The Portland daily press., 1901-01-14


Lain. why should he think Of Nolan on
this night, months after the last time be
had seen him Elwas IL bscauss he had heard
someone talking about MoIsain recently,
as having seen him In ths vicinity. No one
can answer this question, but the fact
remains that Clifford Mosher thought OF
MoLain when he heard the knock.
ut is that John McLain, l feel sure"
said clifford to his mother.
'"rhen be Is drunk, !" replied his mother,
and don't you go to the door,"
So they waited in silence while the
knocking was repeated at intervals and
then ceased. Apparently the knocker had
gone away. Some minutes passed and
Clifford and his mother resumed their
reading. Then came the knocking again,
this time louder and on the door opening
into the wooushsd and pump house.
"DId you bolt that pump house doorr'
asked Mrs. Mosher.
Clifford said that he had.
"Then how In the world could any one
get into the pump house unless he knew
the house as well as we DOT" asked Mrs.
MoshieT. ~
It was natural question and cause
for wonder that any one should have got
through this long, rambling woodshed.
piled high on either side with cords OF
wood ready for the stove,
DARK AS THE DARKEST PIT
and with the path way between the tiers
of wood very crooked and intricate and
with stumbling blocks at every turn.
The entrance TO 1t was q long distance
away, 30 that to get into the shed one had
to pass between two small buildings after
going entirely around the barn and pig
gerry. No stranger could ever have found
this wovdshed door in q dark night and
no stranger could ever have found his
way through this crooked path between
thu piles OF wood without a light. It
must be, then, someone who knew the
house well and naturally Mrs. Mosher
and Clifford were behived that it was
none other than Nolan.
Mrs. Mosh er turned down the light on
the stand between them. They were
naturally little bit alarmed. McLain
was not a nice man TO have about at any
time, much more was he an unwelcome
caller at this hour OF the night.
With the light turned down they waited
in silence. At the woodshed door the
pounding continued, growing louder as
the visitor became angry at not being
answered. DID the man think from his
summons not being answered that the
aged and infiTm Mira. Mosher was alone
at homer The woman is hard of hearing
and might not have heard the Knocking
of the man. Perhaps he thought that as
no one answered the knocks Mrs.
Moshier was alone In the house.
After a time the knocking at this door
ceased. The visitor whoever he was had
gone away. Clifford and his mother
breathed easier In consequences.
Unconscious OF the danger hanging over
them, the light was once more turned up
and the quiet reading was resumed
Some fifteen or twenty minutes passed in
this way. Neither said anything and the
minutes slowly dragged themselves away,
the only sound being the roaring of the
fire In the stove and the ticking of the
Ulock on the mantle shelf.
AS has been Eaid, Mrs. Mosher sat
within four or i've feet of the small win
dow In one corner of the room. This was
a window with small panes of glass,
quite high from the ground, but 1t was
made easy to reach 10 from the ground
because OF this embankment Of sawdust
which had been built up around ths stills
Of the house outside.
Suddenly ana without the slightest
warning there
CAME A TERRIFIC CRASH.
The window, cash and all was smashed
into hundred pieces by the blow from
sled stake. After the flying glass and
splintered wood OF the sash came the
bury form OF the white man. He was
whether Clifford recognized him or not 1t
Is of course impossible to tell. He came
through the window with the big club in
his hand, covered with snow and with
his cap pulled we'll down over his eyes
Clifford jumpe1 from his place on the
other side OF the stand and ran around to
protest his mother. He had barely
grabbed him and by the very forcs OF his
onslaught threw him back upon the
floor. But Clifford Mosher WAS man Of
great strength and good courage. He did
not submit tamely. His struggles as
testified by his mother were heroic He
realized Undoubtedly that he was fighting
for his life and he did his best to make a
brave fight The ruflian on top OF him
tried In vain to choke him 80 that he
could not move. Clifford fell with his
head towards the table in the center of
the room and his feet towards the win
dow through which the man had come.
On the table right above CIifford's head
was, had he but known 1t, big butcher
knife which would have made the I'M
equal struggle going on there on the floor
little more interesting for his assailant
who had his hand full as 1t was.
Suddenly the man jumped to HIS feet
and struck Clifford the first blow with