The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-03-04
HAD TIME WITH
"SAFE CRACKERS" +"
Heard the RObber Bust q
Cap.
LITTLE EXCITEM ENT.
Amusing Account of an
Experience.
Finally the DeSperaiO WAS Discovered
LITTLE EXCITEMENT.
Finally the Desperate was Discovered
Before Serious Damage was Done
Some Storm Echoes.

other off at school. So, while we are
not lonesome, we have ample opportu.
nifty for reflection and serious medita
tion. While sitting around the old
hearthstone sweetly rejecting and mer
rily chatting last Sunday night we
were terrified by one of the most try
Ing Ii not the most dangerous on
slaughts known to this section. 1 have
never been OF nervous temperament
never what you might term coward
When I sit around my hearth-stone or
lie down in my bed ii is with feeling
of perfect security--not the slightest
apprehension of danger ever disturbs
my tranquility. In fact my wife thinks
L am game--a regular impenetrable
post behind which she can stand with
utmost safety. would not have her
think otherwise for the world. But for
oil this our nerves were considerably
ratled last Sunday night when just
outside tho house about twenty feet
from us we heard q cap burst. "What
was that?" said she. "Don't knows
seid L lazily and carelessly-- all calm
on the outside, but inwardly, all com
motion. had never before enjoyed
the experience of sitting in the bril-
liant )amplight beside my window
while some safecracker stood out by the
wagon house and snapped caps at me
from his dark fortress. We might not
have taken in the situation so readily
had it not been Sunday night, and then,
besides this, we had just sold our cot
ton and delivered it the day before.
Under this enervatiDg, not to say
frightened. condition we began at once
to enquire more fully into The situation.
My wife stealthily stepped TO the front
door, opened it and peered out into the
darkness listening with all ears for any
signal of further assault. Ia the mean
time had slipped into the store room
where held the door slightly Jar and
well between myself and the place
where l heard the cap concus, listen
ing for any movements that might be
taking place on the outside. After
short while, having discovered no signs
OF fur ther developments, we repaired
to our seats around the fire, the
Madame having let down the blinds.
OF course l did not let her know that
had been peeping out of the store-room
door-had only to get drink of wate",
you see. There we sat contemplating
and, in low tone, discussing the fiend-
ish burglaries growing so common in
these piping days OF peace; and how we
had only one barrel loaded of the two
shotguns that hung in the rack and
not another shell in the house. AS a
matter of course l was not disturbed in
the least outwardiy, and talked with
great composure, telling my wife that
1T didn't matter about the guns il she
only could find me those gymnastlc
bats the girls brought from college. We
could turn out the lights when they
came in on us and / can cut wide
swath through crowd OF robb RS and
pistols in the dark. | had rather have
good bat than a half doz,n guns in a
close dark engagement. Having put on
o. good external front | soon had her
quiet, and to my mind, long sight
calmer in the inner-man than was
myself So she finally suggested that
we go out to the place where the cap
was bursted and zee who was there.
Naturally agreed to go. Had to. I'd
stick my head in a cyclone current
rather than intimate to my wife that L
was afraid of anything on earth-ex-
cept a horse. She knows I'm afraid of
horse but says that Is only wise and
manly, She took the lamp and led the
way. followed carelessly ~ behind,
giving the impression that was not
Interested enough in the affair even to
lead the way and 1t was about true. AS
we neared the wagon house we could
hear an indistinct noise just about
whero we heard the conclusion of the
cap. Cautiously we drew nearer to the
scene of battle and, as feared, to our
fate. just as the cold chills began to
run up my back from the suspicious
noise to te heard In the wagon house,
my wife s'oppad suddenly and said,
"Here you are" What could / do but
slap my hand to my hip pocket and
ecream out In wild threatening tone,
"wbo are your throw up your hands,
you safe cracker, you night burglarp
You see had no pistol, not even gym
nastic bat. / had to RIM bluff and
scream vehemently or maybe, be shot.
1t Is needless to sny that feltunbcara-
bly, humiliated when my wife turned to
me in plying surprise and said,
"What In the world do you mean? Are
yon scared out of your wits2 1t is moth
ing but Jumbo, CHATS our cow dog).
Can't you see him2 Are you afraid of
JUMBO that you want him To hold up
his handss Why / know all about what
1t was now. l took the nest egg out of
that old hens nest to-day and put it on
that box there aud he's found 1t, and
that's the cap and Jumbo is the safe
cracker and night burglar, see2"
Pm done with 1t; yoa hear.
BROTHER Bob.
P.S. Aterrible storm passed through