The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-05-23

OAO AhChs oooUShAy s~At3AA6 AiAo ooA~S
to deep roar. he shouted. "Open the
door. ye old rascal. and let me and my
brave lads in.
The old man disappeared from the
window like flash. slamming the shut
ter to behind him, and the next instant
a rattling of bolts conld be heard as
they were hastily driven into their sock
cts.
"Ho, hol' cried Claudius, stamping
his foot with rage $50 it's to be an as
sault2" Then. turning toward his men
with gesture Of command, he bawled:
advance, my ladsl Batter down the
door Smash in the windowsl Make
holes in the wallis Tear the house to
piecesl But get at the old varlet and
drag him out of his hole
In obedience to his commands the
Tories sprang from their horses and
rushed toward the building like pack
of hungry wolves. Some hurled them
selves against the door. others endeav-
ored to force open the shutters, while
one or two, more venturesome than the
rest, climbed the pillars of the veranda
and attempted to enter the house
through the windows of the second
story.
Among those who chose the latter
way of gaining access to the interior
was Edward Robin, for even while the
Tory chief was bawling his commands
he had fixed upon a plan of action. II
was to get into the house before the
outlaws, call upon the inmates to fol
low him into the attic. barricade the
stairs leading thither and resist to the
last gasp. .
Reaching the roof of the veranda be-
fore the others, he ran quickly from
window to window. picking at the shut
ters with his saber. 1t was in vain.
They were all firmly bolted on the in
side and could not be budged from thei1
| fastenings.
He cast glance upward.
A row Of dormer windows projected
from the sloping roof. and he observed
that one Of them was open. If he couli
only reach the roof he could easily
make his way into the building through
that passage. But the roof was too higl
| up to be gained.
In the meantime the men who hat
climbed with him upon the veranda hat
descended to the ground again. and b.
was alone. He was on the point of imi
tating their example when his glanc
CHANGED to fall upon the crescent shape'
holes which had been cut through tn
shutters for ventilating purposes Their
were two Of these perforations-one il
the lower and the other in the uppe
panel Of each shutter. By inserting hi
hand and feet in these apertures it wa
possible for an active man to raise him
self to the roof.
1t was a hazardous feat to attempt
but Robin determined to undertake it
Selecting shutter underneath the win
dow he wished to gain, he slung hi
musket over his shoulder and thrus
his fingers and toes into the holes Then
exerting all his strength. he raised him
self up toward the gutter. Twice wer
his efforts baffled. but the third en-
deavor proved successful. He manages
to get a firm hold on the gutter AM
swing himself up to the roof.
He was just in time, for at the mo
ment he was passing through the win
dow the front door gave way with
crash, and the Tories rushed howlin
into the hall Indeed, so far as carry
ing out his original intention was con
cerned. he was too late, but he nigh
still save Zadie if he made haste So h
rushed frantically about the attic
searching in the darkness for the stair
leading down into the house.
| Suddenly he heard rush of footstep
upon the stairs. and, running in the di
rection of the sounds, he arrived at tn
head of the flight just in time to cate
Zadie IN his arms as she reached th
attic and tainted. Taking a firm hol
on her limp form, he carried her bac
into the loft and laid her gently upol
the floor Then he returned to th
stairs and. placing his musket and So
Der within reach. mounted guard a
the entrance to the attic