The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-12-07

love for a gun.
I think we never killed bigger game
than a %robin-and few of those, 1 am
thankful to say-but We believed our
gun fully up to the mark on any kind
Of game, big or small; and as for burg
lars. We only wanted a chance to show
that it was-above all things-a man
gun. Many hours which should have
been devoted to sleep did We devote
to planning u campaigns against the
burglar we were alT-a..S expecting,
often slipping out Of bed and stum-
bling around in the dark to change the
location of the gun to meet conditions
changed in our discussions.
Our room was on the second floor OF
an L, and opened out or a back porch.
This porch was inclosed below, but
open and surrounded by a railing
above. Steps led up from the lower to
the upper floor and about midway the
lower floor opened out on to the yard.
The other members of the family
were absent from home attending an
entertainment one evening, but my
older sister was i'll, and 1 was left at
home with her for company. Her
room was also up stairs, and text to
the one we boys occupied. Left to our
selves, my sister was lying down, II
l sat looking at pictures before the
open CRATE fire.
A suspicious noise finally attracted
my attention. and after listening q mo-
ment 1 slipped quietly out into my
room to investigate. Seeing nothing
there, and the noise continuing, I Sc
cured the gun and went out on to the
back porch. l had opened the door
very carefully, without making a
sound, and when out on the porch
could distinctly hear the noise which
sounded as though it was on the lower
porch.
Holding my breath. in mingled fear
and excitement, 1 tiptoed to the edge
of the porch and looked over the rail
ing. The moon was shining brightly,
making objects nearby plainly visible.
Immediately under where l stood
was a man. and a very large one, l
thought. Calmly, yet vigorously, he
was working on the fastening OF the
door that opened on to the steps lead
ing I'D TO where l stood, and at once
realized that our long looked for burg
lar had come
Together with my brother, I had
planned. longed, hoped and looked for
his appearance for days and weeks
past, and now that he had come, and
was so close-I could all but touch the
top of his hat with the muzzle of my
gun-I~ discovered that my feelings had
suddenly undergone a radical change.
Instead of being delighted, l was
truly sorry. Instead of being calm
and self-possessed, as 1 had always
felt sure l should be, l was shaking
from head to foot with abject terror;
so great was my fright it positively
made ME sick. 1 made a desperate
effort to cry out, but only choked and
gasped, making no sound. l tried to
retreat into the house, but my legs
refused to cary me.
With the now forgotten gun in one
hand, and clinging to the banister
with the other, l stood looking down
on the man as he calmly proceeded to
work at the door fastening, which 1
knew to be none too secure. Expect
ing every minute that he would effect
an entrance, l now began earnestly to
wish that l had left the gun in the
house where it would not have been so
convenient to his hand when he at
tackled me.
1 could not say how long 1 stood
thus. but know it seemed Il very long
time. The mar was using some sort Of
instrument with which he worked at
the fastening of the door, twisting
and turning it in the lock, stopping
every little while to push and gently
shake the door to see if his efforts to
force the lock had been successful.
Utterly unconscious of NY near pres
ence he worked away. while l
watched him in fascinated silence.
Each time he shook and pushed the
door I expected it to open and let him
in. but the ~faSteningS held.
l finally began to recover from the
first effects of my dreadful fright, and
to wonder if it was not possible for
me to shoot the man as he worked at
the door. He was evidently a real
burglar. and deserving Of the most Sc
we're punishment.
As | seriously considered this matter
my courage increased. and | finally
concluded to attempt il. Stepping up
on the lower rail CT the haniStcr. /
leaned W ard, carefully lifting the
gun over. lowered the muzzlc until it
pointed fairly down OH the IMAM. and
WIS only Il Few feet from the top OF his
unconscious head. Trembling with eX-
element, l pressed the stock to my
shoulder as | hung over the railing
Immediately over him and. with two
fingers on the heavy trigger, began to
pull with all my strength. Until fairly
out of breath l tugged OH the trigger.
expecting every instant to hear the loud
report and see the man fall dead, sud
denly cut short in his awful career of
crime. Ceasirg my strenuous efforts
finally. and pausing to &C. a better
hold on the trigger, it suddenly oc-
Cured to me that the reason the gun
had not gone off was the fact that in
my excitement 1 had forgotten to