er this distressing problem one of the
carpenters came to me with a harrowing tale about a tramp whom he had
caught sleeping in the barn. This tramp had gained access to the barn
by means of a window. He quietly removed the sash, after breaking the
panes of glass, and crawled in. The carpenter caught the impudent
rogue early next morning in flagrante delicto--that is to say, found
him snoozing upon a mattress which Alice had stored away in the barn
for safe-keeping. An argument ensued, but the tramp finally beat a
retreat.

Upon the evening of that same day the carpenter remained after working
hours to see whether the tramp would come back for another night's
lodging in the nice, warm barn on that nice, clean mattress. Surely
enough, as evening shadows fell the tramp made his reappearance and
sought to effect an entrance to the barn. Thereupon the belligerent
carpenter emerged from his hiding and bade the trespasser be gone. The
tramp complied with this demand, but not until he had signified his
intention of returning later at night for the purpose of squaring
accounts with the carpenter.

This dark threat filled the carpenter with gloomy forebodings and he
hastened to Alice and me for advice. Of course we assured him that we
would support him in any line of action he would take, and we promised
to pay him one dollar if he would stay and guard the premises that
night. The carpenter was not insensible to the soothing influences of
lucre, and he consented to watch and defend our property, provided we
furnished him with a weapon of one kind or another, for he had a
conviction that the tramp fully intended to come back that very night
to cut his heart out.

My acquaintance with weapons is limited to that circle which includes
my collection of antique armor and several old flintlocks picked up at
different times in New England and in the South. I confessed to the
carpenter that I had in the house nothing suited to his bellicose
purposes, unless he was willing to put up with a mediaeval battle axe
or a Queen Anne musket. The carpenter seemed disinclined to place any
reliance upon these means of defence, and he suggested that perhaps I
might borrow a pistol of some one of the neighbors. I had not thought
of that before; the idea impressed me favorably, and I proceeded to act
upon it. It was no easy task, however, finding what I wanted. At the
Denslows an axe was the only weapon to be had, and at the Baylors',