The herald., 1898-10-09

were gradually to close up our lines ana
force the enemy to fall back in the d.
rection Of the opening under the house.
The plan seemed to work all right at
first. We dislodged them from their
stronghold without difficulty, and sue
ceeded in driving them before us for
some distance. About twenty yards from
the house the hen suddenly commenced
to walk sideways and glance around in
all directions. while the rooster contin"
ued straight ahead. A person with no
military training at all could have seen
that such a proceeding, IL persisted in.
was sure to lead to trouble. And just at
this critical time some one yelled "Sheo!"
That settled 1t; the hen was OFF at trot
followed. There was a clotheswire
stretched part way across the back lot,
just about the proper height. Of course.
and, with wonderful foresight, the hen
headed that way. I had raised the mop
over my head. prepared to knock the
hen into a cooked hat whenever I came
close enough to her But had entirely
overlooked the presence Of the clothes
wire. I was making something over for
ty-four knots, and was rapidly bearing
down upon the hen, when all at once
about seventeen million shooting stars
appeared above the horizon. No one
except myself noticed them. The
clotheswire had caught me right across
the bridge of my nose. 1t struck me
twice or three times, and then tried to
kick me after I was down. AS I lay
there, with my face buried in a heap
of dry ashes. while my wife stood guard
over me with the broom to see that
had a fair chance to get on my feet be-
fore the ten seconds were up, felt just
as If could have eaten that hen alive.
with the feathers all on.
When the shock of the encounter first
came let go my hold on the mop. of
course, and the impetus given 1t sent
it hurting through the air to fetch up
with dull, sickening thud on the back
of the neck Of a neighbours boy, who had
Joined us in the earlier stages of the
campaign, and had proved valuable
aid. He, too, bit the dust, but he had
a little the edge on me, for 1t was nice
clean dust that he bit. and not ashes.
/ 1 should not care to print in any pa
per that enters the home and is read at
the fireside or in the family circle, all
that the boy said upon that occasion. but
l do not think 1t can do any harm to say
that the gist of his remarks was that he
had a damned poor opinion Of a man
a good-sized boy and hen in bright
moonlight.
| In the meantime the chickens had
gone under the house of their own ac-
cord. Whether they thought they had
had fun enough for one night, or wheth
err they simply wished to escape the pro-
family of the boy, 1 do not know
made sure that they were without any
avenue of escape this time. and then
went back into the house and resumed
my book and my pipe.
| 1 retired early that night, and soon
sank into dreamless sleep. The night
was far spent when was rudely awak
ened from my sweet slumber by my
wife. who had just made the startling
discovery that there were burglars in
the house. Sure enough there was. I
could distinctly hear them. I could hear
their cautious footsteps. and occa-
sionally a light tapping, somewhere
overhead. The burglars had evidently
gained an entrance to the house and
were upstairs trying to open the strong
box. The sounds continued. 1 sat up
in bed and thought rapidly. 1t did not
occur to me, however, that there wasn't
any stronghold in the house. Just ex-
actly where 1 got that stronghold idea
from, anyway, / shall never be able to
say. The continual rapping did sound
for all the world like the sound a
burglar would make in trying to open
stronghold with hammer and cold
chisel. I hope the reader will try and
not laugh at me; it was no pleasant
situation, assure you. And could dis
}tinctly hear someone walking about.
1 got out of bed silently and went to
the bedroom door. l opened that, after
minute, and went softly along the
hall to the foot Of the stairs. The noises
had not ceased. Summoning all my
courage I called aloud in a voice that
sounded like q cross between a blast
from a fish horn with a dent I'M it and
the wall Of a lost soul, who's there?"
A silence so profound that it raised
every hair on my head right up on end
ensued. OF course it couldn't have been,
but it seemed to me as If I stood there
about two weeks, waiting for something
to happen.
After a while l heard the footsteps
again, and presently the rapping sounds.
l again demanded who was there, and
more silence set in. 1t occurred to me
that it would be good idea to go out
side and take look around. I had a
vague notion that might find ladder
stacked up against the side of the house,
and then I would be sure they were in
:. the place. 1 crept along the hall to the
), front door, and opening it softly passed
into the moonlight. Along the side of
:. The house in the shadow l crept, and
Nv, lutiously peered around the corner
nspere was nothing suspicious in sight.
~. made for the next corner. Nothing
- :, re. Soon I was back where started
-" m. The cold night wind was bowling
and my underpinning and racing up
.' a'down my spinal column under my
= a n.ty, and 1 was shiverng so that l
ieu ia not lean against the house for fear
nc VI aking it down.
W. Hlenly a great flood of light pene-
tra' the dark recesses of my under
% s'an and went back into the house
~ anu 1T to bed, not forgetting to make
"l" d ie",inted remarks to my wife, who
EN- was Wdering what I had done to the
of burgla.
HaiiShe next morning a tall, slim
g man wa stern, set look on his face
Sc ps eo.on his nose and Ratchet in
Ills manu- ight have been seen out back
to of the hot i, TIE :. nj 30 ,,,,,rdar,r,r 49,
VIC chicAens. hat man was I. have no
a. apolosies make, but I hope to be par
uoneo IL Slain. Those two chickens
hat had actual ou,,ad IN hotuaa,, 49,
Ind outer boards ~ ho,sa ond ~ ,,,oa