The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-08-13

800 ''+tf INAsNf HttA iAtill upon
those wraihfu', raging, iiery-eyed, and
bloody-mlnded men, are they, thought h, T
iainting heart, OF the same kind are >ifs
framed by one God and hath Christ alike
died Tor them all
She lifted up her eyes, full of prayers,
for one moment to heaven, and then with
a cold shuddcr of dcscrtion, turned thpm
upon her husband, l,neeling with white
fixed countenancc, aud half dead already
with the loss OF blood. A dreadful silence
had succeeded to that tumult aud she
dimly saw number Of mcn dyaWn mp To-
gelherwltholtt moving, and their deternlin.
ed eyes held fast upon their victim.
Think, my lads, that il is Hugh Gum
meifs ghost that commands You now,
sald deep hoarse voice. no mercy did
the holy men of the mountains slnm 10
him when they smashed his skull with large
stones from the channel of the iarrow.
Now for revenge
The soldiers presented their muskrta--
the word was givcn-and they fired. At
that moment Christian Lindsay had rush.
Ell forward and illlng herself down TN her
knees beside her husband, and they both
fell and stretched Themselves out MORALLY
wounded upon the grass.
During all this scene, Marion Scott, the
bridesmaid, IA girl of fifteen, had been lying
aaughtcd among the brackcns within n
hundred yards Of the murder. The agony
OF grlei now got thu better of the agony of
.ar,and lchplng up from her eonccalment,
size rushed INTO the midst OF the soldiers.
and hnecllng down beside hei dear Chris
tan Lindsay, lifted up her head, and al.a-
ded the hair from her forehead '0h
Christian youreycs are opculng.-do Won
hear me speaking ? 'Ics hear d voice
is II yours, Mark ?-sprak again oh
Christian, it is only my voice--poor Ma
flonb.' Is Mark dcad--quitc dead =
Aud there was no reply but Christian
must have heard the drop gasping soha,
that Were rcndmg the childs heart liei
eyes, too, opened more widely, and misty
as they were, they saw indeed, close by her,
the hlddlcd w, mangled, aud bloody bo-
dy of her husband,
Tile soldiers stood like 90 many beasts
Of prey, who had Sorgcd their fiji Of blood;
Their rage was abated.-and they offered
no violence 10 the ailcctionatc child, ~ she
continued To sit before them with the head
nj Christian Lindsay in her lap, watering
II with tears, and moaning so rs 10 touch,
at least, some even of their hardened hearts.
When blood is shed, il soon begins TO APP
pear fearful sight To the shedder5-pnd
the hand soon begins 10 tremblc ,hat has
let cut human life. Cruelty cannot sustain
itseif III presence of that ruefui colas, and
fomorse sees it rcddening into a more
gbasily hue.--Somc Of the soldiers turned
away an silence, or with a half-suppgra3rd
oaib--othcr3 straycd off anong the trees,
AID sat down together aud none would
nen have toucJlad the head OF pretty little
Marion. The mau whom they l1a1 shot
deserved dcathso they said To one ano-
ther--and lie had got il +; but the Woman's
death was accidental, and they were mol 10
blame beraSe she had run upon their fire.
so, before the smell and the smoke Of the
gunpovler had been carried away - the
passing breeze from that place Of MURDER,
al Vert silent, and could hardly he.f t.
Loo, one auotlcr in 'hc ficc.-Thrir Won
had been lamcntablc indeed. Fnr HOW
they began To- 50, .hgt these murdered neo-
pie @ere truly hrid, groom ah bride She
vas lying there drtsicd with her modest
white bridal garments and white RIB lnds,
now streakcd with many streams Of blood
from mortal wounds. So, too, was SIR
who was supporting her head. It WIS
plain that bridal party had b'en this very
day-and that their hands bad prepared for
a happy and allcctonatc newly welded
pair that bloody bed and a sleep from
which there was 10 be no awakiHg at the
voice of mora, They stood looking APP
rallra on the bodies while, onthe wild low
crs around them, which The STAN Of blood
bad not yet reached, loudly and chccrlully
were murmuring the mountaia bees.
Christian Lindsay was not quite dead
and she al last lifted herself up Little way
out of Marion's lap, and thcn falling down
with her arms over her husbands neck. III