Plymouth banner. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1852-1855, 1854-08-17
We will now follow the sheriff and his

COuIu urge. ana leu on Dy AShicIp WIN
was burning with impa,ience to reach
the abode of his perilous mistress before
forever too late. kept several rods in ad-
vance, calling loudly and repeatedly to
the rest to come on.--they had not gone
half their distance before their horses
now reeking with sweat and covered with
sheets Of foam, began to manifest grea:
distress and show evident signs of Civ
ing out. unless speedily suffered to relax.
Hold! hold up! Ashley exclaimed
Mundle. this will never dove gain no.
thing by it. With this speed. and such
sitting heat as this. two miles more and
our horses drop dead under us. And
yours will be the first TO fail. see! how he
already faltersp A moments considera-
tion convinced Ashley Of the justice OF
the sherifs remarks, and they all imme-
diately relaxed into moderate trot. II
had been throughout, as before remarked.
a day Of unusual heat and sultriness.- -
And now. although the sun had been for
some hours obscured by deep haze
slowly gathering over it. the heat vas
painfully oppressive. The atmosphere
indeed seemed every moment TO gro "
more murky end suffocating. Not a leaf.
even of the ever trembling aspen. res.
ponded to a single vibration Of the dead
ened air, while the birds sat painting. list
less aud mute on boughs. scarcely NOV
ing at the nearest approach CT man.
And all nnture seemed sunk into one Of
i.fh he
warmer latiludes, Of the coming tempest.
Nor. in the present instance were the
more palpable indications Of thunder
storm much longer wanting. Every mo.
ment darker and broader sheets Of vapor
rose up majestically from the west. cast
ing deeper and more lurid shade over
the earth; and soon, long deep peals Of
muttering thunder came booming on the
ear. increasing each instant in loudness
and frequency. The company. now be-
ginning to be observant Of the approach.
ing shower, soon came 10 the top of q
high knoll which gave them. over the
lop OF the intervening forest an open and
unobstructed view of the western hori
zon. One broad. black mass Of upheav-
ing clouds lay directly in front. extend
ing round on either side TO the north and
south as far as the eye could reach; while
in the centre of this fearful rack huge
column OF vapor. doubling and eddying
like seething caldron, was rolling up
with the blackness and rapidity of the
smoke Of burning pitch.
Heaven epd on rfbf' "a; Mn,JIa
glancing at the scene before him, in ff-
teen minutes that terrific cloud will burst
upon us in all the fury of toInado-it
is but two miles now-our horses will
stand il in the freshning breeze--let us
clear the woods at least before the tenn
pest strikes u.s. And they again applied
whip and spur aud put their horses upon
keen run.
Leaving them here to get on as they
may, we must now return to our long
neglected heroine to recount the occur
renee of the day at Martins. Slowly TO
her passed the anxious day, which was
destined to be the last of her ever being
known by the name of May Martini
The forenoon was mostly occupied in
making such scanty preparations as Mrs.
Martin chose 10 direct for the reception
OF the company at the expected ceremo-
ny In the evening. In all these May as
sisted with a sort Of unnatural alacrity,
but with as great degree Of composure
as her troubled feelings would permit her
to assume. AS noon approached she ex-
pected every moment TO hear the tramp
ling of horses at the door as the fruits of
the message, which she supposed mus.
have been delivered hours before. But
noon and afternoon came, and still no IT,
dings from the village were heard; no
signs Of either messenger O. the success
of his message were discoverable. Often
and vainly did she strain her aching sight
towards the woods in the direction from
whence she expected succor was to ap-
pear to catch glimpse Of approaching
| horsemen. One o'clock, two, and three
passed and still they came not. Perhaps
they might have beer led BY David round
in the woods to the cave without coming
into the clearing; perhaps Cow was al
ready secured and on his way back to the
village; and the thought. this hope -gras-
ped thought for while relieved her,
But even this faint gleam of consolation
soon vanquiShed BY the appearance OF
Cow himself. come to dress and prepare
for the ceremony. With q hint from
Mrs. Martin that it was time she began
to dress herself for the company. May
now retired to her room. aud carefully
fastening the door. flung herself on heI
bed in al agony Of grief and despair
But impelled by the painful conscien-
tiousness that the crisis was at hand when
she must yield to her fate or do some
thing to avert it, and now fast relinquish-
ing all hope in the success of the plan
on which she had been relying for her ex
trication. she soon reused herself and
summoned all her energies for deciding
what course to pursue in the fearful
emergency. Could she trust herself to
carry into effect one of the alternatives
she had resolved on in the failure of Cows
arrest, that of denouncing him and resis-
ting the proceeding of the ceremony?--
Could she command her feelings sufIicien,
to do this; should she no. be overawed
by Martin and his wife; and even should
she make the attempt. would her story
gain cEedence, after keeping SO long silen,
i -. bo ~ ,l;Io -