Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-01-13
CHAPTER XIV.

known place in upper Canada, on the
night Of August IL, 1878, and particu-
uarly the ordeals of the sword, the
slide. and the bayonet to which Capt.
Ramon Bell was subjected that night,
as told to Adjutant Asarius Church, at
Sackett's Harbor, N. Y:
Soon es see whut wus up, gin
powerful lift on tibet air shackle-chain.
l felt 'er give n bust. A couple O.
men clim' int the seat front Nv us,
M the bosses started hell bent. I
sot up with my hands hind NV me n
the wagin. KEEP 'em there tight n
stiff, es eff the iron wus holding Nv
'em. Could MT git no chance t say
nuthin' t. Ray. Hustled us upstairs,
n when we come in t. tibet air big
room they TUX him one way an me
Mother
Il did MT hev no idee where 1 wus.
Felt 'em run chain through my arms.
careful, efter they sot me down. sot
still fer mebbe five minutes. Seemed
30 everybody d gone out O. the place.
Could MT hear nuthin' nowhere. I le'
down the chain jest es ca-areful es
could, m TUX off the blindfold. TT
was all dark; could MT see my hand
afore me. Crep' long the floor. See
t was covered with sawdust Tux of
M boots. m got up on M feet, n
walked careful. Did n dast holler T.
Ray. Cal'lated when the squabble
come I'd be ready t dew business. All
t once felt slant n the floor. IT
was kind O slip'ry, n begun t slide.
Feet went out from under me n sot
me down quick. Tried t ketch holt
O. suthin'. Could MT hang on; KEEP
goin' faster. Fust knew I'd slid int
some kind Nv box. Let me down
quicker n scat over tibet air grease
little ways. out with my tew hands
n bore ag'in' the sides o. tn box pow
erful N stopped myself. Then up
with these here feet O. mine. See the
top o. the box want much more n
a foot above me. Tried t. crawl up
ag'in. Could MT mex it. Dunn thing
slanted LUX Tup's hill. Hung on
awhile, cipherin' es hard es knew
how. Hearn suthin' 60 kerslap.
Seem SO the hull place trembled.
Raised up my head, n peeked over
my stumick down the box. A bar O.
light stuck in away down. Let my
self go careful till c'u'd see my nose
in It. Then got over on my shout
der n braced on the sides o. the box.
back gin one side n knees gin
t'other. See t was a knot-hole where
the light cum in. bout es big es q
mans wrist. Picked through, m see
lot O. lights n folks. m hearn 'em
talkip'. Ray he stud ON platform
facin' a big. powerful-lookin' cuss.
He'd their coats m vests of, n sleeves
rolled up. n swords ready. See there
wus goin' { be fight He'd t smoker
wan no way ! c'u'd help It. fer.
Judas Priest! knew dunn we'll they
want single one Of them air British
ers c'u'd stan fore i'm. Thet air
mis- able spindlin' devil I toll ye bout
feller ct he'd the women-he stud back
o. Ray. He'd his hand up LUX thet.
Fight he says. n they got t work,
n the crowd begun t. jam up n boiler.
The big Teller he come ct Ray es Of he
wus goin' t. cut him in tew. Ray he
TUX 1t easy n rassled the sword Of the
big chap round m round es eft It wus
tied t hisn. Fust I knew he med q
quick lunge m pricked i'm n the arm.
Big chap was a leetle shy then. Did
mt come up t. the scratch es smart n
sassy es he'd orter. Ray went efter
i'm hammer m tongs. Thet air long
slim waist O. hisn swayed n bent LUX
stalk O. barley. He did LUX joe-
mightyful han'some-wish t ye c'u'd
a seen i'm thet air night. Hair wus
Jest es shiny es gold n the light o.
them candles. He d feint. an t other
d dodge. Judas Priest! seemed SO be
put the pint o. the sword all over tibet
air big cuss C'u'd a. killed i'm q
dozen times. but see he did MT want
t dew 1t. Keep prickin' I'm ev'ry
lunge n druv i'm of the boards-tum.
bled i'm head over heels int the crowd,
Them air devils threw up their hats
n stomped n hollered powerful, ss 81
t were mighty fun t see man cut Z
pieces. Wall, they TUX up another
man, quicker n the fust, but he wan
nowhere near g big n cordy. Want
only one crack o. the swords in the,
air fight. Could MT hardly say Jack
Robinson fore the cuss he'd fell. Ray
hurt him bad, guess, for they he'd t
pick i'm up m carry i'm off LUX baby
Guess the boy see t he he'd good
many to lick. m he'd MT better waste
no power a-foolin'. All t once thet air
low-lived. spindlin'. mis'able devil he
come t the edge o. the platform n
belt up his hand. Soon 8 they stopped
yellin'' he says: Gentlemen be says.
sorry t. tell ye tibet the man fer the
next bout hes got away. We left him
securely fastened up n the fust cham.
Der. Have he'd the building searched.
but amt able t find him. He mus.
hey gone down the slide. am sorry
to say we hev no more Yankees. II
this man fights any more It win hev
t he a Britisher thet goes ag'in' i'm.
Is there volunteerf'
Ray he runs up n says suthin'
right n his ear. Could MT hear whut
t wus. Did n set we'll. T. other feiles
he few mad. n Ray he fetched i'm .
cuff. LUX thet, with the back Nv bis
hand. Ye see. he did n know he he'd
been a-fightin' Yankees. m he did n
like the idee. Gentlemen says he
I II fight anybody, but eft this char
1 amt a coward. he II fight me him.
SELF T. other Teller he OF with biz
coat m vest es quick es q fash a
picked up sword. Fight. then, ~
1 cub!' says he; an they flew at each
| other hell HINT far nAcfion IA wan