened by terrific
noises below,-loud talking, swearing
and the scuff1ing Of feet, as If a crowd
of rough men had taken possession.
I sat up in bed, and by the dim light
coming up through the hole in the
floor saw the colonel partly dressed
and with q revolver in hand, peering
into the room below.
"What's up?'' I said in low tone.
'"There's lot of skedaddlers, in my
opinion, on their way to Canada to
escape drafting into the army" an
swered the colonel. Leave them to
me-" he added. "Come here and
look"
7 did look. 1t was a regular pande-
n....l;,m The boys, about dozen of
| ullean, were making things generally
lively. They We're half-tipsy, and
were quarreling with each other, all
trying to appropriate the one bed. The
old man had pushed his wife and
daughter into a corner and stood in
front of them, keeping the miscreants
| off by a well-directed blow here and
there. One fellow at length rushed to
the ladder and mounted with rather
unsteady steps toward us. I had an
impulse ito shake the ladder and throw
him off, but the colonel pulled me
back where we could not be seen in
the darkness. We, however, could see
the man who showed his head above
our floor.
| "Here your' he called out. 'There's
fellers here ais wants them beds, and
mighty quick. You can just turn out,
and give 'em to your betteIs, Or"
The threat was not finished, for the
colonel sprang forward, caught the
man by the collar, placed his revolver
against his forehead, and shouted in
tones that even woke Tom: 'sYou in
solent pup! You hound! with plenty
of oaths interjected) I'll teach you
who's going to sleep in these beds,
and it isn't you, nor any of your
friends. One word more of your i'm
pertinence, and you are dead man.
You didn't know you had a war col
onel to deal with. But you have, and
one that's going to command the whole
crew of you"
So saying, the colonel flung the man
to the floor below, where he fell in a
heap He and I then pulled up the
ladder. The crowd had become very
quiet. The colonel used his advantage.
"Now, you fellows, drop, wherever
you are, right On the floor. Not one
of you dares to touch that bed, which
belongs to the ladies. Those of you
that make any trouble will hear from
me, for shall sit here and watch you
all night with this six-barrelled re-
volver, each ball of which is good for
two. Down now.
| never saw such a sudden and COM
plete downing. They dropped, every
one of them, and the floor was COW
cred.
"Now lei the ladies lie down On the
bed, and you" addressing the old
man, "put ON some more fire-wOod, sc
that can see the room and everybody
in it,"
The colonel was obeyed in every re-
spect- The women lay down upon the
bed; the man replenished the fire and
seated himself in an armchair, where
he could doze and be comfortable.
did you kill him?" I asked tine
colonel, meaning the man whom he
had thrown down the ladder.
"Watch a few minutes and see," was
the reply 1t was not long before
saw signs of life, careful movement
such as raising the hand to the head
UuI lLc uldu ulu uOG SpSk1h AoI dt-
tempt to rise.
care you really going to sit here and
keep guard all night?' I asked the
colonel.
"Not il I know myself he replied
they will be asleep. Why, they're
half-drunk, you know. and they are
drowsy as we'll as cawardly. One
man with a weapon could manage
| twenty such"
After that the shanty was quiet
Not a sound was heard except the
stentorian breathing of the men.
"Do you think our horses are in
danger of being stolen?" I asked the
colonel once more, before settling my
self to another nap.
"Well, these fellows would rather
ride than walk, of course" was the
answer. 81 think you and I will do
well to get an early start. But once
asleep, most Of the boys won't wake
up before O'clock"
| After that I had four hours of cap
ital sleep. 1t seemed as if the colonel
was worth a whole regiment of sol
diers, and I felt as easy in my mind
as if had been at home.
| 1t was daylight when the colonel
awoke me, saying, "I'm going out for
some fresh air. So many in such a
hole makes bad breathing. Besides,
we may as well look after the horses -
| I arose and quickly dressed, reused
Tom, followed the colonel down the
ladder which he had put in place,
and together we picked our way
among the sleepers, through the I'm
locked door, until we were outside.
Never did the open air seem so fresh
and clean. The colonel and drew in
long breaths. The barn was in good
order, and eur animals had not been
disturbed. The old man. was there,
keeping guard for us. The idea had
also entered his head that his latest
arrived guests might steal our horses,
and he sat quietly on the ground with
his gun beside him, to keep intruders
away. I thanked him heartily, and
added an extra coin to the payment
for our nights lodging. After that
we had no more adventures. 1 got
the horses through all right, and
shipped them.
Next summer I went again to Ban
gor, to purchase pair of horses for
our firm in New York. While there /
looked up Tom Hunter, my companion
of the year before. He was married,
| and keeping house very comfortably.
His wife was the pretty daughter of
the old man and woman who kept the
inn. She made Tom an excellent wife,
and he said it was a lucky day for
him when he spent the night with me
in that terrible forest.