The Stories of the Three Burglars | Page 6

was an objection to this plan. They would be pretty
heavy fellows to carry, and as it would be absolutely necessary to
watch them until they could be given into the charge of the officers of
the law, I did not want to stay out of doors to do this, for the night air
was raw and chilly, and I therefore determined to keep them in the
house. And as they could be resuscitated better in a sitting position,

they must be set up in some way or other. I consulted David on the
subject.
"You might put 'em up with their backs agin the wall, sir," said he, "but
the dirty beasts would spoil the paper. I wouldn't keep them in a decent
room like this. I'd haul 'em out into the kitchen, anyway."
But as they were already in the library I decided to let them stay there,
and to get them as speedily as possible into some position in which
they might remain. I bethought me of a heavy wooden settle or bench
with back and arms which stood on the side piazza. With David's help I
brought this into the room and placed it with its back to the window.
"Now, then," said I to David, "we will put them on this bench, and I
will tie them fast to it. We cannot be too careful in securing them, for if
one of them were to get loose, even without arms, there is no knowing
what trouble he might make."
"Well, sir," said David, "if I'm to handle them at all, I'd rather have
them dead, as I hope they are, than have them alive; but you needn't be
afraid, sir, that any one of them will get loose. If I see any signs of that
I'll crack the rascal's skull in a jiffy."
It required a great deal of tugging and lifting to get those three men on
the bench, but we got them there side by side, their heads hanging
listlessly, some one way, some another. I then tied each one of them
firmly to the bench.
I had scarcely finished this when I again heard my wife's voice from
the top of the stairs.
"If any pipes have burst," she called down, "tell David not to catch the
water in the new milk-pans."
"Very well," I replied, "I'll see to it," and was rejoiced to hear again the
shutting of the bedroom door.
I now saturated a sponge with the powerful preparation which Dr.
Marks had prepared as an antidote, and held it under the nose of the tall
burglar. In less than twenty seconds he made a slight quivering in his
face as if he were about to sneeze, and very soon he did sneeze slightly.
Then he sneezed violently, raised his head, and opened his eyes. For a
moment he gazed blankly before him, and then looked stupidly at
David and at me. But in an instant there flashed into his face the look of
a wild beast. His quick, glittering eye took in the whole situation at a
glance. With a furious oath he threw himself forward with such a

powerful movement that he nearly lifted the bench.
"Stop that," said David, who stood near him with his iron club uplifted.
"If you do that again I'll let you feel this."
The man looked at him with a fiery flash in his eyes, and then he
looked at me, as I stood holding the muzzle of my pistol within two
feet of his face. The black and red faded out of his countenance. He
became pale. He glanced at his companions bound and helpless. His
expression now changed entirely. The fury of the wild beast was
succeeded by a look of frightened subjection. Gazing very anxiously at
my pistol, he said, in a voice which, though agitated, was low and
respectful:--
"What does this mean? What are you going to do? Will you please turn
away the muzzle of that pistol?"
I took no notice of this indication of my steadiness of hand, and
answered:--
"I am going to bring these other scoundrels to their senses, and early in
the morning the three of you will be on your way to jail, where I hope
you may remain for the rest of your lives."
"If you don't get killed on your way there," said David, in whose
nervous hand the heavy biscuit-beater was almost as dangerous as my
pistol.
The stout man who sat in the middle of the bench was twice as long in
reviving as had been his companion, who watched the operation with
intense interest. When the burly scoundrel finally became conscious, he
sat for a few minutes gazing at the floor with a silly grin; then he raised