The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-12-24

our trousers and socks, and descended
the stairs. which led up from the family
sitting-room. Only two rustics, lgnor-
ant of the peril of such an undertakings
would have done as we did. When we
got downstairs we found the parioF
door wide open, the room lighted anu
the stranger stood at the table with the
watch in his hand. We had crept down
so softly that he heard nothing. lie
was fully dressed, even to his oyercoat
ard arctics, and as we watched MN ne
vocketed the timepiece and removed
the wrapper from the shawl. Sam
idea had been to raise an alarm, or per-
hans rush in on him, but as we cow
cred there and watched. a sense OF help
lessness came over him, and his teetn
BEGAN to chatter before mine did. we
were about to creep back to the stars,
when the man turned the lampllght 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 eaten
his ear has always been a 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. I 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 frs!
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 oul
stables until the owner should turn up
The stables were in the Easement of thu
barn and half underground. The win
dows were very small and the door ;
stout one. This door had no lock, bu
fastened with hasp and pin. w
watched the man until he opened tn
door and entered the stables, and the'
Sam said:
Eyes, he's after the horses and In
going to do something"
eve must call father"
"If we do, the man will kill him
for he hasn't got nothing to fight with
You stand right here and hold the doc
a little open for me-"
"What are you going to do?"
I'm going to shut him in the stable
Don't boiler nor run away, for I'll b
back in a minute"
, Out into the snow and cold dashe
: Sam. 1t was about 800 feet to the barr
and being in his stocking feet he IA
7 like a deer and as noiseess as ca
, He found the door shut, and it did nj
= take him ten seconds to lift up the has
e and slip the pin through the stapl
4 When he came back we ran upstairs an
aroused father and mother, and just ;
>, we all got down, we heard the ma
\ kicking on the stable door. He hi
: both horses ready to bring out befo1
Il he discovered that he was locked /
i From the rumpus he made you won
n have thought that he was tearing Il
n whole barn down, but it was useless
d kick against that door. In daylight
q could have made his way up throuG
d one of tine feed-raclls, but he had us
X his last match and had to go slow
f. the darkness. We routed out the neig
bors. sent for the sheriff, and in abo
Il an hour the door was unfastened al
d the fellow invited to come out. He h
strapped mothers new shawl on one
the horses for a saddle, and fathe
10 Santa Claus watch was ticking aw
10 in his vest pocket. Why he had
~ weapons | never could understar
? for he turned out to be profession
RS horse thief and desperate man, but
had neither knife nor pistol. He W
marched off to Jail while the roostt
Id were growing for Christmas, and 81
and I we're in court later on when
wv was sent to prison for five years.
be "Boys," said my father, after the m