Year: 1865

that very likely they were right, an,
determined to think no more of tn,


matter.


On re-entering tho house, we asked


to be shown where we were TO sleep
and the girl, taking up a light, pre-


ceeded us up stairs, and along a mar,


row passage that turned first TO the


right and then to the left, into the


bedroom L have spoken of, and, setting


down the candlestick, containing the
4 smallest bit of candle, on a table, said,


Good night" and left us. AS soon


as she was gone, my brother-in-law


according to his invarible custom, en-


deavored TO secure the door, but found


there was neither lock or bolt; coup


ling this with the servants words to


me, tile singular Circumstance of find


ing only women in place SO far from


any other habitation, and the small
ness OF the candle that was declared


to be the only morsel in the house, he


too began to have suspicious that all


Was not right, and determined to make
the door as secure as he could. For
this purpose he took chair and break
ing off the two hind legs, placed two
of the ends in the iron sockets Of the
empty bolt, making the other fast with
stout cord to the large iron hinges
one sees on the doors in French coun-
try houses. He then looked to the
priming of his pistols, which were
double-barreled ones, and placed them
on chair by his bedside, and though
my brother looked on with a scornful
smile at our preparations, saying that
he had travelled for twenty years, and
was not dead yet. / fancied that, us
/ was getting into bed, saw some
thing shining very much like pistols
on the coB,niode at the foot of his bed,
which made me think that he thought
more about the matter than he cared
to own. l should tell you that my
brother was one Of the most powerful
fellows l ever knew, nearly six feet
and half in height. He had the
statute and strength of a giant, but
he was rash and unthinking, and
had far more confidence in my brother
in-law, who, though very fine man,
was inferior TO my brother in brute
strength, but had much clearer brain
and cooler blood There were three
beds in the room-one behind the
door, occupied by my brothers friend


another near the wall on the right,
in which i and my brother-in-law
slept and tKhd, placed across the
little low window opening in the mid
die, was taken possession of by my
brother, because it was in the most
airy situation. Whatever our suspi-
~iVis-. fhc- v,s tssi.s,y r~.~ .-ss s.,s~--.-'''o
enough TO prevent our going fast
asleep, and we must have been more
than an hour in bed when / was
aroused 10y hearing noise like some
one pushing against the door; but as
it ceased before l could be said to be
broad awake thought L had been
dreaming a reflection of my fears, and
was DOING off again, when loud
crash, followed by dull sound as if
heavy body falling, made us all
spring from our BEDS and by the light
of the moon struggling through the
clouds, saw my brother kneellng on
his bed, his face toward the window
and though the light was but feeble,
/ felt horribly certain that there was
blood on his right hand that was
clenched and extended before him.
Without changing his position he told
us in few hurried words, that as he
was turning around in bed, he caught
sight of face looking In the window
and without moments reflection,
struck at it through the glass, knock
ing it backward and cutting his hand
in the act The words were hardly
out of his mouth before another face
appeared, and shared the same fate as
the first; but by this time my brother
in-law had seized his pistols, and
thrusting one into my brothers hand
suddenly opened the window, and
seeing several men on the ladder, with
seven or eight more below armed with
hatchets, he waited until those ascend
ing were on level with the window,
when he gave the ladder u tremendous
push backward, my brother at the
same moment discharging both bar
rels of his pistol among them; and
while stretching out his hand to reach
his own, my brother-in-law shot off
the one he held, and was followed up
by my brother firing all his four bar
rels at the murderous crew.


During this time j guarded the door
with stem of broken chair, while
our friend tore open one of the beds
and set fire to some Of the straw TO
give us light. When my brother fred
off his last pistol, my brother-in-law
who had been quietly reloading, placed
himself by the side of tho window,
expecting fresh attack but after an
anxious suspense of several minutes,
during which we could distinctly hear
the groans of more than one wounded,
growing fainter as if retreating TO n
distance, he ventured to look out, and
saw that our foes were no longer there.
Though we were rid of our assailants
outside, they might be in the house,
and for this reason we thought it pru-
dent to remain where we We're a short
time longer, before descending to see
what had become of our property in
the stable. After listening intently
for ten minutes or SO, and hearing
nothing, we determined TO make an
attempt to get below; but in the
crooked corridor, it was necessary TO
arrange our plans with caution as well
as boldness. Having been twitted as
coward the night before, / went first
holding loaded pistol in each hand,
followed by my brother with two
lunches of lighted straw, twisted, in
lieu of torches; then came my brother
in-law with two more pistols, followed
by our friend with two more torches.
Az two vards from the door was the