The Press., 1898-11-03
SAVED BY A DREAM.
A THRICE REPEATED WARNIf!G THAT
 WAS LUCKILY HEEOEO.

THRK6 hEF6AtED WNNfNii
 WAS LUCKILY HEEOEO. How Two Men Narrowly Escaped Assassi- nation In . Western Ontario Inn-The
 Reality Was . Perfect Reproduction of
 the vfsion of' the Brain.
 Miss Mabel Wiloughby, writing in
 the Toronto Globe. relates this strange story:
 Many years ago my great-uncle, Q
 magistrate of Niagara district, had oc-
 casion, as he often had. to make jour-
 ney on horse back through some of the
 more unsettled parts of western On
 tario. As those were the pioneer days
 many parts of Ontario now thickly set
 tied and prosperous communities were
 almost unbroken stretches of forest, i'm tersected by roads, passable only by
 equestrians. The only places of public accommodation were small taverns or inns to be found at intervals of many miles along these trails or roads. My uncle and his father-in-law. who ac companied him, carried large sums of money with which to buy grain and Il cattle from the settlers.
 N N they were nearing the small inn where they intended stopping for the night, they heard the sound of horses hoofs close behind them, and. turning in his saddle, my uncle saw that the strangers approaching him were a dark visaged pair of men whom he had noticed at the dinner table with him at the last hosteIry. They. however. saluted my uncle and MT. H., his father in law, in @ very civil manner and returned the compliments of the hour.
 "The party soon reached the inn, and, to uncIe's surprise, the two stran- gerstrotted on past the only resting place there was for miles. But he concluded | that they were hunters or settlers hv ing farther on, and so for the time | thought no more of it.
 "Our two grain dealers took their supper and shortly afterward retired
 comfortably for the night Not long | after going to bed MT. H.. feeling thirs- ! ty, rose and went down to the ba1room for drink of water. No laughter here | He was 6 local preacher and stanch ad- herent to the Methodist church.) "On entering the bar he was greatly surprised to see stretched out on the | wooden benches the guests of the din l ner table and travelling companions of | the early evening. However, he trou- bled very little about the matter, as he thought that they had been overtaken | by night and turned back. On return | ing to the bedroom he found my uncle dozing. and so made no mention of the uncanny pair in the barroom. and in a foxU minutes fell asleen also
 After short sleep uncle awoke and
 almost started out of bed, having had a most vivid and frightful dream, in | which he saw one of those men advanc- | ing toward him with 8 dark lantern l turned upon his face and drawn knife in his hand, But, finding the room per fectly quiet, uncle persuaded himself that his dream was the result of some slight apprehension he had had concern-
 ing the two men, and so fell asleep | again. but only to have the horrible vii sion repeated.
 "He began to feel that the dream, SO
 vivid and persistent, might have the
 nature of a presentiment. so put his hand under the pillow to see that his | pistols which he carried were safe. But as everything continued perfectly still he allowed himself to fall into a l light doze. which was again interrupt l ed by the same dream. like 8 midnight | specter
 "Nuw thoroughly alarmed and feel | ing that his dream was sent as 6 warn l ing, he roused the old gentleman by his l side and told him of it. MT. H. then l told him of the men in the barroom.
 This increasing their apprehension. the
 two men decided to watch by turns. MT H. taking the first watch. Not five min-
 utes had elapsed before footstep just | outside their door caught the ear of | both men.
 "In 8 moment the door opened very | softly, and 8 man stealthily entered and | crept toward the bed, while the two in the bed prepared for immediate defense when the villain had come close enough l to be seen distinctly. kept perfectly quiet When within about two yards of
 the bed. the intending assassin. by the
 manipulation of his lantern. which un- til this time had remained perfectly dark. threw 8 clear light over the sup | posed sleepers and revealed to them the | reality of the vision-the same man, knife and lantern, with his murderous Autcut1Ou u4OoOusIy "EitOou Ou uiS uAcai | countenance.
 "One glance at his intended victims
 and his expression changed to amaze
 ment and fear and he stood like one | paralyzed as he met my uncle's steady
 and white face, who. with pistol pre-
 sented, waited but another move on the part of the villain to kill him on the | spot. But the man didn't move All
 was perfectly still, except for a snoth-
 cred prayer from the old gentleman Uncle was the first to speak. demand ing what he wanted. No reply was | given. Uncle then. threateningly ad7 | vancing his piece. ordered him to leave the room at once on pain of death. In | obedience to this the robber, without
 turning his face or changing his atti- tude in any way. backed as steadily
 from the room as he had entered it and | was seen no more'