Year: 1871

old-fashioned high-posted bed, one or
two chairs, cupboard or clothespress
and an old chest of drawers ] tried
the cupboard but could not open it.
There was keyhole 10 the door, aud ]
thought it altogether probable tha, the
door was locked. But just then | hap.
pened to bring the light around 50 that
it shone into the crack of the door, and


| was surprised to see no bolt, aud |
could see it was not fastened by the lock.
| again tried the door but it would aot
yield. Here was a mystery | could
see no way that it could be fastened. Il
did not stick, for l coud spring it in
every place but one 1t was fastened
upon the ioside The thought startled
me. There was evidently some oac in
the closet or some mode of egress. 1t
seemed as though / was surely iu their
trap, What could | do? | could see no
way to fasten the door upon the outside.
| hal nothing to fasien the door except
Il small penkDitc, and that would not
work. While | was thinking Of some
way to fasteu the door the storm again
broke ont into a tempest The wind
fairly shook the whole house, 50 that at
one time feared that it would be blown
down. 1t rocked aud swayed with each
fresh blast until it loosed the plastering
over my head, and pieces fell upon the
floor. For full half an hour the storm
ragged with unabated fury, then there
was a lulI, and in a snort time not a drop
of rain fell upon the roof. Then my
situation again recurred to me. and |
began TO think Of some way to tasten
the door or to leave the house. bent
my thoughts upon the latter, especially,
for | was exceedingly anxious to get ont
of this trap before the enemy should dis
Germ my intentions. | went to the win
dow and looked out. 1t was quite a
long way down to the ground. and there
was no shed | could reach: | was fairly
cooped. | was in their trap without
doubt. took out my rcvolvers and
examined them to make sure they were
in order.-"Aha, my fine fellows" |
NUT cred, "you won't 6ud me quite so
easy prey as you think perhaps. II had
made up my mind to die game if die |
must. | can kill quite q nfmber o!
them before they can get in at the door,
| thought. concluded not 10 90 to
bed, but to blow out my light aud wait
for them, so as not to be taken by sur.
prise.


Out went my light, and l crouched
down where could be right opposite
the door. The storm had pretty much
cleared away so that at times the moon
would come out and throw q ghastly
stream of light across the floor. 1t fell
directly upon the cupboard SO that if any
ane came in while it was shining, |
could see to shoot with tolerable degree
of accuracy. When it did not shine |
could hardly see my hand before me.
There | sat listening to catch every
Slight sound for upwards of an hour,
thinking Of all the murders that l had
ever heard OF, until I fairly trembled
with fear and it seemed certain that |
should be murdered.


Say what you will, setting alone in
an old house thousands of miles away
from friends and home, in wild
almost uncivilized country, where rob
bers and thieves were as plenty as
rogues in our large cities, will shake
the nerves of the bravest. There is
something that will arouse all the
superstition in the composition of man


there is that indefnable dread of
something-it seems to rise up before
him like phantom, he may try to
grasp it but it eludes him like a myth.
The bravest men who will not turn
aside because death stares them in the
face will quake before the dangers this
dread vigil will conjure up, | tried to
reason with myself and to throw off this
imaginary fear, but it clung to me with
its accustomed tenacity. Suddenly |
became concious that there was some
one in the cupboard, when all the
superstitious feeling vanished in an
instant. | no longer dreaded ghosts
and startling apparitions. knew what
| had to fear and where to look for my
enemy. Fortune again favored me,
for at this critical moment the moon
broke out and poured stream of light
through the window; its beams fell
directly upon the cupboard, while the
part Of the room in which l was and
where the bed was, was shrowded in
pitchy darkness. The door of the cup
board began to open slowly but surely
opening silently drew my repeaters
and prepared to fire. My nerves were
as firm as steel, all my courage had re
turned with the appearance of tangible
danger. First a mans head appeared, |
then his body until finally he stood in
the room. II was not my host nor the
boy, "Jim.' l raised my pistol and
taking as good aim as the light would
admit fired ; with the report rose cry
of pain and the assassin fell to the
floor Just then another head appeared
at the door, | fired my pistol at it and