Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1899-07-27

49, -~-SS.oH~ e>AANA
as though with an ague Greater grew the
shaking until the building rocked, the bed
slid away from the wall, the table shifted
the glass and bottle on it rang togther, and
the pitcher danced so violently that the
water within it splashcd from its top. A
square of plaster from the ceiling fell to
the floor with a crash, filling the room with
dust; but through all Scammell never
wlnced, showing wonderment, nor bore
less threatening attitude.
In the course of the seconds through
which this endured he held me as he proba-
bly, would have done had the roof fallen
about our ears, so determined was he to
take me. l knew the nature of the tur.
mol at once, for when in the Indies with
my father l had experienced it. 1t was
not caused by the earth shaking from the
rolling of heavy thunder, for just then the
voice OF the storm was confined to the roar
of terrific downpour of rain 1t was an
earthquake rare phenomenon in this lat
itude, and its rarity, it's severity, and it's re-
suits before my eyes, trihing as were these,
| woke me from my trance and again gave
full play to my wits.
Fascinated and partly stunned as I had
been by the tiendish face of my enemy and
the full significance of the evil fortune into
WHICH l had suddenly fallen, like him, l
sat through the cdmmotion. Every unim-
portant detail about him, from the broken
| pearl button on his shirt front down to the
grains of powder in the pistol pan and the
| fine edge of the flint in the lock, found
force of attraction to the eye only known
| to those who fall into sudden hopelessness
or deep depression.
| But with the dancing of the tableware a
| quick idea shot through my brain, and
| showed me last desperate chance to ex-
| tricate myself from the coil about me.
| Natural phenomenon in the shape of
| breeze had saved me from the knife of the
| negro, and now twas an earthquake that
| might open way for my delivcrance by
| splashing- water from pitcher.
| Straining my nerves to conceal the new
hope that had sprung to life, began to act.
| Never had l felt my muscles knit firmer or
been less in need of stimulant than when,
| sinking back as if at last overcome by the
| combined shock of his words and the con-
vulsion of nature, which had now passed,
| said slowly and as though dazed:
Il am but prisoner of war, sir. was
forced for my own safety to come to New
York. / am no-spy-I will go-but-you-
| let me drink. I feel lax and-dizzy."
"You have none of the Indian in you,
you pale-livcred sneak" he answered
Drink, then, and gather your spunk and
| legs for action. Beat me with the fiat of
your sword! Fore God! But wait till I
can shift my eye from you! Drink, and then
| move before we have another quake, and the
| walls about us-'twil be your last dram"
With apparent effort I raised myself,
| reached for the bottle, end poured out
| stiff measure of liquor, which / drank off;
| then taking the pitcher, made as though to
! fill the glass, but as tipped it, with sud
| den movement l whirled full half a gallon
| of water over the pistol, drenching the
| printing and making the weapon useless.
With this action I sprang to my feet
Scammcll was quick, but not quick
| enough. The water had but reached the
powder when I heard the snap of the de-
scending hammer, and saw his first mo-
ton to gain his legs; but, following up the
drowning of the fre-pan, I lifted the heavy
| table and overturned it on him, pushing
| him backward, where to the floor went man,
| furniture, and croclery with terrific crash
At that moment there came vivid flash of
| lightning and hard upon it an appalling
peal of thunder Though almost blinded
and deafened by the bolt, sprang round
| the overturned table, and Selling the first
thing coming to hand, which proved to be
the water jug still unbroken, / grasped the
struggling tory by the throat and with all
my force brought down the heavy earthen-
ware on his uncovered head.
| The pitcher flew to fragments, Leaving
but the handle in my grasp, while Scammell
| became limp and collapsed
| This action took place during the interval
at which the thunder was the loudest, and
| was probably the reason that caused the
| noise of the fall Of the table to be unnoticed
! by those below. But, as though it had been
| insufficient, another violent CONFUSION fol-
| lowed, which came and went with the
suddenness of the explosion of park of
artillery.
I had but gotten to a standing position
| foundation. 1t sprang not from the earth
below this time, but from the air above,
the vibrations of which dashed the hang
ing glass from the wall and caused the win
| dow panes to fly in pieces into the room 1t
was not of the nature of an earthquake,
still less like thunder near or affair; much
it resembled the blowing up of a magazine,
though not until afterward did come to
| know this as the solution of the matter
The fash that had lighted my attack on
| Scammell had struck a powder ship Just
| from England as she lay at anchor off Wall
street, and no vestige of it or those aboard
was ever discovered. This combination of
| intense heat, violent storm, earthquake,
and explosion actually occurred in New
| York city, Sunday, August 8, l77S.l
The vicious nature of the shock was un-
like the gradual coming and going of the
| earthquake, and that it had occasoned
more alarm soon knew by the shouts that
| came from beneath my window. Rushing
! to it, through the shattered panes beheld
men running from the opposite houses,
while in the yard below was the squad of
| soldiers, which had pressed from the tavern
in panic when it 4esnel that the build
ing would fall
My safety still demanded immediate ac-
| ton, for should curiosity or distrust impel
the guard to come upstairs, would be I'M
done. That move would drive me to bay,
and either obligc me to finally surrender or
die like rat in hole
But had determined course of pro-
cedure by the time had finished getting
into my clothing. Hastily setting the table
upright, stopped over the body of Scam
nell. expected to find him dead, and was
surprised to discover that he was still of
this world, the thickness of his curly hair
and possible crack in the jug having
saved him from a crushed skull. He was
completely stunned, however, and with
little ado dragged him into the closet and
shut the door,
My sole chance of escape now lay in get
ting to Clinton and procuring pass, which
might be used ere hue and cry was raised
after me, and l fancied the hour was not
far from that appointed for the meeting
1t was possible that Clinton had been in