Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-10-08

Bones decided that an entrance might
De effected after dark. He would have
neither bed nor Ere. but tho pooyest
q tue rooms would be comfortable for
vsgabond.
When might came. Bones was on
hand. Il was not the Hrst vacant
house By hundred Ia which he had
,aken % temporary quarters. aud he
knew The lriok o. pryimg open cellar
windows, Onee 10 che cellar. the llght
o. q match showed him the way 10.
stairs. and as he reached the kitchen
be WAS surprised to ind iii Of IRE
N the range aud the rtmaias az a meal
! en- o sbaN- Before giving The matter
sny-thoueht Dc ate up all tha foed be-
sefe h'm aud hagTca tie range Until
Pc hAa coascd % ahiFcr. some one had
been ahead Of him. II was not a yag.
atqnd IKE himself. because there were
The food and the IRE. and thieves and
BURGLARS would have no call 10 enter
. enpiy houses. A halt consumed can.
/ die showed that the tenant had been
there Ter niKht or two, and 1t was
likely be had key 20 one OF the doors.
Bones was somewhat mystlned, hut
not frightened. With lighted candle In
bis hand he set out to explore a little
and decide which room 30 sleep In.
After look into the three or four
rooms downstairs be mounted TO the
second story and had hardly reached
the landing when be heard mems
voices from one OF the bedrooms. To-
gcthcr with what seemed the sobbing
OF child. Out went his candle, and
be got down on hands and knees and
crept along to listen at the door. There
were two men aud a 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 "a the man started back. and
as the girl recognized him and cried
out the two kidnapers cursed.
Thrre was half minute when no
one moved. Then one OF the men
rushed 10 the door and shut II. and
both drew knives and advanced upon
the vagabond. All her life tho little
EiFi WIN remember how his impassive
faee lighted up. how he suddenly grew
straight and tall how his eyes giis-
tened as be seized one OF the heavy
chairs auoi began the battle. They
were paie Of bury ruiiians. and they
had long. keen knives. but it was a
fight lasting many long minutes. As
they stabbed aud thrust he beat them
To- their knees. They wounded him
again and again, and be left trail OF
blood as he shifted bis position, but
one " them was dying and the other
had broken arm before the old vaga-
band tottered and fell. with the bro
ken chair still elutehed In his fingers
/ The child saw II all with bated breath
aud wide open eyes. and, though she
did not know ot his hope. she saw that
he died Ike a manage, Ike the bray
est og men.
with his broken bones and bruised
body and with fear OF the police In his
heart the surviving rutfian made bis
way out 81 the house. and the child
was left the long night with the dead
When morning came. she beat upon
window until attention was attracted
and meu broke In the door and rescued
her. II was not the police who found
tho kidnapers. but old Bones. II was
not a public officer who had eagerly
sought a battle with the ruaians and
yielded up his life after heroic fight.
but simply an old vagabond OF Apple
gate market. And his eulogy and bis
epltaph were the words OF the child
who saw him do battle for her:
HE was old and dirty and ragged,
but he was manr'