The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1827-08-16
Vol. 80.

sure nad II not been of the hardest granite
IL seemed Tor somctne as ii further efiors
was impossible--Ss il his~heart's sole aim
and desire was TO remain fixed forever irr
tins irlghtful position but us he found hia
strength gradually giving way, his hands
| telaNlngi in their grasp, and his feet slipping
from Their hold-~and the Conviction broke
on his mind that, in lew minutes more ho
must give himself up to death the nmagi-
nation shuddcred at--.desperation came tn
aid oi courage and stalking every, tsing on
lhe event of single movemont--which if
unsuccessful. must plunge him Into the
/ gnii--he caught with his hands still .eloser
70 the rVtk, and pressing his feet wM all
ms might against their slender hold, sue.
ceeued by violent muscular effort, i'm
heavlng himself upon the cliff. Eternal
curses on my ner,eless limbs !" cried the
1rioegroom, arriving at the instant Z" the
Raven has reached his tower--and who
may follow him Turn back continued
ne, rasng his voice into n furious shout.
"ravlsher, murderer. monster all things
bad but coward t-Turn back and | swear
by every thing binding on mans soul, TO di-
VIDE III twain my sword. with thec and, al
though thou deseryest to die like dog, To-
hight fair fight with thee on this hill side.
without friend or witness, save yondor set
ung sun, and Him who made /, J" But the
kaven was deaf even to so courteous an
offer; he lay OH his back upon the cid. ap-
parently without sense or motion, his legs
hanged over the side like,
The poets porsonitication Of Danger, To
have thrown HIM
I" on the ridgy steep
vi some loose, hanging rock 10 sleep"
" Take this, then, 10 rouse thee - said the
bridegroom, tearing up, by main force, n
fragment OF the rock, and hurling il across
The chasn: II fell with heavy sound on
the outlaws breast and he raised himself
up, like chained mastiff, at the pain and
insult" Who art thou 7" he cried, hard
Iy seeming TO recollect his situation ;'w hat
dost thou seek ?"---" What do | seek?
% God Look here I" repliod the BRIDE
groom, stretching his arms and body far o.
yer the cifftownIds the destroyer, while
his voice was choked with the opposite 6.
yet combining emotions Of grief and rage,
. What do seek See'st thou this hand
kerchlef? few hours ago it covered the
iairest and the chustcst bosom in broad
Scotland the red bolts Of murder, and the
wrinkles of ruhinn violence, are on il nowt
and the covering Of the bosom is roproach,
and foulness. and dishonour What do L
seek? ] seek" continued he, speaking
through his clcnched teeth" seek to
fulfil the oath made TO heaven aud to her
10 steep this handkerchief ravisber in
thy hearts blood ~" Tempt me no, !,
said the outlaw :"hsst thou not tnsted o.
nough or my vengeance already? l bm
slockened on tbee.--Get thee gone--but
cross no more the path of one who has nei-
ther rear nor mercy - The avepg.I pa.o
ed Tor an instant and then paced To and fro
by the edge of the rock, with the rcstless
md impatient step Of beast Of prey along
he bars Of his cuge but soon his brow
grew bIacker, and his lips met with q firm
'r resolution lie ~ spent with fatigue,v
nc s>d aloud. although communing only
With hlmself;" he is weary with murder, or
le would by this time have sough, the ford.
What holds me from leaping into his den ?
am younger than he my limbs are more
upple than hs. What care for the cav
I'm lay which threatens death for the at
empt ?--my vengeance shall not be stayed
With a song. 1t shall be NO the weight OF
despair Is surely not greater than tha
weight Of gnilt."--And so saying he step
'ed backward TO the proper distance, and
egan TO prepare himself for the adventure.
This he did, in the first place, by striking
rs blade into the ground, clbsping his
ards raising up his face towards heaven.
nd repeating a short prayer for success
mt although he stood thus in an attitude
I Christian devotion, he might have seem-
d 10 resemble more one Of the ancient Al
nj, whose only object of worship, az Ammi-
nus Marcellimus informs us, was naked
word stuck in tho earth. He then drew
orth his good steel again, and planting hia
ret ilrmly IN their proper posture, was a.
out TO spring forward TO the perllous un-
eftaklhg. The outlaw. who had appor-
ntly watched his movements, and even
card his words, raised himself gradually
rom his reclining posture-frst on his
nees and tbeD,as his eBcny's preparations
eemed TO be nearly completed, upon his
oot. StopW he cried witness that
ave at least not sought this. The event
e on your own head ! confess that ann
sorn out am alone and unnrmed: but
he visitor who tbrusts himself unbiddcD on
nc here shall never live 10 tell what well
ONE he net with at the Ravens Tower
The reply ofthe svengcr was to wave tho
loOdy handkerchief in the air, which he
hen placed in bis bosom and, clearing the
Intervening space az three rapid bounds, he
arted from the side olthe mountain. Tho
espers,ion that had prompted him to the
dventUre lent on energy TO bis limbs
,hich il was believed only one man OF
rat day possessed, and he alighted on the
rink Of the rock yet 30 barely was the
,at performed, that, had he not seized
old Of the outlaws arm, who struck a
,tious blow at him as he touched the
round he could not have preserved his
,oting even for q single moment. They