Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-07-13
KIDNAPPE
BEING MEMOIRS OF THE ADVENTURES OF DAVID
BALFOUE IN ThE YEAR 175l
BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
CHAPTER w. (Continued.)

SEINE: and / wondered what ulSHl Ue
The cause of this change, when a second
blink of the summer lightning came and
went If l did not cry out, it was be-
cause fear had me by the throat; and if
I did fall, it was more by heavens mercy
tEaa my own strength. 1t was not only
that the flash shOne IN on every side
through breaches in the wall, so that
q seemed 10 be clambering alOft upon an
omen scaffold, but the same passing
IaEgfsfness showed me the steps were OF
uneUual length, and that one Of my feet
rested that moment within two inches OF
che well.
This was the grand stair! | thought;
and with the thought gust OF a KIND
0f angry courage came INTO my heart.
Wy uncle had sent me here, certainly to
run great risks, perhaps to die. L sWore
that L would settle that perhaps" it L
should break my neck for it; got me
down upon my hands and knees; and as
slowly as q snail, feeling before me every
inch and testing the solidity OF every
stone. / continued to ascend the stair.
The darkness, by contrast with the flash,
appeared to have redoubled; nor
WAS that all, for my ears were
now troubled and my mind
COMPOUNDED by a great stir of bats in the
top part of the tower, and the foul
beasts, flying downward, sometimes peat
The tower l should have said was
Square; and in every corner the step
was made of great stone OF different
shape, to join the flights. Well, had
come close to one of these turns, When,
feeling forward as usual, my hand
Sipped upon an edge and found nothing
hut emptiness beyond it. The stairs had
been carried no higher; to set a stranger
amounting it in the darkness was to send
him straight to his death; and although,
1I,Io+ and INV
caution, was safe enougn) the mere
thought Of the peril in which l might
have stood and the dreadful height l
might have fallen from, brought out the
sweat upon my body and relaxed my
Joints.
But I knew what I wanted now, and
turned and CROPPED my way down again,
with a wonderful anger in my heart.
About halfway down, the wind sprang
aEp am a clap and shook the tower, and
dssed again; the rain followed; and be-
fore i had reached the ground level, IT
fell in buckets. | put out my head into
the storm, and looked along toward the
Kitchen. The door, which had shut be-
1INaH me when l left, now stood open,
and shed a little glimmer of light; and
thought | could see a figure standing II
the rain, quite still, like a man hearken
Jng. And then there came binding
flash, which showed me my uncle plainly,
just where | had fancied him to stand;
.shBd hard upon the heels of 1T, great
tow-goW of thunder.
Now, whether my uncle thought the
crash to be the sound of my fall, or
whether he heard in it Gods voice de-
nounoing murder, | will leave you to
guess. Certain it is, at least, that he
Was seized on by kind OF panic fear.
stRd that he ran into the house and left
the door open behind him. | followed as
softly as 1 could, and coming unheard in
TO the kitchen, stood and watched him.
He had found time to open the cor
ner cupboard and bring out great
case bottle of aqua vitae, and now sat
with his back toward me at the table
G1rer and again he would be seized with
u fit of deadly shuddering and gr0an
aloud, and carrying the bottle to his lips,
aiTjmk down the raw spirits by the
I11ufhfuI.
I stepped forward, came close behind
him where he sat, and suddenly clapplng
ADV two hands down upon his shoulders
- 'SAhI' cried |.
Aiy uncle gave a kind OF broken cry
like 81 Sleeps bleat, flung UP his arms,
and tumbled to the floor like a dead man
4 was somewhat shocked at this; but !
had myself to look to first of all, and
dft not hesitate to let him lie as he had
faTftsm, The keys were hanging in the
cupboard; and it was my design to
furnish myself with arms before my I'M
esse should come again to his senses and
tgslH pawer of devising evil In the cup
Is0asEfI were a few bottles, some appar-
eSigky medicine; a great many bills and
enough have rummaged, had
had the time; and a few nee
~SsarieS that were nothing to
my purpose. Thence I turned to the
chests. The first was full of meal; the
ssecead of money-bags and papers tied
other things land these for the most part
e.IotheS) [ found a rusty. ugly-lOOking
Highland dirk without the scabbard.
This, then, I concealed inside my waist
~noat, and turned, to my, uncle, -
He lay as he had fallen, all huddled,
with one knee up and one arm sprawling
abroad; his face had strange color of
FIlue and he seemed to have ceased
breathing. Fear came on me that he
was dead; then | got water and dashed it
GENE a little to himself, working his
saqnth and fiuttering his eyeli(ls. At
asst Hle looked up and saw me, and there
G-arne into his eyes a terror that was
not of this world.
Come, come" said l, sit up.
Are We alive?" he sobbed. 80 man,
are We alive"
-'T@lst / am said l. "Small thanks
40 youl"
ME had begun to seek for his breath
with deep signs "The blue phial," said
hc-"in the aumry-the blue phlal. Ills
breath came slower still.
ran to the cupboard. and sure enough,
found there a blue phial of medicine,
with the dose written on it on a paper,
and this / administered to him with what
sepsesa might.
TITS the trouble said he. reviving a
li&fle; Il have a trouble, Davie. It's
che heart
X set him on a chair and looked at
him 1t is true I felt some pity for a
Man chat looked so sick, but was full
besides of righteous anger: and | num-
bered over before him the points on
w-hich / wanted explanations: Why he
gEgag TO ne at every word; why he feared
ThqaS [ should leave him; why he disliked
7tsIo be limited that he and my father were
&yFinS-"Is that because it is true?'
z.$aaGtt why he had given me money. to
Which was convinced had no claim;
and, last of all, why he had tried to kill
xne Tie heard me all through in ST.
Icace; asId then. in a broken voice,
begged me TO lei him go TO bed.
''rn tell We the MORN" he said; ''as
sure as death I VIII
And So weak was he that ! could do