Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-07-02
DAILY SHORT STORY
Jim and |.
[copyright, 1908, by c. B. Lewis.J

dow of our bedroom, or one of its three
windows, looked out on the back yard,
and just below it was the roof of the
summer kitchen.
We had been at the old farmhouse
for a week, having u good time gener-
ally and nothing happening out of the
usual routine, when l woke up one
night just as the clock struck l and
found myself all a-tremble. 1t was
bright starlight outdoors. and l could
| discern every object in the room as
sat up and looked about. The window
referred to was on the north side of
the room, while the bed was on the
south. All the curtains were up.
After a minute 1 thought l heard a
movement on the kitchen roof, and l
drew the bedclOthes over my head and
began kicking Jim. He uttered a grunt
or two and turned over. After another
minute popped out my head, and now
1 saw a man with his face pressed
against the glass of the lower sash of
the window so as to survey the room.
tried to utter yell, but could not
make a sound. l tried to kick jim, but
my legs were paralyzed. 1 could not
even draw the sheet over my head
again.
With my eyes wide open and my
heart in my mouth watched the fell
low gently lift the sash and fasten 1t
up with a wedge. He could have en-
tered any door or window below, but
perhaps he feared that some one might
be watching. 1t was three feet from
the window sill to the roof. The man
drew himself up and paused for mo-
| ment in the opening.
What l did l deserve no credit for,
because 1t was born of terror, and 1
was an involuntary actor. l jumped
out of bed to run downstairs. Then 1
remembered Jim and would not leave
him. The bureau was close at hand,
and by accident touched a gourd that
we had brought in from the garden to
fashion into n dipper. Picking it up,
1 hurled 1t with all my might at the
man in the window. 1t was ripe and
as hard as a brick, and 1t struck the
man right between the eyes. The
shock and the pain caused him to loos-
en- his hold and fall backward on the
roof. In trying to recover himself he
fell of the edge of it.
AS ne went Out Oh Tue NlIuOW Il
yelled and brought Jim on end. and
next instant we were flying down
stairs and whooping like savages in
chase. In about five minutes the
household was ready to investigate.
While we believed the man made of.
we yet thought it wisest to look out
side. We had scarcely got outside the
kitchen door when we found him. I'm
Gle Joe had a few days before placed
q cider barrel under the caves spout
and coming down at the corner of the
shed roof. 1t was an old barrel and
about one-third full of water. In going
off the roof the man turned over and
fell head first into the barrel, and the
first thing we caught sight of was his
heels kicking the air.
There was water enough to have
drowned the fellow, and it was really
wonderful how he could have pumped
into the barrel without doing himself
great injury. BY pushing his hands
down to the bottom he could keep his
mouth above water. but he could not
lift himself out of the barrel.
When he heard US about he began
shouting and cursing and kicking, but
we realized that he was in fix and
were not at all frightened. Jim seized
one of his feet and 1 the other, while
Uncle Joe trotted around and got a
piece of clothesline to tie them togeth-
er. When we had him securely dashed
Aunt Mary was given the candle to
hold. and the other three of us got
clubs and tipped the barrel over. The
rush of the water almost strangled the
robber, and while he was gasping and
suffering we drew his arms behind
his back and tied them there.
He was an ugly chap and no mistake.
We got knife and revolver off him
while tying his arms, and when he
finally got his breath he knew that he
was helpless. Had he professed peni-
tence and begged forgiveness L think
Uncle Joe would have let him go. Aunt
Mary, with her big heart, had already
begun to find excuses for the prisoner
when he suddenly opened on us.
have heard some tall cursing since
then. but nothing to beat his record.
He threatened, bluffed. commanded
and demanded, and Aunt Mary had to
fee and Uncle Joe TO pretend that he
didn't hear.
| IL was NAIL a IAlllC W Tic hGdASSl
neighbours. and Uncle Joe didn't feel
like asking us to go or going himself.
Neither did we want to remain out
doors until daylight. We solved the
problem by dragging the man into the
kitchen. He continued cursing for
some time after; but, finding that he
made no impression. he finally cooled
off and became quite civil. Just at day
light a team passed by. and we sent
word to a constable. and an hour later
the robber was on his way to the coun-
ty Jail.
When he reached that institution he
was identified as an escaped convict
for whom a reward of $500 had been
offered. He had. as he admitted.
planned to rob the house. and by his
being armed 1t was reasonable to con-
clude that he would not have stopped