Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-26


will be here in less than five minutes to take
your gold. You must pretend to sleep. If they
know you are awake they will kill you and your
swamp. They have often buried men alive there.
1t has no bottom, and the bodies never come up
if once they sink If the men learn that you are
awake, your friends will never know your fate
"'Can we escape?' l whispered
"'No, mol she answered. If you try, they will
overtake you and kill you. But even if you had
any chance of escaping, there is not time to try
There they up the stairs! Listen! Go to
sleep, and I'll get under the bed
The girl had hardly DISAPPEARED under the bed
bore a talow Dip entered the room The man
with the dip approached our bed. My eyes were
my eyelds. l was desperately afraid that Balser
would awaken Their visit was short. In less than
half minute they were gone, and knew that Our
precious bag of gold had gone with them. sat up.
"'Sh! Lie down. whispered the girl.
Il lay down again; for felt that Nab our
friend, and / was sure that she knew. what was
and then the girl came out from her hiding place.
Again she put her lips to my ear, and said:
Make no disturbance, or you will never leave
here alive. Tomorrow the old man and the old
woman will pretend to be in great trouble because
robbers broke into the house and stole money from
their guests The old woman will tell you that her
her, you will be allowed leave in safety If you
allow her to know that you suspect her and the old
man, you will die before noon Don't awaken your
friend, but let him think you were asleep when the
gold was stolen, and encourage him to believe that
the old man and the old woman knew nothing of
it. Don't tell him what have told YOU l would
not trust him; but do trust you ..s --
Then wonderful thing happened. She kissed
the forehead, and glided from the room as
noiseessy a shadow .asss ~ a
Thoughts of her drove all remembrance OF the
gold from my mind and lay in a sort of ecstasy:
dreaming open eyed about her. In the midst of
my longing to see her again, she returned. Again
she placed her lips to my ear, and whispered:
81 know you are brave. If you want to recover
your gold I'll take you to the house of the robbers
in the swamp. We will take our lives in our hands;
81 do wish to- try said l, Selling her hand.
when you hear an owl hooting under your
window, come out to the barn and bring your friend
Climb out through the window and down the wal
nut tree.
A GAIN she left the room, and awakened Balser.
= l briefly told him in whisper what had hap
pened, and we at once rose and dressed. We lifted
the window and after waiting long time for the
signal, owl hooted, and we climbed to the ground
by way of the walnut tree. We found the girl
waiting for u.s. and all went to the barn. When she
felt safe in speaking, she said in low tones
81 notified the robbers that you were here and
that you had gold Old Polly made me do it. They
would have killed me had l refused; so rode away
at supper time, and it was ! that brought them
upon you. But don't what they do: would
rather die than to have this my soul. l will
take you to the house in the swamp and show you
where the gold is hidden. You can take it, and l
will lead you out from the swamp They will know 2
they'll kill me; but / want to die anyway.
''She did not wait for an answer, but entered the
and came R out tide ea1 horse she
said. We will get the gold. Let your friend wait
with your two horses just inside the woods little
way up the road. You will need fresh horses when
"Balser objected to being left behind, and in
sisted on going with Nab and me-
1--WE have but three horses,-ths one and your
two, said the girl If you ride of your horses,
you will have but fresh for a hard long ride
when we come back, and l tell you you will need