Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1902-10-04

Bones decided that an entrance might
be effected after dark. lie would have
neither bed nor fire, but the poorest
of the rooms would be comfortable for
Il vagabond.
when night came, Bones was on
| hand. 1t WAS not the first vacant
house by hundred in which he had
taken up temporary quarters, and he
knew the trick of prying open cellar
windows. once in the cellar, the light
of II match showed him the way up
stairs, and as he reached the kitchen
he was surprised to find bit of fire
in the range and the remains of meai
on II shelf Before giving the matter
any thought he ate up all the food be-
fore him and huggcd the range until
he had ceased to shiver Some one had
been ahead of him. 1t was not yag-
abond like himself, because there We're
the food and the fire, and thieves and
burglars would have no call to enter
empty houses. y half consumed can
die showed that the tenant had been
there for ii night or two, and it was
likely he had Il key to one of the DOORS
IbblltS was SoiitN nat my S'iiN', puS
not frightened With lighted candle in
his hand he set out to explore Il little
and decide which room to sleep in.
After look into the three or four
rooms downstairs he mounted to the
second story and had hardly reached
the landing when he heard mems
voices from one of the bedrooms, to-
gethcr with what seemed the sobbing
of Il child. Out went his candle, and
he got down OH hands and knees and
crept along to listen at the door. There
We're two men and child in that room,
and the child was weeping and plead
ing.
No one will ever know what Bones
thought or planned to do, as the door
was suddenly opened by one of the
men. and he was found crouching
there. He did not run away. One
look into the lighted room showed him
an old table, two or three chairs, bed
of blankets and on the bed the little
girl of the lost dog. He leaped into
the room as the man started back, and
as the girl recognized him and cried
out the two kidnapers cursed.
There was half minute when no
one moved. Then one of the men
rushed to the door and shut it, and
both drew knives and advanced upon
the vagabond. All her life the little
girl will remember how his impassive
face lighted up. how he suddenly grew
straight and tall, how his eyes glis-
tened as he seized one of the heavy
chairs and began the battle. They
were Il pair of Durly rutlianS, and they
had long, keen knives, but it was
fight lasting many long minutes. AS
they stabbed and thrust he beat them
to their knees They wounded him
again and again. and he left trail Of
blood as he shifted his position, but
one of them WAS dying and the other
/ had IL broken arm before the old vaga-
bond tottcrcd and fell, with the bro
ken chair still clutchcd in his fingers.
The child saw 1t all with batcd breath
and wide open eyes, and, though she
did not know of his hope, she saw that
he died like n manage, like the bray
est of men!
With his broken bones and bruised
body and with fear of the police in his
heart the surviving rutiian made his
way out of the house. and the child
was left the long night with the dead.
When morning came, she beat upon n
window until attention was attracted
/ and men broke in the door and rescued
hsS>, 1t was not the police who found
| thc&i,lnapcrs. but old Bones. 1t was
not public officer who had eagerly
sought Il battle with the ruitians and
yielded up his life after a heroic fight.
but simply an old vagabond of Apple
gate market. And his eulogy and his
epitaph were the words of the child
who saw him do battle for her:
"IIe was old and dirty and ragged.
but he was Il man"