Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-04-25
Az black Jumbo and his rider neored wooa

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blotted from the sky, which became shrouded IN
Il dark mpervious mass nf clouds, and thc rain
descended IN continuous deluge--whilst the
wind which had hitherto made ltsel, heard in
dtful moanings, nov came on in freqncut and
fearful gusts, making the huge and firn set for
est trees reel and staegcr like drnnkards: the
creaking of their bending trunks. and the crash.
ing asunder Of their violently crHmiugled
branebes, aad the,hnarse fnotterings Of he vel
distant t6da6let, formed an astounding conce,t
Of awe Inspiring sounds. The i'll fa,ed horse
md bis rider were soon wet to he bones. and
bewildered IN ihpenetfable nbscuriiy, fnr he-
tween the natural gloom Of the ihisls and len.
'tRngfef fofeSt and the pitchy darkness Of the
night, it was impossible to see three plces be.
fore them. To stop would have been madness
md as returning was beset with AZ many diff.
culiics and dangers as going forward, the nalu.
raj desire Of accomplishing that which had M
dertaken urged ne TO advance. Poor Jnnbo
seemed u have made up his mind to the same
resolution as he dashed on with headlong speed |
through the tortuous and dubms path, without
the aid of either voice, hand, or heel and with
no light to guide him but thnt of his own in.
stinct
But the measure Of our msfurtuncs was moi
yet full, for as We rapdly travcrs"d the thirkest
part Of the forest, doubting, darklng, and dip
ping from every pore with rain and pnrspraion.
the hurricane came On in all it, devastating
frenzy, sweeping With resi-,ess fury through
the forest and bending with tremendous force
the tops of the tullesi and toughest trees almost
to the earth ont Of which they grew. The tun.
der, which in the meanwhile had been apprnach.
ing, now burst in astounding pecs aver their
heads. waking up all the echocs OF the iesnuni-
Ing forest, soaring the srrifed birds from their
nests; which with bewlhered fight fluttered
athwart the crashing branches of the trees
whilst the other wild inmates of tn, forest, atar
tied from their laIrs and hidWg places, were
hnrrying to and fro in terror and conflsion.-
The profound obscurity that. prevailed was at
intervals Of twn or three minutes broken by the
most vivid flashes Of lightning, which illnminat
ed although for an almost inappreciable space
Of time, every glade and hole Of the forest, rem
dering distinctly visible by its vid and awf0I
brliancy the mlnutest object
The dire concord, or rather di1cord, Of sights
and sounds that t)ok place on these rapidly
leeting occasions was of the most extraoldina
ry appalling, yet ludicrous, description. The
instant the lightning fl ished and exposed to
view the numberes5 monkeys sqnatted upon the
trees the owLi vumpire bats, and other obscene
.-.--s- --. ~ i''- "rn''v rft-S--t'e
viper5 twinco around their trunks, or creeping
about their roots; and the wild anntls hurry
ing to and fro on the ground at that instant,
repeat, horrd essemblngc of sounds, composed
of the hideous gibberings and sqeakngs of tn"
monkeys accompanied by the most udlcrous
griinaces aul contortions, the hootngS OF the
owls, the shrlcks ofthe vampire bats the Kissing
lof the sarpcnt,, aud the cries aud howing5 of
of the other wild animals, bust upon the startl
ed ear, and surpassed, to the horror and hide,
BUSINESS of its ensemble, all the discordlncy anl
terror of sound imagined by poets Of the most
heated imagination, in their descriptions OF the
monsters of this world. or the demons of the
other.
This appalling combination Of sounds and
und sights, thus momcntarily heard and seen by
the blue and lIrd glare Of the lightning, and
accompanied by the fierce believing Of the
thunder, gave shock similar 10 that which the
mind might be supposed to feel if the awful
veil that hides the shad0wy terrors of the other
world had been drawn aside, and the approach
to the eterna aboles of misery and pain DIS
closed for an instant TO the Mortified gaze Of
mortal vision.
Some such terrific idea WAS running in poor
Jnnbo's head as well al in mine, to judge by
the reckless anI excessive speel with which he
plunged forward through storm and darkess as
if lie feared that the fate of Tam O'Shaners
good mare MrggIe pursued him, and that, like
hers, his tail would become the forfeit it he tar
ried longer IN the forest. Every fash of the
lightning seemed to smite him like the cut of a
whip and bounded forward like desperately
urged race horse ns he nears the winning post.
Though as anxious as himself not to inger on
the way, was at length obliged to make use Of
my utmost strength to check hA terror winged
speed, or he would inevitably have burst his
heart and fallen dead with ovcrstaned eAeron
We at length, to our mutual satisfaction, emcr.
ged from this scene Of hprrors--and though
being now ont of the wood, was Justified by
the proverb 10 whistle" yet felt not the least
inclination at tnat moment to indulge in that OF
any other musical effort.
Ard though clear Of the wool, neither ouI
dangers nor difficulties were Vt end. The rain
was still rushing down as if the flood gntcs o
heaven were opened, the wind blowing as If II
wound blow its last, the thunder discharging it,
heaviest artillery and the lightning cutting VI
the dark mast Of clouds with, if possible increas
ed speed and brilIancy.
Between us and the estate were two rivers t.
cross, which, though offering under ordinary cir
cumstances no great obstacles, now presented
formidable appearance, being swclled to the
r overlooking Of their hanks by the heavy
| long continued dtluge of rain. However
it was no time to walt like the rustic ot Horace
in patle.t expectation on tho bank, till the deeI
, and tulb'd stream had run itself clear end shal
, low 80 we dashed in; and Jumbo SOON losing
, his footing we were both swept down the stean
/ a considerable distance, making however, thanks
4 10 the instinct of the horse, and some presenct
8 Of mind on my part-oblique way, until foot
ing was gained OH the other side. Poor Jumbu
! somewhat invigonted and cnIivened by the col,
3 bath he had 81 unwilnglY taken, shook his tai
c at the water kelpies, and almost gaily mounte,
1.-The bank.