Year: 1873

persons destined to study the cloudy heavens
that night, through the bottom of mine hosts
glasses. There was black Dave--an appcn'
dix general to the tavern, as clumsy piece
of clown as one would care to see and Pow
der Bill, a second.cIass rufian, who had gained
his cognomen by having had his face somehow
blown full Of powder. Besides these there
were several loaterS in no wise remarkable
OF this was glad, for was aware that the
mail bag was unusually heavy. | knew that
there wera quite large sums of money expected
by different persons about that time, and
should be glad enough when the responsibility
was off my shoulders.


We passed sociable evening. The chat
ting turned upon practical joking, and the
danger of ten times resulting therefrom. The
person who participated the least in the con
versation was my passenger man with
stoop shoulders had learned that his name
vas jerks. While this one and that one told
their tales, his sharp, downcast eyes would,


in spite of himself, turn continually toward
that corner of the room where | had tossed
my mail bags. On the other hand, the old
fellow with the long, white hair, was the most
boistcrous talker Of the group. His laugh
was the loude>t, his pufs of smoke the most
frequent, and his voice, strengthened with his
rising spirits lost much of the quaver noticea-
bic in oldish persons.


was also both astonished at him and de-
lighted also. TO find man slipping down
the shady side Of life's hill, gay and disposed
to make merry with his friends, is as rare an
occurrence as it is exhilarating to witness.
He had a popularity about the face which you
sometimes see, and which gives an effect singu-
ular if not pleasant to the bcholder He had
very bright, rapidly revolving eyes, under
bushy black eyebrows, brows shaggy enough
to suggest miniature crows nests, roughly
piled together. lie called himself Stowell,
and l Judged him to be stranger in those
parts. In truth, he incautiously y made men,
ton of the fact that he was on government
business. At mention of this, found jerks
furtively and steadily regarding him from the
corner Of his eyes. My feelings had settled
into fixed distrust of jerks before the evening
was halfspent; on the other hand, the entire
company, if l except jerks, mentally pro-
nounccd the old fcllow-just the one to while
away dull evening.


After some quite loud boasting of.courage
and brave deeds, by several Of the party, and
this one telling what he could do, and that
one affirming what he would not do under
such and such circumstances, motion was
made for bed The old fellow with a separate
good night to all, was shown to his room first,
ut his own request, jerks and myself going
last. The glanccs which this fellow cast at
the bags as took them up to my room, were
not particular y rc;issuring. Thought at first
to speak to the landlord Of my suspicious, and
then felt ashamed to do so, and went into nay
room Turning on the threshold | was un-
pleasantly surprised to see jerks standing
outside of his room, and regarding me with
fixed gaze.


"Blundering fool!' said to myself, eff his
intentions arc to rob me he has taken the
mode Of proceeding to put me on my guard y


| closed my door and locked it securely,
dumped the mal-bags in the corner, and
being weary, Immediately undresscd and re-
tired.


lay for long timc turning this way and
that, made restless, suspected, by continually
thinking of jerks and his strange conduct.
grew angry at last with myself, for allowing
him to keep so before my vision, but this state
of mind did not tend to sleepiness. | assure
you. While lay tossing about, | heard one
after another Of the members Of the family
go to bed. Still that internal jerks kept be-
fore me. muttercd anathemas and turned
over again.


Now comes the singular part Of the affair.
| must have fallen asleep for a moment. |
dreamed that | was in that very house, in
that very room and bed-that | had fallen
asleep and woke up with the impression that
there was some one under the bed that did
not know how TO ascertain the truth of it
without causing the robbcr and murderer to
spring on me unawares that having boyish
trick of stufing my pockets with everything.
felt in there for a marble, and found it-and
leaning cautiously from the forward edge Of
the bed, dropped or rolled it toward the back
side or wall Of the room, thinking as did so,
that if there was no one there, it would roll
across ard strike the mopboard with sharp
click. dreamed that the marble rolled but
little ways, struck something and stopped
that | looked under the bed and found Stowcll
instead of jerks, with murder written upon
his face Then there was confused plan Of
what | said and did.


| came to full consciousness from this dream
or incubus state, and ahcmcd and turned over
to see if were rcally awake now. My whole
body was damp, the sweat standing in cold
drops upon my face, so great had been my
suffering in that few moments sleep. 1t was
so strange, so frightfully real, that shifted
to the other side, and as silently as possible
drew up my pants and felt in the pocket. My
fingers touched bullet that was lying loose
amidst other rubbish. | drew it out and with
such sensation as never experienced be-
fore and hope never to again, | prepared for
the dream test. Reaching my hand well
down toward the floor, | gave it 4 roll toward
the back Of the bed 1t moved a foot or
two, and-Great God 1t struck something
soft and stopped.


My heart stopped beating fora minute, and
globules of fire swan before my face, pcoplng
the darkness with horrors. There was no
choice but to fill up the programme Of the
dream. sprang from the bed before my
muscles were paral wed with terror and called
out:


"lIcrc, you, Stowell"-I actually intended
to say jerks, but could not-"come out from
there, and have done with this sort of prac-
tical joking.' No sound about the house.
The stormy clouds tearing away overhead,
allowed Il watery moonlight to flood the room.


"Stowell" | called again, 81 am in no
mood for this sort of practical joking. | have
not boaStcd Of my courage, but shall dis
charge my pistol under the bed, hit or miss,
in one moment more"


There was i humping and rustling, the
spread was swept aside, and, God of Heaven
it was Stowcll. could see his white hair and
beard Before he had come to an upr ght