Year: 1861




as possible, and extinguishing the candle
| retired to the farthest corner of the
room, and sitting down in the chair had
placed against the door, with my revolv'
er in my hand, determined to await the
issue of events.


For half an hour I sat perfectly still
listening to every whistle and sign of the
wind, which blew intermittently through
the window, l had left open, and strain.
ing my eyes whenever there was CLEAN
of light. to discern whether there was any
movement in the trap door. At last,
when momentary ray shone in, | saw il
partly opened, and now anxiously swsi
ed in silence and darkness f.. the devcl-
opment of this awful mystery. Presently,
heard law creaking, as Of ropes, then
tremendous crash, the report of a pistol
the sound of heavy feet overhead, and
the fall of somo dull, yielding body out
side the window The pause which fol-
lowed these almost simultaneous noises
was broken by low groans of pain from
the ground, beneath my window, and the
general murmur of a great disturbance
in the lower part of the house. hastily
relit the candle, and going to the bed,
found vast stone had been dropped up
on the dilow where my head had prsvi-
ously lain. Suddenly remembering the
pistol / had left under my pillow, with
the evertion Of my utmost strength, foil
ed the massive stone, and found the pis-
tol discharged.


Instantly the truth flashed across my
mind | rushed to the window, and look
ing down, saw the woman and the man l
had noticed in the barroom, the night be-
fore, bending with torches in their hands
over the PROSTATE body of my host, who
was evidently in the agonies of death.
The ruffian had been waiting outside the
window, until the accomplice had perfor-
mec his hcllish work, in order to rob my
mangled corpse of the money he knew l
had in my possession; and the pistol being
accidently discharged by the fall of the
stone, the ball had pierced the brain, en-
tering through the evil eye which had
given me such thrill of horror,


At the discovery of this hideous plot
and its awful retributation, my senses
theaentened to desert me; but rejecting
that in such q house / could hardly be
safe, no sooner had they carried the dying
mal within, than | clamberred down the
outside, took my horse from the stable,
and mounted him unobserved.


As passed the House, however, and
looked back at the room | had so recent
ly occupied, and which had so nearly
been the scene of far different tragedy,
| saw lights in the window. The sound
of my horses hoofs drew the attention of
the man within, who had descended to
see what had became of me, and to ascer-
tain the cause of his comrads and level
ing a rife at me, fired. AS | was looking
at him Mt the very moment, | anticipated
his action by clapping spurs to my horse,
thereby somewhat disconcer'ing his aim,
and in all probability, saving NV own
life, for the ball grazed my shoulder,
causing a scar which remains to this day.
Ten long miles had my good horse to
galop before reached the nearest JUS
tice of the Peace, and returning as speed
lily as possible, we found our birds flown,
and the houes half burned to the ground.


No Information in regard to them
could be obtained, except that thay had
lived in this habitation about two years,
and feared by the settlers of the neigh
booing country. The conhagration OF the
house was arrested but nothing was dis
covered throwing any light on the matter.
The body of the foiled murderer was TAX
en-, charred and hardly recognizable from
the ashes of his dwelling, where he had
been cast by his associates, as
the quickest mode of burying him. Hav-
ing ascertaned the futility of further in
vestigaton, at least for the present, we
rode away, and passing through the ad-
acent wood, the dog, which had played
50 strange drama, made his appearance
suddenly on our left, and followed our
horses to the village of R. In
gratitude for his efforts to preserve me
from destruction, henceforth shared my
home with my unwelcome monitor


A SCHOOL committee not a thousand