The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1906-05-14

received orders to cover a case of this
kind, and certainly did not suspect
the stranger OF any evil intent: In my
desire that he should not worry and
thinking to show off a bit at the same
time l offered to take him upstairs
and see II he could identify his trunk.
He thanked me over and over again
and suggested that lock the lower
door to make things safe during our
absence. The shutters had already
been closed up stairs and down, and
had to light one Of the lamps. The
man followed after me, and when we:
reached the head OF the stairs he turn
and remarked:
What sort OF a place have we here,
boy? Is 1t full or empty?"
about two-thirds FULL SIR" re-
piled.
And where are the trunks"
"Down at the far end. Come down
this alleyway''
Yes; all right"
He followed me, but noticed that
he bumped, on either side quite fire.
quently and tapped with his cane on
the floor. Before we reached the pile
Of trunks I began to wonder If he was
not blind. l stopped before the heap
of them and asked If he. saw one re-
sembling his, and at the same time I
noticed that his fingers were gripping
his cane and that he was preparing to
use it as weapon. !: stopped to put
the lamp In sheltered position, and as
did so his cane whistled over my
head. The force Of his blow threw
him UP against the trunks, and before
he could recover I was twenty feet
away. Had run directly for the
stairs l could have got down first and
trapped him, but took contrary
direction. OF course he had heard my
movements, and, standing with his
face toward me, he said:
"BOy, I want trunk out of here
marked e. Jacobs The tag is tied
to the handle. Get that trunk for me
and I'll give you guinea. If you re-
fuse, then look out for yourself. I'm
bad man when crossed" =
l made no reply, but began retreat
ing. l moved like a mouse, and yet he
heard me. 1t was only when we start
ed to follow that l was sure he was
blind. He did not pick up the light to
guide his footsteps, and neither could
he avoid humping into various objects.
knew every inch OF the big room, and
even in the dark l had no trouble In
getting about. My idea was to reach
the stairs, but he knew what l was
after and kept heading me off. He
stumbled over and picked up piece Of
iron, and with this for weapon he
was no mean adversary. After Offer
Ing me the guinea 1t was five minutes
before he spoke again. Then he broke
out into fierce cursing and threats Of
vengeance and warned me that it I got
downstairs and outdoors | would find
man ready there to put knife into
me. He Increased his offer to gum
cas-, and when did not answer him he
fell to cursing again. =
II the thing had not come upon me
~ SuuuCU1S SouttA A4fC OutV llkCo
him the sooner. was lodging him for
fully twenty minutes before got hold
of a small parcel from one of the
shelves and gave it toss that landed
1t twenty feet away. The blind man at
once moved In that direction, and got
down on hands and knees and made
for the stairs. He fell over box, got
up and banged against box and yet
reached the stairs as soon as l did.
His bump of locality was wonderful
We were standing ten feet apart when
he cried out:
II hear you breathing! l know just
where you are! Boy, get me that trunk
or I'll be the death OF yon In one min
ute"
involuntarily shrank back, thinking
he was coming for me. He reasoned
that was sneaking downstairs, and In
his haste to seize me he let go Of pru-
dence. Three steps carried him to the
landing, and at the fourth he stepped
into space and went headlong. When
he brought up at the foot of the stairs
I waited awhile to see If he would call