Year: 1871

at small pains to disguise their villany
by keeping up the form of conversa-
tion.


At last Goat Island was crossed, the
bridge passed over, and we stood on
the piazza of the Cataract House. |
could not understand what unseen
power had interposed to prevent the
execution of their purpose:


Suddenly the man l had settled up
on as the villain of the party sat abb
ruptly down upon the steps, and,
without warning, burst into peals Of
laughter. He shook, he rolled, he al
mcst sobbed, in the ecstasy of his
mirth. 1t proved contagious, and the
other two speedily joined him, one
leaning up against the house, the 9th
er bent almost double in the paroxysm
which seized him. l stared at them
in amazement, but soon, L, too, became
infected. / realized that / was safe,
alive, and well, spared from what
seemed certain and dreadful death
but still l must laugh no matter how
deep the thankfulness, laughter was
its only adequate expression. The
tension to which my nerves had been
subjected so long made me an easy
prey, and I roared with laughter till
the tears rolled down my cheeks, and
sheer exhaustion alone put ah end to
the extraordinary quartet:


Then came mutual explanations
The two young men who had gone
with me from the hotel had suspected
me of evil intentions toward them
selves, and had decided that the one
who had joined us on the island was my
accomplice. They had no doubt that
| was armed, as, indeed, | took pains
to make them believe. The third vii
lain, as had believed him, thought
he had fallen into very bad company,
indeed, when we overlook him, and
regretted his haste in joining us; but
had quickly determined to do the best
he could for himself by keeping in the
rear, and by watching us carefully
His suspicion of me--and by my nerv-
Gus, unguarded manner had laid my
self justly open to any amount of sus-
picion-and had led him to regard me
so intently as we stood side by side on
the bench, measuring me, that he
might form some opinion as to what
would be the result of the struggle he
believed imminent all through the
woods on Goat Island had he braceG
himself to repel, as best he might, the
attack he doubted not we were about
to make upon him. 1t was as pretty
a case of cross-purposes as one would
wish to see, and the reaction was il
proportion to the strain we had under.
gone. The other two, in their turn, be.
lieved that we were in league, ant
that they were to be the victims



and it was to consult and devise what
means they could to outwit or over.
come us, that kept them in consulta
ton on the tower-stairs. At first, in
deed, they had mutually suspected
each other of being in league with me
and it was some time before they found
out their mistake.


1t took us some time to compare
notes, and heartily we laughed over
our mutual fear and suspicion and
we did more talking in ten minutes
than had passed between us during
all the walk: 1t was nearly morning
when we parted. The next day We
ordered carriage, and passed the
morning together visiting the places
had looked at along the day before.
found the "thick-set ruffian" and tn,
other two ''villains" joval, good fellows
whose characters and disposition
would entitle them a high place il
any ones estimation.


Many jolly laugh we had owe
the contre-temps of the night before
We passed but few hours together
but, eff this should meet their eyes,
they will see "by these presents tha
they are most kindly remembered b.
the "brigand" who, on that frightfHlly
funny occasion, staked his all on tn
intimidating inference Of imaginar,
"shooting-irons."