The Argosy, August 1905 — page 200: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

190 THE ARGOSY. nor very efficient in case of a real After carrying out my exceedingly clever scheme, I crept to the door and cs serious emergency. : 3 ws But,” I thought as I took down that cautiously unloeked it. ¥ old Revolutionary sword and carelessly The street was deserted. The cold flourished the 1812 horse pistol, “ these burglars are usually arrant cowards, and only need the show of fight to frighten them into submission. A real brave burglar would rob a house in broad daylight, where there was some chance of resistance.” [ had started up the stairs again when my precautionary instinct stopped me. What reason had I to think there were not three or four burglars in that lighted room? Why, if there were only two, they would make it exceedingly difficult for me to capture them! No, I never could think of going into that room alone against a possible mul- titude of burglars. I was not afraid of one, but it would be folly to think of attacking two or three. I must have police aid. Still, I did not want to leave the house. The intruder, or intruders—for J had decided that no one man would be bold enough to light the gas in a house he was robbing—might take it into their heads to depart at any moment, and then I would have my labor for my pains. A happy thought struck me. Un- doubtedly, if they decided to leave the house, knowing that it was empty, they would come down-stairs and depart by one of the lower windows. I had no sooner decided on my plan than I proceeded to carry it out forth- with, a characteristic of our family and peculiarly prominent in me. My idea was to barricade the stairway. Simple? Yes, but how beautifully effec- tive! If those men in the library should come down they would run into that barricade and probably seriously injure themselves and be unable to eseape be- fore I arrived with the police. I took chairs and made a nice topply pile of them, and on the pinnacle of the heap, nearly six feet high, I placed an exceedingly heavy piano stool. I was almost sorry for those burglars eir heads. But they had when I proneat of that stool crashing flags gave me a little chill, coming in contact with my stocking-clad feet, but I ran rapidly and soon forgot the dis- comfort. At the next corner I looked up and down fora policeman. None was in sight, and I went on. At the second crossing I came upon an officer, sleepily leaning against a store door. I went up to him and stated in very calm language just what I wanted of him. “And phwat the devil do yez call thim things ye hov in yer honds?” he inquired in an exceedingly insolent tone. It never pays to wake up even a policeman suddenly, for they are liable to be rather dull of comprehension. I explained that the sword and horse- pistol were weapons of offense or de- fense as occasion might require. I really had not intended to take them out on the street with me, but in my ex- citement had forgotten to leave them behind, * But are you not coming to my assist- ance in capturing these burglars?” I demanded of that stupid policeman. “Lade on, me hearty, lade on,” he made answer. And we set forth to the scene of the battle that was to be. Coming to the stoop, I allowed the policeman to precede me. There is no use Tunning unnecessary danger. And then, the officer had a revolver in his hand which would be much more ef- fective in case of an encounter than my rather antiquated weapons. When we got into the hallway, how- ever, the officer insisted upon my lead- ing the way. “Come on, come on!” I shouted— for there was really no need of main- taining silence now—and ran for the stairs. There was a terrific crash, a splinter- ing of chair legs, and I found myself at the bottom of a heap of mahogany fur-— niture. I had forgotten all ab barricade! Yet how beau y worked. upon ss in my father’s house at that ae Eve i a Lt ay ee comicbooks.com