True Democrat. (Paulding, Miss.) 1845-18??, 1846-07-22
MTsCHLLANY.
THE BIBLE LEGEND OF THE WIS
SAHIKEN.
BY GEORGE LIPPARp.

ElRen, on the ddV Oh the Datte, as the
MONDAY sun came shining through the
thickly clustered leaves, that two men met
in deadly combat. They grappled in
fierce conflict near the rock that rose, like
the huge wreck ofsomeprineval world, al
least one hundred feet above the dark wa.
tiers of the WisSahiken.
That man with the dark brow, and the
darker grey eye, flashing with deadly light
with the muscular form, clad in the
blue hunting frock of the revolution is a
continental soldier named Warner. His
brother was murdered the other night at
the massacre of Paoli. The other man
with the long black hair dropping along
| his cadaverous face, is clad in the half
military costume Off tory refugee. That
is the murderer of Paoli named Dabney.
They had met there in the woods by
accident; and now they fought not with
sword or rifle, but with the long and deadly
hunting knives, that flash in the light as
they go turning and twisting over the
green sWard.
At last the tory was down on the green
sward, with the knee Of the continental
upon his breasl--thnt appraised knife fash
inc death into his face. Quarter-I yield!'
gaSped the tory, as the knee was pressing
upon his breast Spare mel yield!
"My brother" SAID the patriot soldier, in
that low tone of deadly hate-"Mv brother
cried for quarter on the night of Paoli, and,
even as he chung to your knees, you struck
that knife into his heart: Oh, Twill give
you the quarter of Paolin
And his hands were raised for the blow,
and his teeth were cenched with deadly
hate. He paused fer moment, and then
pnioned the tory'S arms, and with one
rapid stride dragged him to the verge of
the rock, aud held him quivering over the
abyss.
"Mercy!" gasPcd the tory, turning black
and aShy by turns, rs that awful gull
yawned below; "Mercy! have wife
a child -spare men Then tile continental
with his muscular strength gathered tor
the effort, shook the murderer over the
abyss, and then Missed the bitter sheer
between his teeth
"My brother had wife and two children.
The morning after the night OF PaoIi that
wife was a wdOw-thoSe children were
orphans! Wouldn't you like TO go and.beg
your life Of the widow and chidrenP
The proposal, made by the continental
in the mere mockery ofhate was taken, in
serious earnest by the horror stricken tory
lie begged to be token TO the widow aud
her children, 10 have the pti(nI privilege
of begging his life. After a moments seri-
Gus thought, the patriot soldier consented!
lie bound the toryS arms yet tighter
placed him on the rock again, and then
led him mp the woods A quiet cottage
embosomed among the trees broke on their
eyes.
They entered that cottage There,
beside the desolate hearth store, sat the
widow aud her children. She sat there, a
malronly woman of about thirty years,
with face faded by care, aud long black
hair hanging in diShevelled fake about her
shoulders.
Or one side was a dark haired boy, Of |
some six years; on the other little girl, !
one year younger, with light hair aud blue |
eyes. Tie Blble--an old and venerable |
volume, lays open on that mothers knee. |
And then that pale.faced. tory flung him |
self OH his knees, confessed that he had 4
bulchered her husband on the night Of /
Paoli, but begged his life at her hands!
"Spare me, for the sake of my wife
my child, spare me!'
He had expected that his piiiful moan
would touch the widows heart, but not one
relenring CLEAN soltened her pale face.
FThe Lord shall Judge between us!"
she said in cold icy tone that froze the
murderer's heart. "Lookl that Bible lies
open on my knee. will close that volume,
and then this boy shall open il, aud place
his finger at random upon line, and by
that line you shall live or die"
This was a strange proposal; made in
full faith Of wild aud dark superstition
Of the olden time. For a momeul the tory
there, liVid as ashes, was wrapped IN
thought. Then in a faltering voice, he
signi6ed his consent
Raising her dark eyes to heaven, The
mother prayed the Great Father 10 direct
Ihe finger OF her son.
She closed the bOok-She handed IL 20
hat boy. whose cheekswere reddened with
oathing as he gazed eupon his fathers
He took the Blble-opened ITS
hoy pages az random, and placed his IN
gers npon a verse.
Then there was a silence.
a IA Z