St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-12-26

How could hee"
dunno. bat I believe he Just came
here 10 steal 'em. II he Yves Euin' 70
look 1t q farm ON the eix-llile road why
didn't he get on the train at Graftoa3
I'll bet you he robs the house and clears
cut before morningls
Lets tell father!"
~He wouldn't believe It, and It would
only scare ma"
We talked the matter over Tor q few
minutes and then foil asleep, and the
old clock down in the kitchen was
striking II when Sam nudaed he
with his elbow and whispered:
'That fellow is fobbing the housed"
allow do you know?"
because / can hear him moving
about. There-don't you hear that?
We've get to 60 downstairs and stop
him from taking that watch and
shawl!"
I'VE dasn't!"
eyes. we dast, I'll go first, but you
come along! Robbers always run il
they hear anybody, and maybe he'll get
scarf on before he gets the things"
We slipped out Of bed and drew on
our trousers and socks, and descended
the stairs, which led up from the family
sitting-room. Only two rustics, ignor-
ant Of the peril of such IN undertaking.
would have done ~ we did. When we
got downstairs we found the parlor
door wide open, the room lighted, and
the stranger stood at the table with the
watch in his hand. We had crept down
so softly that he heard nothing. He
was fully dressed, even to his overcoat
and arctics. and ~ we watched him he
focketed the timepiece and removed
the wrapper from the shawl. Sans
idea had been to raise an alerm, or per-
haps rush in on him. buteas we cow
cred there and watched. nse OF help
lessness came over him, and his teeth
began to chatter before mine did. We
were about to creep back to the stairs,
when the man turned the lamplight al
most out, and came into the sitting.
room, and made for the outside door.
He passed within a foot Of us, and why
the humping of my heart did not catch
his ear has always been q wonder TO
me. He unlocked the door. passed
out and softly closed it behind him. and
We heard him going down the frozen
path to the barn. l was for going up
stairs for father, but Sam drew me
across to the side window, and pulled
aside the curtain and said:
Hes got the watch and shawl and is
now after that span of horses"
Let me explain that about the first
of the month the sheriff of our county
had taken possession of span of fine
horses, supposed to have been stolen.
and they were being cared for in our
stables until the owner ehould turn up.
The stables were in the basement of the
barn and half underground. The win
dows were very small and the door q
stout one. This door had no lock, but
fastened with hasp and pin. We
watched the man until he opened the
door and entered the stables. and then
Sam said:
Eyes, he's after the horses and I'm
going to do something"
I'VE must call father"
"If We do, the man will kill him.
for he hasn't got nothing to fight with!
Won stand right here and hold the door
little open for NE
what ore you going to do?"
I'm goAeAo shut him In the stable.
Don't hollef nor r. away, for Til be
hack In = minnie -
Out into the snow and cold dashed
Sam. It WAS about 800 feet to the barn,
and being in his stocking feet he ran
like . deer and - noiseless - q cat.
He found the door shut, and it did NOT
take him ten seconds to lift up the hasp
and slip the pin through the staple.
When he came back we ran upstairs and
aroused father and mother, and just as
we all got down, we heard the man
kicking on the stable door. He had
both horses ready to bring ont before
he discovered that he was locked liz.
From the rumpus he made you would
have thought that he was tearing the
hole barn down, but II was useless to
kick agains. that door. In daylight he