The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1913-12-12
AGiveaway
By WALTER c. RADCLIFFE


ped one evening at a little hostelry il
the province of CordOva. 1t was quite
dark before / ate my supper and the
table was dimly lighted by couple of
candles. But behind me was an open
door through which streamed a bright
light from Il kerosene lamp hanging III
the hall. During the evening | sat at
the supper table reading, being alone,
with no one to talk to. ! spent the time
thus till 10 O'Clock, when l closed my
book and pushed back my chair pre-
paratory to going to my room and to
bed
Just as I did so | saw on the white
wall before me Il shadow of a figure.
The head and shoulders only were de
fined, and even from these | could not
tell whether the person behind me was
man or woman / sat looking at it be
fore turning to see who it was. for it
was immOvable. and fancied that q
was watching me. One thing about it
arrested my attention. The shadow Of
the head was so shaped as to convince
me that either the face or the back was
turned directly toward me. That which
noticed especially was that while one
ear cast q shadow the other did not. /
was specializing how this could be
when / saw the shadow of an arm
slowly raised. In the hand was some
thing, either club or knife.
| did not stop to consider whether |
was about to make myself ridiculous; l
instinctively ducked under the table.
There / remained a few minutes and,
hearing no sound peeped from under
the cloth. Seeing no one, | slowly
crawled out keeping an eye open for
any one who might be laying for me.
Gradually Strengthening up, 1 stood and
looked about me. The shadow had
disappeared; l was alone. Looking
downward, saw something red on my
trousers. | put my hand on it. 1t was
wet; there was slit in the cloth. /
pulled up my trousers and saw that
the calf of my leg had been slit by
some sharp instrument. The wound
was still bleeding.
| had a problem to decide, and quick
Iy. Some one had intended to MUIR
der me, doubtless with view to ap-
prOpriating my effects, but the attempt
had been fOiled by my quick duck. [
was still in danger What should | do?
Go out into the darkness or remain
where 1 was? 1 decided that my best
chance was to pretend to be undis-
turbed till | could get at my revolver
which was in my room.
"Landlordr I called. ga light. ]
am going to bed"
Isl. senor," and he brought me a
candle
Il fell asleep over my book and
dreamed that some one was going to
murder me- l ducked under the ia
BILE. Wasn't it ridiculOus?
Ridiculous! Yes, certainly
well, good night"
My first act on reaching my room
was to lock the door. the second to ex-
anime my wound. 1t WIS some two
inches long and about quarter of an
inch deep.
After deliberation 1 concluded to re-
main where 1 was till morning. Quite
possibly the would be murderer was
unaware that he had cut me, and the
landlord might have been deceived by
my story of a dream. | kept awake
all night. with my revolver cooked in
my hand. In the morning L mussed
the bedclOthing. and after making such
sounds as one would make in dressing
l softly opened my door and looked
carefully out into the hall. Seeing no
7
at the ordinary appearance of those
getting breakfast, l determined to
keep up my stimulation, and, taking
seat at the breakfast table with my
back to the wall. where had seen the
shadow, l deliberately partOok Of the
meal, then went out. paid my bill and
departed.
If the persons in that house had
known what was in my mind-in other
words, If | had not deceived them
would never have been permitted to
depart 1 went to the city of Cordova
and straight to police station. where
Iatold my experience to an officer. He
was much interested in my story and
when had finished said:
There are bandits in the mountains
near where you were lodged and we
have for some time suspected that the
landlord of the inn is in league with
them. Persons have been missed.
traced to that place. after which moth
ing has been learned concerning them.
We will now set trap for them"
| remained in CordOva several weeks
awaiting the results of the trapping.
One day the landlord and half Il dozen
i'll favored men who had been caught
red handed were marched into the
town to the police station went
there and looked them over. The chief
police officer inspected them and, go
ing to one villainous looking man
whose hair fell over his ears. pulled it
aside and exposed a place where an
ear should be, but it was not there.
L l.,