The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-02-03

Il say, youngSter, just you take il
that head Of yourn and keep that baby
mouth closed or III blow the TOD O,
your head off,"
The sharp click Of a pistol follow
ed, and you can rest assured that
needed no second warning. What
should do? | was at least half a
mile from the nearest neighbor. but
the house was surrounded and escape
was impossible. There was certain
death In the very attempt itself.
The shotgun. All. that was a good
idea. l would get the gun and defend
the mansion TO the bitter end. The
shotgun | had left in the parlor SO as
10 have 1t within reach during the
long hours Of the day when tramps
were as thick as huckleberries, and
mad forgotten to bring 1t upstairs that
| night. My mind had been so much
absorbed by my carrier pigeon that
had incautiously overlooked the maxi
ing Of my usual preparations for self
| defense.
| | thought l would 60 down and get
| It, and actually opened my bedroom
| door for that purpose when | heard a
| loud crash below which told me as
| plain as words could utter it. that the
hall door had been successfully forced,
and that the robbers were then actual
ly in the house
retreated to the shelter of my little
room, locked and bolted the door. a
prey to the worst apprehensions.
remembered the cruelty Of these mask
ed men, and | knew that, if they did
not murder me outright, they would.
by binding and gagging, so torture
me as 70 make death itself desirable
OF one thing l was satisfied, that the
safety of the robbers depended upon
my being secured and to achieve that
result would be their first object If
l had weapon SO that | could have
made an effort to preserve my life, l
would then have been contented, but
the idea Of an unarmed boy being thus
left to the mercy of these unfeeling
rufIians almost drove me to distrac-
ton.
| heard their footsteps ascending the
"NN-A'' Gnu pIoSINuCu " Ddl !Ndut
the door, when a thought flashed
across my brain. How was it that it
escaped me SO long? The carrier pig |
con that had just received from Tn
Gle Toby.-I would release, with a
message; it would return to Uncle |
Tobys, and | would be saved, and the |
robbers foiled in their search for plum
der
wrote message hurriedly, secured |
1t to the bird which placed upon the
window Sill, when, after moments
hesitation, it assembled skyward, and.
ing like the wind in the direction of
Uncle Toby's The message read as
follows:
Uncle Toby: The house has been
by six masked burglars Come
Immediately. bob"
Scarcely had the bird started on its
homeward flight when the robbers
reached my door and tried 20 force it;
but | had pushed my bedstead against
the door, and, with my personal eff
forts to prevent them from entering, l
had lmprovised a barricade that prom
lsed to resist all attacks made against
It,
The prolonged defence was making
lncensed and exasperated the fellows
to such a degree that they poured
forth threats Of vengeance upon me.
Their patience became exhausted at
asst, and a pistol shot which grazed
my cheek warned me of the danger Of
ny longer remaining in that position
L had been fred through the panel of
he door,
l rushed to the window and gazed
,ut upon the lawn below The dis
ance was great, and 1t seemed to me
hat, while torture awaited me if cap
ured by the robbers, there was certain
leath in leap from the window.
What should l do? The distance
o Uncle Toby's house was but five
niles, which the pigeon must have
covered by this time But, suppose {
he bird should not be discovered? {
suppose Uncle Toby had gone to his !
DOM for the night, and my message I
would not be seen and read before {
aorning? The very thought was so {
gonizing that l refused to entertain ,
t. :
All this time the fellows were work e
ng at the door. The bolt was forced, Q
nd slowly, but surely. the barricade f
Tas yielding to the power outside. | S
aw masked face peer through the d
pening thus made, and the glimmer S
the dark lantern from outside l d
Ould remain no longer. Death itself a
semed preferable to the uncertainty h
T my fate at the hands of these des- S
crate fellows n