Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1845-07-18

lowed it for hours and not been more than a
mile or so from the place you started from
That ghost of yours by the way, may be
some crazy fellow, who has wandered oil in
to these parts with mischief in him Did you
hear no gun!
Il thought | did about an hour after
parting with the man, or devil, or whatever
he was-but the sound was so faint, and dis
tant, that, for fear might be mistaken, did
not 20 to it; and the road had turned so fire.
qucntly, I could not tell whether il was in
the direction he went of or not
Here the driver inerposcd, saying that
he had heard rifle about that time on the
right, hut supposing it to be Stoner or Hen
ry, he thought nothing of II. And hall
laughing discussion followed as TO the pro-
bable character of the wood ghost Henry hat
reported of-some asserting that he was quiz
zing us--for these men were too much ac'
customcd to the exigences Of hunters life
to be for more than moment seriously af
fected by the circumstances Of Stoner's non
arrival. In the midst Of this, horses fee
were heard galloping up TO the door. and I
loud Hilloa! followed.-the squire rose hasti
W anu went out. III HOUncnt aItcT Iic cH
tered looking pale and excited.
tom Dix Zone of Sioner's neighbors
says that his horse las come home wilhou
rider, the reins upon its neck, and clio
of blood upon the pummel of the saddle
Boys, he's been shot Just as suspected
from the first y
The crazy man. calculated several
Strange! Very mysterious business ! salt
others.
Il tell you what said the Squire after
pause, has struck me from the first. 1t /
that this strange looking fellow Henry saw
mistook him for Stoner, until he looked int,
his face, for Henry's horse and general ap
pearance are not unlike his, and when IN
found that he was wrong, got out of the wa,
and went on till he met Stoner himself, ant
has shot him y
mo doubt of it = said several.
But it's a very mysterious affair, continues
he, Il know of no such looking man in thl
region as Henry described; but at any rat
he will be hunted down tomorrow, for S,on
er was one of the Regulators, and Hinch i
a perfect blood hound He can hardly es
cape him-crazy or not crazy y
This seemed to be the most satisfactor,
solution of The difficulty, and as it was 10
dark for us 10 do any thing that night, we re
sumed our seats 10 discuss over and owe
again these details; while the Squire sen
off messenger summoning Hnch and til
Regulators to be on the ground early in tn
morning
Before sunrise in the morning, -Hineh al
rived with six men. | was walked by h
loud clustering and swearing. He was ra,
ing, as afterwards understood, about Her
ry; calling his story about the meeting vii
,, the remarkable parsonage all humbug--ar
asserting his belief that if murder had bee
!. committed, Henry was its author. Oar no
quoted him in some way, and when we can
out to join them he greeted us with a snar
; ing sort of civilty. He was a thick-se
broad shouldered, burly looking wretch, wi
blood shot eyes, and face bearing all {,
+, marks of rio,ous debauchery. Our scar
was for several hours entirely unsuccessfi
until Henry by accident found the pla
D where he had encountered the Bearded CHIC
as some one christened him. Here one
. the keen-eyed hunters found the traces OF
Il large m0ccasined foot. These were puls
S for several miles and lost, but on spread
! our line and continuing the same genel
course for some distance further, we at |;
+ found indeed the body of Stoner! 1t h
: been so much mutlated by the wolves al
+ ravens that little examination was made
+. the homes We patharod slna1uluIuli