Year: 1865

the gold rolled all over the floor. Will
a curse he clutehed at my arm. dartet
from the widow, and caught it with
grasp that 1 feel to this hour. Had hi
power not been crippled by his dangerous
position I should have stood but very
sorry chance against him. He coulC
only use one arm, for with the other ht
was compelled to steady himself on th'
window. With that one arm he helG
me, and raised his knee to step into the
room, I do not know why he did moi
let me go. He could have caught me
long before 1 could have given any
serious alarm, and have silenced me
efectually. He could not at the same
time hold me and enter the room. All
this time I did not scream. 1t seemed
to me, that the struggle was too serious
to be interrupted, and 1 felt so intense an
earnestness in the work of trying to es-
cape, that was prevented from uttering
sound. At last the thief eontrived to
hold my little wrist in his huge hand,
and grasp the sash with it at the same
time. In a second he would have been
in the room. He could have stunned, or
perhaps murdered, me, in a moment
have re-colIected the gold, have descend
ed into the court, and in those days,
when as yet there were neither detectives
nor telegraphs, have escaped. It was
my left arm that was prisoned. In my
right I held the knife. I was desperate,
then; and though 1 was but little,
small boned girl, all the devil in me was
reused. I fear 1 could have slain the
man with small compunctiOn, at the in
slant of the deed. I lifted the clasp
knife to my mouth, and tore open the
blade with my teeth, and then I cut at
the wrist of my foe as though I would
cut it through. He started back with a
cry of pain and fury, lost his hold on the
window, and fell. I heard the dull,
heavy sound of his body as it struck the
ground below. My left arm was covered
with the hot blood had shed. Then
turned round to rouse the house. But
nv vounp nerves remained strung only
while the work was to be done. l stag,
gered, and fell fainting among the broad
guineas had saved. lay senseless fol
some hours, and then woke with strange
feeling Of having done or suffered some.
thing-I hardly knew what. Slowly !
remembered what had happened. 1t was
still dark. went to the window to see
what had become of my antagonist
Thera was light enough for me to see a
dark mass below me, which I thought
could be nothing else than Connor's
body. I turned my head to the left,
and saw the first faint light of morning
breaking through the clouds. In hall
an hour the world of the farm would be
astir. Slowly I returned to my deserted
chamber and passed through it to my
fathers. It did not take long to assure
him of my being whole and unhurt, in
spite ofmy bloody night-dress. Wonder
ing as I told him my tale, he called some
of his men, and we went out to see the
enemy. He was alive. 1 felt thrill Of
pleasure at knowing that could have
taken his life so ruthlessly in my rage,
He was alive, but so bruised and injured
by his fall that he was perfectly helpless


One of his legs was broken, as we dis
covered afterwards, and his right arm
was out of joint. The cash of my knife
had done him no serious harm. 1t was
bad cut; but no more. He wascarried
off to jail as soon as he could be moved,
1 will not tell you the story of his trial
and his punishment. I remember the
Judge said that the little girl was more
fit to carry the Kings colors than many
a man of twice her years. But dOubi
whether I could have carried big flag


though I conquered thief. And now
my story is done. 1t happened seventy
years ago, my children; but remember
it all, and though 1 own to being proud
of my stout heart, I have exaggerated
nothing. B. J.