The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1901-1903, 1902-09-21

ley, and after careful reconnaissance
Bones decided that an entrance might
he effected after dark He would have
neither bed nor fire, but the poorest
Of the rooms would be comfortable for
vagabond
When night came, Bones was on
hand. 1t was not the first vacant
house by a 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 a match showed him the way up
stairs, and as he reached the kitchen
he WIS surprised to find a bit of fire
In the range and the remains of meal
on a shelf. Before giving the matter
any thought he ate up all the food be-
fore him and Rugged the range until
he had ceased to shiYer. Some one had
been ahead OF him. 1t was not a yag-
abond like himself, because there were
the food and the fire, and thieves and
burglars would have no call to enter
empty houses. A half consumed can
die showed that the tenant had been
there for night or two, and it was
likely he had key to one of the doors.
Bones was somewhat mystifed, but
not frightened. With a lighted candle in
his hand he set out to explore n little
and decide which room to sleep IN.
After a 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-
gether with what seemed the sobbing
of child. Out went his candle, and
he got down on hands and knees and
crept along to listen at the door. There
were two men and child IN that room,
and the child was weeping and plead
ing.
No one win 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, a bed
OF blankets and on the bed the little
girl of the lost dog. He leaped into
the room as the man started Kack, 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 VIII 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 pair of buriy rufiians, and they
had long, keen knives, but It was n
fight lasting many long minutes. AS
they stabbed and thrust he beat them
70 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 broken arm before the old vaga-
bond tottered and fell. with the bro
ken chair still clutched In his fingers.
The child saw 1t all with bated breath
and wide open eyes, and, though she
did not know of his hope, she saw that
he died like manage, like the bray
est of menl taz@
With his broken bones and bruised
body and with fear Of the police in his
heart the surviving rufIian made his
way out Of the house, and the child
was left the long night with the dead.
When morning came, she beat upon a
window until attention was attracted
and men broke IN the door and rescued
her, 1t was not the police who found
the kidnapers, but old Bones. 1t was
not a public officer who had eagerly
sought battle with the rufilans and
yielded up his life after heroic fight.
but simply an old yagabond of Apple
gate market. And his eulogy and his
epltaph We're the words Of the child
who saw him do battle for her;
He was old and dirty and ragged,
but he was man.