Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-02-15

long blasts of the contendlns elements Fng
out upon the ear like the death-knell 9 a
departed soul. -,
'Now's thy time, calculated the old lag,
his wife. ''go thy way out upon the clfs;
there's death in the wind" Tellogtan
speedily equipped himself, and ascendedthe
steep promontory at the entrance OF the by.
The usual expedient was resorted to, 3d
he soon observed light at sea as if in ~
swer to his signal. His prey seemed tl-
ready in his grasp. The light evidently ap-
preached nearer; and, before an hour hid
elapsed, the white, close-reefed sails of fe
vessel could be dimly discovered through
the darkness, and the appalling cry of pc
seamen at the discovery oftheir danger ds-
tiuctly heard. Signal guns ofdistress wfe
immec lately fired, and the loud commands,
all hands on deck, and about ship, were 7S-
citerated in wild despair. Every exertien
was made to wear the vessel from the shorf;
but the redeeming moment vas past, the
ship was completely embayed and neithet
strength nor skill were of any avail in a.
verting her impending fate. In few mint
utes a tremendous crash, and iiear--FenaI
ing but fruitless cry for help, announced thf
horrid catastrophe; and the last fiashln:
signal-gun revealed for amoment scent
too terrible to be described. The stranded
vessel. hurled repeatedly against the jagged
rocks of the bay, soon parted; the waves
dashed over her shattered hull with relent'
less fury, bearing to the shore the scattered
cargo, broken pieces Of the wreck, and the
tattered rigging; whilst the mingled shrieks
of the drowning, blended with the roar Of
tine conflicting elements, rose upon the ear
like the despairing cries Of an army OF dy.
ing Ttans.
There was one, however, in whose eyes
such a scene was joyous, IN whose ear;
such sounds were melody ; and that being
was Terloggan. He waited impatiently un
til the storm had somewhat abated: ant
when silence began TO indicate that th'
work of death was we'll nigh over, he de
scended the well. known cliffs to dart upoI
his prey. Unmoved by the horrid specta
Gle, (for the moon had broken from TIT
clouds by which she had before been con
cealed) he stood awhile gazing upon th'
scene of desolatior around him, at los
where first to begin his work of rapine.-
But to his surprise and momentary dlsmay
there was yet one living soul on board
who, should he survive, would interpose De
tween him and his hard-earned booty, an'
who was even now loudly supplicating hi
assistance. To dispatch tins unhappy crea
ture in his exhausted and helpless condl
ton, was resolution no sooner formed thai
executed. Whilst he was appearing to ali
his escape from the jaws of death, on
stroke of his hanger laid him livid an
muhlated corpse upon the sands before him
Terloggan then rifed the pockets of his vic
tim, took ring from his finger, and, lade
with the most portable articles of plundeI
retraced his footsteps to his hut.
"What luck ," exclaimed his fend-lk
help-mate, as he crossed the threshold O
the door,
Never better" rejoined Terloggan, point
ing to his booty. He then described tn
success of his hellsh stratagem without e
ven concealing the particulars of the mur
der; after which he displayed some piece
of foreign gold coin, and the ring which h
had taken from the finger Of the stranger.
"Give me the light, Meg said the hoar.
villain. The hag obeyed. But no soone
had he examined the ring, than he recogni
zed its form and certain marks upon it. Hi
countenance changed, and with groan O
agony he quickly handed If to his wife,
She knew too we'll from whose hand it mus
have been taken, and, after glanclng at i
for a moment, yelled out with supernatura
energy "Oh, my son, my poor son ~ ant
tell senSeless at the feet of her husband
Terloggan endeavored to master his feelings
until the fact could be ascertained. He a
rose with the dawn, and fastened to th'
spot where he had left the murdered corpse
Ii was indeed his son. The stroke of retri
button had been complete. Overwhelmed
by despair, and stung by remorse, to which
his heart had ever before been lmpervious
he determined on self-destruction. A few
days afterwards his mangled body was
found among the rocks, and inferred on the
spot where he had perpetrated his last deed
of blood. The chief incidents Of his last
terrible story are narrated IN the neighbor-
hood which was the scene of its hero's man.
fold atrocities. His wretched wife perish
ed few weeks afterwards by the fall ot
her hut, occasioned by one Of those dreadful
storms which she and her savage helpmate
had so frequently invoked.
|