Waterbury Democrat., 1901-01-14

THEM VERY ATIRACIIVE E. LOTS OF REMNANTS AND SH ALMOST YOUR OWN PRICE. 10 do that now intervened between the shut ter and the wall, he listened again and heard the steady, regular breathing of some one inside and below. He knew it was the breathing of sleeping man, too loud and strong for woman, too even for one awake, and he reached up and pulled the shutter wide open on its rude leather hinges. Then he grasped the edge of the window with both hands and pulled himself up.
 My sleep grew troubled at last and then turned into q nightmare. Some huge wild beast, after the fashion of beasts in nightmares, was sitting on my chest and blowing his breath in my face, while I had no power to move 8 muscle. was cold to the marrow and 1 waited for him to devour me, but in- stead he dwind1ed away and became misty. With one great effort I threw him off my chest and sprang to my feet. My head struck against somebody else's s head as sprang up, and that somebody else swore an oath that had the savor neither of nightmare nor dream, but of reality.
 Gold air and moonlight rushed in at the window, but most of the passage was filled up by the shoulders and head of a large man whose face could not see owing to the imperfect light. He held in his hand pistol which he fired at me, but now the imperfect light was to my advantage and not his, for his | H,,11ok h,,r h 3 chuck in the log walls, and the re- 1 like a cannon shot.
 Moved more by impulse and instinct than by thought, snatched out my own pistol and fired at the head in the window. The man uttered deep sigh the body dropped forward and swayed there;I heard the light drip, drip of something on the floor, and then the body fell inside the room.
 The girl, suddenly awakened by the terrible sounds and half in maze, cried out ill fright and then began to ask in 3 high, trembling voice what had hap pened.
 "The British have attacked us," said. "One of them was in the shadow, and threw him back. Stand out of the range of the window'' did not want her to see the thing lying on the floor under the window, and showed the ta- hle in front of it.
 She obeyed, for spoke the last sen- tence very sharply. The window was wide open, and expecting to see another face there I held my second pistol ready, but none appeared, and had no doubt that they feared Crowder was dead.
 Taking the risk, reached out an arm, seized the shutter and slammed ii shut, securing it as best I could with the leather strap and nail used as 3 fastening. Then. with my ear near the crevice, l listened, but could not heal our enemies. feared at first to look out lest should receive bullet, but still hearing nothing applied my eye and saw that the men had gone back to their fire. They were all there-four. counted them and knew that none wa: missing. They were deliberating evi dently over the fall of their leader an6 what next to do, and took an immedi ate resolution.
 Light the candle," said to the girl. "Hold it to the fire. There'I enough heat left to start the wick te burning"
 She did so and saw that something lay behind the table.
 "What is that?'' she cried. I s'The dancer and singer of last night, J replied, seeing that I would have te tell. "The leader of those desperadoe! outside came into our fort, but he came into his grave"
 She retreated, shuddering, to thu farthest corner of the room.
 ''Now, you do exactly as I say,' continued. Remember that you are thu rank and file of this army, and am it commander. {"
 ''I will obey you," she said.
 quickly reloaded my pistol.
 Then showed the table away agail and, overcoming my repulsion. dragged the dead body to 8 sitting position. chill struck into my marrow, but dragged of the red British coat and, hay ing thrown off my own, put it on. The, I gathered up the wallet of food and Ol, Puts bridle and took down the bar iron the door.
 s'Come, said; ~'we are going t leave this place while they are plannin, by the fire and their backs are turned [ lne."
 It was bold measure, involvinl many riska. but believed that it woul' : succeed if we kept oux courage an' presence of mind. For at least two e three minutes they would think wa CxoWda6, victorioua. and that would WoReh nuch. When I had taken dow : GAfa HRg ! af11nnma a fnoamenfs