St. Mary's beacon., 1854-04-20
MIS- CELLANE ECU 8
THE STORY OF RIP VAN wINKLE
BEING = PosTHUNoUs WRITING or

CONCLUDED FROM THE FIRST PAos.)
storms which often take place in moun.
tain heights, he proceeded. PASSING
through tie gravines they came to aaIsol.
low, like o small amphitheatre, surround
ed by perpendicular Precipices, over
The bFinkssas which Impending trees shot
their Breaches, SD that you only caught
glfinpses of the azure sky and the bright
eReaiag cloud. During the whole time
Rip and his companion had iahored on in
silence, for though the former marveled
greatly what could be the object of car
rying keg Of liquer up this wild mour-
tam, yet there was something strange
and incompFehensible about the unknown
that inspired awe and checked familiari-
~. On entering the amphitheat-e, new
objects of wonder presented themselves.
On level spot in the center was CON-
pany Of odd-looking personages playing
at nfnepins. They were dressed in 4
quaint outlandish fashion; some wore
short doublets. others jenkins. with long
knives in their belts, and most Of them
had enormous breaches, Of similar styIe
with That 81 The guides Their yisages,
6 ss Isre: I'd sI7'aif piggisIl Tyes--the
face of another seemed to consist entire
" If nose, md was surn1ounted by a
white sugar-Ioaf hat. 80 of with . little
red cock tail. They all had boards, Of
various shapes and coIors. There was
one who seemed Ito be the commander.
lie was a stout old gentleman, with
weather-beaten countenance; he wore a
laced doublet broad belt and hanger,
high crowned hat and feather, red stock
ings, and high heeled shoes, with roses
in them. The whole group reminded
Rip of the Fl g,fres in an old Flemish paint
ing, in the parlor of Dominic Van Shaick,
the village parson, and which had been
brought over from Holland at re time OF
the settlemSa.. What seemed particu-
larly odd to Rip was, that though these
folks werk evidently amusing themselves,
vet maintained the gravest faces,
the most mysterious silence, and were,
wi.haE the most melancholy party of
pleasure he had ever witnessed. Moth
uninterrupted The stiffness of the scene
but the noise Of The balls, which, when
ever they were rolled, echoed along the
mountains like rumbling peals of thunder.
As Rip and his companion approached
them, they suddenly deSisted from their
play, and stared at him with such fixed
statue-like gaze, and such strange, un-
couth, lack-luster countenances, that his
heart turned within him. and his knees
smo,e together. His companion now
emitted the contents of the key into
large flagons, and made signs to him to
wait upon the company. lie a5eyed
with fear and trembling; they quslfed
the liqaor in profound silence, and then
returned to their game. BY degrees
Rips awe and apprehension subsidized.
He even venturcd, when no eye was
enpon him, to taste the beverage.
go Il he found had much the flavor of
excellent Hollands. lie was naturally
thirsty soul, and was soon tempted to re-
neat the draught. One provoked anoth-
or. and he reiterated has visits to the ia
.,nn an often that his senses were over
lowered, his eyes swan in his head, his
heal declined, and he fell int deep
sleep. =. :. =,
green knoll from whence he had first
seen the old man of the glen. He
rubt,ed his eyes-.it was bright sunny
morning. The birds were hopping and
twittering among the bushes, aud the ca
Gle was wheeling aloft and breaking the
pure mountain breeze. Surely,
thonoht Rip, II have not slept here all
nioht." He recalled the occurrences be-
fore he fell asleep. The strange man
with a keg Of liquor-the mountain RAJ
vine-the wild retreat among the rocks
the wabegore party at ninepines-the
flaoon. @Oh t.iat lagon that wicked
flagon!' thought Rip; "what excuse shall
make to Dame Van Wrinkle"
He looked around for his gun, but il
Mace Of clean, weIl-oiled fowling-piece,
he found an old fire-lock lying by him,
the barrel ercrusted with rust, the lock
fallen of, and the stock worm eaten
He now suspected the grave roy STEERS
OF the mountains had put q trick upon
him. and having dosed him with liquor
had robbed him Of his gun. Wolf, too
had disappeared, but he might have
straved AWAY after . squirrel or part
r;dge. He whistled after him, ant
.hsnted his name, but al IN vain tn
echoes repested his whistle and shout
h,,s no dog was to be seen. lie deter
D,ned 10 revisit the scene of the last
vening's gambol, and If he met with an
If The party, to demand his dog and gu!
A. he rose 10 walk he found himself sti
N the Joints, aud wanting IN ms usual %
.;,;tv "These mountain BEDS do not
~r,.e with me, !" thought Rip; "and II tn
frol;c should lay me up with ut q %
rheumatism, Ishall have . blessed um
Nth Dame Van Winkle." Sssh som
S;tScalsy he got into the gsen-he ioun
the gully up which he and hls comPa
-; ION had aseended the preceding even, .nI
Snt s ia. to his establishment m !. ,Ha.
us.s. : Us now foaming down it, ieal
y; MR. iro9s rock to rock, and filing Ia t u
10 - habbltne murmurs. Tie, nov