Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1896-05-23


must give me your word of honor TO
finish the game fair, and not attempt
to escape any more"
I had nothing TO do but give the re-
qulred promise. for l saw murder In
his eyes IL refused. So we went ON.
and my nervousness, In a great meas
ure, left me. played grandly, and
reached the 100 TO his so. IL was now
his turn to lose heart, and he was just
getting In an awful funk, and
thought the game won, when | LETT
him good opening, and he, TO my alb
solute terror, made break of rs. put
ting him ON the 10I. | being 154. l
made another good break. and the
score was level. We each wanted 3.
At these words all my nervousness
came back, and had to lean upon the
table TO make my shot. l steadied
myself and fired Joyl The bah
struck the cushion. and. bounding
gracefully round. struck the red on
the side. forcing 1t into the middle
pocket. had won by fiuke, by the
narrow margin of one point. My life
was saved sat as one dazed. reallz-
ing nothing. seeing nothing but the
fact that l had come back almost as II
were from the dead As to my tor
mentor, he stood there as calm as pos
sible. watching my emotion with scorn-
full eyes.
''Ah." he said. with a gray smile, Il
have lost. Well, | must not grnmble
we had a good game. | am weary
of life. The Spirit OF Evil haunts me
day and night. he never leaves me.
You see. he was with me all through
| the game: II was he who made me
- -. 1tN..l
This sort of talk from mailman
/ did not seem very much to my taste,
and asked him IL could not 90.
go" he answered: certainly not.
| You have got to see me die, and then
! you must 90 and tell the police. The
/ police. ali, ali! they will think | was
{ insane. or else that you murdered me.
! All, an idea strikes me. You shall be
charged with my murder"
+ He hastily ran out Of the room. lock.
i ing the door after him, returning In
1 few minutes with stout piece Of
I rope. Before had time TO think what
/ was going TO happen | found myself
/ firmly fastened to the table. my hands
| tied behind me. | was helpless.
''You promised to let me go IL l
/ won l SAID.
II did nothing OF the kind; prom
| ised not to kill you. | am not going
to kill you III you had not tried to
murder me l should have let you go
at once: as 1t Is shall punish you for
It. / shall keep you tied up till some
one comes
In vain I entreated him for mercy.
He was memorable.
Il must now make out my state
ment"
lie fetched pen and ink. and sat
quietly writing for some time
How do you think that will do?' he
asked. with a malicious grin. and
handed me the paper.
Great heavens this is what the pa.
per contained:
II have been shot by the man who
Is bound to the table. 1 felt very little
pain at first, and managed 10 secure
him, but just as / finished binding
him I fell headlong. 1 managed to
crawl here and write this. l am dying
fast; my only prayer Is revenge"
H.
looked at the paper and read II
through.
II cannot imagine" I said, "how you
could think Of such a fiendish plot"
Yes" he said. looking as though
had paid him a great compliment, ''it's
not bad"
Just then neighboring clock struck
8. I had only been in the place three
hours, but 1t seemed q lifetime.
II have four more hours to i've" he
broke In; ''at Il | must die. AT least
you shall make my last hours happy
II shall experiment ON you
So saying, he fetched some small
skewers, and commenced heating
them. The sight completely overpow-
cred me and | tainted away. | must
. have remained unconscious for sew.
eral hours. When / recovered the
. first sight that caught my eye was the
body Of my tormentor lying a few
yards from me. He was dead. BY
!. his side lay the accusing paper. Al
at once became conscious OF a great
pain In one of my legs. examined
. IL as we'll as I could Great heavens
, 1t was burnt horribly. All riddled
with small holes-he had done II will
the skewers. What blessing I was
unconscious through IL all.
Just after the friendly clock pealet
; out again, 0ne-two-three. IL was
! O'Clock Nobody would be about much
before o; / had six long hours TO spent
! In this horrible den before could pos
all alone In that place no tongue car
3 tell. The hours seemed centuries, tht
? minutes years. ] was losing all con
? troll over myself; was going mad
Suddenly, to my horror-stricken eyes
/. the figure seemed to get up and wall
2 toward me. I struggled to fee,
screamed. but II was of no avail, tn,
. rope held fast. And then my goot
] angel took compassion on me and fel
= off into dose, and so that nigh
passed, sometimes waking. sometimes
DOING. never at rest. III slept wen
over all my troubles again. till my
!. fright woke me up.
II was now broad daylight; surel,
. some one would soon be here. coult
hear the people walking along tn
pavement. Would they hear me IL
shouted? 1t was my last chance. ant
: I gave two or three yells with all m,
!. might. They were heard, for I nov
distinguished voices talking.
:, Where did 1t come 'front.'
: '.Herer' l yelled again.
!, "AlI right" came back the welcom