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Show ) 200 ROEBUCK. ~like, follo"~ed by the t 'vo negro n1cn \VhOin he haa jnst enli ted in the sche1ne of bnrglary, appro:tehoa the front door of the hou ' o, expecLing it to be opened by IIanuibal. Tho W'hole hou e ·was dark and qnict. lie 1nado a concorLcd sign at tho door, but it \Vas noL opened. lie \Yhispered the nmne of IIannibal throngh the key-hole, but hoard no response. lie " rent along the porch, anu at every \virH1ow endeavored to attract the notice of his confe<..lerate. Still II:1nnibul gave no answer. l\Iike had ahnost concluued thnt he hnd failed to fulfil his engagen1ent \Vhen one of his men, listening at the door, hem·d a loud snore \Yitl1in. Il:mnibal had stationed hin1self there at tho appointed hour, but during the delay which occurred he fell asleep. Beco1ning convinced that l1e 1vns there, ~like \Vas at a loss ]lO\Y to \vake hirn \\'ithout :llTOW:>ing all the inlnato . After scratching his \Voo]Jy pate ior sorne tin1o, he hit npon a plan. IIo found tho old door fitted its fi·:une so ill that there \vas space for the insertion of a s1nall stick be11cath it. IIo procnrccL a rod, sharpened it, and begnn to pnn ·ture the person of the son1nolent IIanniba.l. Partially awaking, that sentinel uttered, "ugh, ugh," and sunk back into profound sleep. But by per. ·evoranco in punching and \vhi.:pering, l\Iike llnally roused hi1n up, and he opened the door. vVhile he stood rubbing his eyes the three n1en who entered paHsod by hirn, groped their ·way to the foot of tho stairs and began to ascf'IH1. At that 1notnent they \Vere startled by a light 'vhich a1)pcarec"l at the head of the l.)t:tirl:>. 1\Irs. Fitzhugh being a nervous invalid, uovor slept profoundly. She had heard alJuo::;t the Jin;t sounc1 nutdc by the negroes on the porch. vVhcn it was repeaLed she called her servant, Belle a faithful neoTess, who - ' 0 llOEllUCK. 201 slept in the san1o ro01n, and Hen t hot· to a~ccrt~ in tlt " cause of tho noise. Aho retnrner1 :-tn (l rrportccl her belief that robbers W'ero trying to hroa} in Lo the hon c:r. IIer 1ni. tro. s n1adc her ligl1t a candle at a taper \dli('lt was kept bnrning din1Jy in tho cha1nbor. 1\frR. Vi tzhuo ·h rose and took clo,vn an ol<.l S\Yonl \vhieh hung in D1e roorn and which hnd Lolongccl to her clec<'n.·r<l husband. She directed n llo to arm herself with tho old lady's c:1nc, and then tho t"ro \VOnlen sa.l1io<1 ont of tho chmn her to the h0~c1 or the ' tairs. The ' Cl'Vflll t set tho candle on a stand in the hall and they pccro<1 downward to discover \vhat \Vas passing nt tho front door. It \vas then that J\Iiko and his acco1nplice." startocl up tho steps. . vVhcn they cmne into tho light, l\Ir . . Ii'lbdn1gh, seeing that they \Yore nogroo., . tornly. m~dcro<l Lhe~n to go back, and hnughtily rebuked thCir 1nsolcnce 111 thus intrudin rr into tho house of a lady. They kept b . on until they stootl upon tho landing of 1~10 stmrF:, a few steps bo1o\v the two w01non, an:l ftc1ng 1.hei:l· }Like then paused. It \V::ts part of Jus plan to avo1d fat-'11 violence, if possible. Ilo s:nv th:1t the ''romon were prepared to 1nalce rcs1·s t ance, anc1 he ]1..~ now the proud and resolute sp1· n· t o f Jl.\l [ r•s . Jj:-~1· tz" h u br r h · • ~ h o Stoocl b e1r ore 11 .l ll1' 1.1 1 h. or n1· g 11~u -c.lJ r·oss ' IY"'~ lc ' omam:ttecl nnd feeble but hol<.lino· a s'vorcl anc1 breathing Rcorn- ful defianc'e . lie did b not doubt ht. . n,u_l. l1' tY to ovor- como her ro. .1 tanco, ,u nt h o 1l Os··tt ,..L.. t o<l to co1n1nen o a conflict in \vhich L1ooc.l n1i rr h t be shed. Porhnp. ' too, ~. 1 the habitual asconclancy OL tne \Y 1H · Lo ra• ce ~R Om On. 'h:1 t cowoc1 1ll.S RIH. n. t. 1")) llt., n ('ju Ol. I 't''t ll(:,I· tno" · 'f t Rho. rt liiJH\, tho temr)tntion of I)lnndor or t 11 0 1· c cl'-'- lcR· ·s .C e·l i no"· t.ha t he hacl rrono too f:tr t.o recede prevm'1 E'C=~l . Jlo• rn~• h l t:> l j forward. The two men who hac s,oocl co wonnrr be- 0 7., |