The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-06-05


They had dozen nephews and ME
ces. however, OF which was one.
and as general rule some one OF us
was always at the house where a
welcome awaited u.s.
One day In September was sent
up to Uucle Joe's on an errand and
told that ! might stay all night. /
was then close to fourteen years old,
reach the farm to find things In
confusion. Uncle Joe had got away
to Strongsville before daylight with
a load OF butter and cheese In help
Ing 10 milk the cows an hour later
the hired woman had received such
a violent kick from one OF them that
she vas laid up in bed. The hired
man had gone to the cornfied to cut
and shock corn and had given him
lself an ugly wound with the cutter
and been taken home by neighbor
for treatment.
1t turned colder and began to rain
Isoon after dark. and our supper was
Ialso an hour late. 1t was between
eight and nine o'clock, and | had
helped Aunt Martha to wash up the
| dishes, when she sent me down cellar
| to bring up piece Of meat wanted
for breakfast | took candle to
| light my way, and had to cross the
lcellar to where four barrels stood
In a row. She had said the second
barrel from the right. As passed
the first barrel | heard movement
inside 1t. I wonder why did not
turn and fee, as the sounds brought
my heart into my mouth but pass
ed the barrel. got meat, and eyen
managed to whistle on my way up
stairs. When | had shut the door,
however, the sight of my white face
made the woman exclaim:
For the lands sake. but the boy
has seen a ghostt"
No. haven't" answered, but
| can tell YOU that there is q man
In one OF the barrels down there"
You may be right, | am going
down to see II there Is a man down
there TIL discover him but he shan't
suspect have.
She took the candle from my hand
and went down, humming the air of
a song to herself. and as she came
back up stairs she was talking about
the meat and saying that Uncle Joe
must get rat-trap. When the door
had been closed she SAT- down TO the
table and said.
Jimmy. You were right about the
man He Ia hidden In that first bar
rel Now, then, we want to think
what we shall do"
It was RAINING cats and dogs
and dark night. II was half mile
to the nearest neighbours and we felt
that the man must be something
worse than tramp to have hidden
himself away. There were three
cellar windows. hnt over them had
aeen tackled strong wire netting.
The MAJ must have entered the
house and gone down cellar.
'I'll tell you what the miserable (
skunk is after" said my aunt after
awhile Uncle Joe will bring home I
a hundred dollars when he comes,
and this Teller is after 1t. He'll keep
In lding until your uncle comes and
gets to bed and asleep. and then he'll
rob the house That is, he thinks
he will, but I'll show him what's
what in the next fifteen minutes"
There's a cover for that barrel
right behind the stairs as we go
Town II 1t was clapped on to the
1arrel don't you think we could hold
/ there In spite OF all the man could
io?"
But he may jump out of the bar
eel before We can put the cover on"
Don't be a coward, Jimmy. You
ire coming right downstairs with me.
Veil talk about rats as we move
around. You'll carry the candle, :
md I'll get the cover and clap 1t on,
( I'm not strong enough to keep 1t
here. you must help me-"
"I-I-I-" began. but she
aught me by the hair and sternly
aid
Jimmy, IL you don't help me III {
i've you the awfullest licking a boy {
yer got and then tell everybody that |
on haven't got as much spunk as a ,
pring chicken"
She put the candle into my hand
nd opened the stair door, and began
D talk about rats and what damage {
hey could do about house, be-
eve the man had got out of the
nrrel TO stretch himself; bu,.
caring us coming had sought his {
etreat again. without letting up $
n her talk at ALL Aunt Mary picked t
D the cover, and ] saw her face |
row white as we started for the bar I
a. When nearing II she made a C
idden jump and clapped on the r
over and seated herself upon II. +
here was series of muffied yells g
ON the man inside. and for the
rst ten minutes he made such a v
ruggle that | had to help against v
IN. Then he grew quiet, and we n
nd no more trouble with him. Il
For two long hours We kept guard
Ter him, aud it was fortunate for Il
e fellow that Uncle Joe was no D
ter. When Uncle arrived and We
He'd him from the foot of the cellar "
airs. and he came down and upset e
e barrel and poured the man out. d
Ir prisoner was SO near dead of suf- c;