The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1902-12-13

NY cup VI COhcc udu Deeu uTuSReQ
and drugged too strongly. had been
saved from being smothered by hay
Ing taken an overdose of some narcot-
&c. How l had chafed and fretted at
the fever fit which had preserved my
life by keeping me awake! How reck-
lessly had confided myself to the two
wretches who had led me into this
room, determined for the sake of my
winnings to kill me in my sleep by the
surest and most horrible contrivance
for secretly accomplishing my destruc-
toni How many. men, winners like
me, had slept, as l had proposed to
sleep. in that bed and had never been
seen or heard of more! l shuddered
at the bare idea Of it.
But ere long all thought was again
suspended by the sight of the murder
Gus canopy moving once more. After
it had remained on the bed, as nearly
as could guess about ten minutes 1t
began to move up again. The villains
who worked it from above evidently
believed that their purpose was now
accomplished. Slowly and silently, as
it had descended, that horrible bed top
rose toward its former place. When it
reached the upper extremities Of the
four posts, it reached the ceiling too.
Neither hole nor screw could be seen.
The bed became in appearance an Or
binary bed again, the canopy an or
binary canopy, even to the most sus-
picious eyes.
7 81, IL,
to move, to rise from my knees to
dress myself in my upper clothing and
to consider how L should escape. II
| betrayed by the smallest noise that
the attempt to suffocate me had failed,
was certain to be murdered. Had l
made any noise already? I listened
intently, looking toward the door.
No; no footsteps in the passage out
side, no sound Of a tread, light or
heavy, in the room above; absolute 81
, lence everywhere. Besides locking and
boiling my door, | had moved an old
wooden chest against it, which l had
found under the bed. To remove this
7 chest (my blood ran cold as l thought
of what its contents might be- without
, making some disturbance was impossl
BILE, and, moreover, to think of escap
|, ing through the house, now barred vi
: for the night, was sheer insanity. Only
one chance was left me-the window
\ stole to 1t on tiptoe.
l My bedroom was on the first floor
n above an entresol, and looked into tn
u back street.
g With caution l raised my hand t
u open the window knowing that O.
that action hung by the merest hail
s breadth my chance Of safety The
L keep yigilant watch in a house OF mul
L der If any part of the frame cracked
is If the hinge creaked, l was lost mai
u 1t must have occupied me at least nv
minutes, reckoning by time-five hour
ie reckoning by suspense-to open thi
,e window. | succeeded in doing 1t
lently, in doing it with all the deXte
Ut ity of q housebreaker and then locke
ue down into the street. To leap the d
We lance beneath me would be almo
III certain destruction, Next | look
e'- round at the sides Of the house DoN
aS the left side ran thick water pl
'n- which seemed very solid. 1t pass
l close by the outer edge of the w
lic dow. The moment 1 saw the pipe
'iy knew | was saved. My breath car
'o and went freely for the first time SIN
had seen the canopy OF the Ded NC
ing down upon me.
S. To some men the means of esca
IT. which I had discovered might Ia
~ seemed difficult and dangerous enout
III To me the prospect of slipping do'
~ the pipe into the street did not sugg'
nic even thought Of peril. / had alwa
III been accustomed by the practice
~: gymnastics to keep up my schoolb
~ powers as daring and expert climb
py and 1 knew that my head, hands
feet would serve me faithfully in
hazards of ascent or descent. q
- already got one leg over the vino
- sill when remembered the handK
"a chief filled with money under my
- low. | could well have afforded
49, leave it behind me, but l was reven
fully determined that the miscrea
-. of the gambling house should II
IT, their plumber as well as their Wet
my &C. -. 80, 20 +ho bod and fled
H. 80 went DdCh " thC bSN ~A~ -
~ heavy handkerchief at my back py
,ot- cravat.
Inst as l had made it tight and d.
49, It In a comfortable place l though
~ heard a sound of breathing OUTSIDE
door. The chill feeling Of horror
vos through me again as l listened.
nv dead silence still in the passage.
had only heard the night air blow
softly into the room. The next
Dp'' ment was on the window sill, and
80 next l had firm grip on the WI
En- pipe with my hands and knees.
had | slid down into the street easily
80. quietly. as l thought should, and
NO. mediately set off at the top Oh
- speed to q branch prefecture Oh
~ lice which knew was situated IN
- Immediate neighborhood. A "sut
NV feet" and several picked men an
- his subordinates happened to De
,rs,v maturing, 1 believe, some scheme
40. ton discovering the perpetrator OF
!, ~ terious murder which ali Parls
hoIo talking of just then. When o
.