The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1824-11-09

country, had exiiagnished their blazing
pine hgtt, buried up their fire, and sprin
k'rd over the smoking ashes the spoonful
of sill, the magic virtues of which dispers
ed The ,,Io-;ly train. aud insned them a
reaeeial rest, whea Two travellers passed
along the nnbrnken foad, that I'D from
the Village toward, the ford above the falls.
Ole hare Tile appearance ot IN dd mao
inhfin with ape his broad brinmed hi hh
his f,ee hut some thin gray lorks waved
round his shoulders. ainl he leaned for
ward On his ladcd horse like one sutlerlng
with fatigue or deertpilnie --b,.lind hlr
Mas the apprndage of y stranger, large
portmantean, whichan athletic Sonng man,
who Sometimes acted as II guide In travel
lrrs, aud snmrtmes, for he had seine sci
rnre, run oat patented land, aud was, with.
~, better acquainted With the country
than any oin"r man In all the Neighbour
hood. He l.d the old mans horse some
times and sninrtm.B ran before Ia break
the road.
Tie cotiagcrs thought they discovered
traits Of my s;rry IN thi<, and as ever, Thing
that partook OF m,sirr, bodied mischief
hccofding To their conceptions they fni.
lowed the midnigh travellers across thc bar
rens with their eyes, unlilthry disappeared,
y then lay several anxinus hours dreaming
oi murder 4 rnhhrr, and blood More Than
oace they Thought The, heard the piercing
cry Of despair n,ingl,ng with the roar of
the waterfall, and more than once discover
ed symptoms IN the dusky rooms that
spoke ot death without.
But the woods man was in the village
het"re snnrIsc--he reported that he pat
the stranger acIoss the Ford aud left him
Ia pursue his Journey. Suspicion wa,
hushrd for moment for the character of
The young man was good-lh" traveller MAS
known 10 have possessed mo icy, hal he
had been called down llr river on business
OF such urgent importance thai II was n.
cessdfy Tor him Ia reach the lower Ford
that night aud he had with difficulty pre-
vailed on Hubert Ia accom- pAny him 10 The
western road. VIM the stranger WAS none
knew, and thus Car I'll WAS fair. Bal he never
reached the Ford ADD 10 trace was heard Of
him from that night. Suspicion MAS ouc e
porean ahcutd& Hubert maintained " hen
he was questioned on the subject gerard
ed and seorniul silence. The Fortunr TIL
'crs were consulted, aud they anathemali.
h"d TIE no"ds man. Sigus were attended
tn, With all the lurmality of judicial inqui
~ aud even these condemned the unior,u-
uhtc young man.
When the spring came il was discovered
that largr oak tree crln DRAFTED tni lis age
and majesty. did moi put forth q Leaf II
grew near bye inad which led In "A river
below the fall, and - no ahrr cause could
he assigned for liz blishted appearance, II
WAS attributed to one which nov mtt the
popular suspicion among the Gernlans.--
fhry called II the blasted tree, aud located
the place wliure The stranger, btood WIS
she hen.ath lis branches. Wiilrrrrd 10y
The hut breath of murder, they declared
II wnali hl""m again. whichever the muir
derer should hr brought 10 justice and his
blood sprinklcL on the dry roots.
fiy' years PASSED away, aud old impres
slGns, and vague susplcini's grew stronger,
rs years departed. Hubert was INV, sur
rounded by Il Young and dependent fami
~ hut superstition had fixed an indcliblc
narh ON his character. and hr was follow
ed BY The eye of jealousy which watched
his actions, his countcnancc and his words
While il shunnrd his assoriatun--1he man
became restless and unhappy--hr felt SEN
ably the weight of suliitd reputation, aud
though he had d,stegarded il tor years, be
gan Ia sink under his influence into morose
ness and di-guirttnle.
About the tim, some h Intsmen IN the
pursuit of game vi Inch had taken shelter in
blasted tree, cut il down, and 10 from the
old trunk fell thn ullhrrrd bones nf n hu
man being they were examined by an
nalomsi, Il declared IL l,r ia, perfect ske
Teton of n man whom HEY might have de
p ,siied there four or five wears hriore.-
An .pening of tie trunk some distance frnm
the ground conf, nr, the probability of ,hr
story : III. Germans and their nj lhbnrs
soon ranshi il IN engerl, g. IA. fate If the
unfortunate Young man seemed fixed. lie
nrd from the s,nrm h. saw gathering, hut
il u month returned and surreuariud him
self up for lrial.
Thr cxri,rtnrn, nflhe roprntc ran high,