The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1855-07-07

we parted, he to go to his; and have see
nothing of him since. Soon after he lei
me, a deer passed out, shot in, wounded |;
and jumped on my horse to pursue it. Th
deer had staggered at my fire, but was nc
80 badly wounded as I supposed, and led m
off until it suddenly occurred to me that
might get lost, and refined up; but soo
found that this sober second thought ha
come too late, and that | was already out o
my latitude. | wandered about nearly al
day, though taking care not to go very ia
in one direction, bofore | came across any
thing which promised to set me right again
| at last came upon wagon trail, and fel
relieved, for knew it must take me t
some point where could get information.-
The trail was narrow, leading through scrub
by thickets, and was riding along slowly
looking down, in the hope of detecting thu
tracks of some o: your horses, when the vi
olent shying of my horse caused me to rails,
my eyes. And, by George! it was enough
to have 'stampeded' a whole regiment o
horses! On the left of the trail stood very
tall skeleton-like figure, dressed in skins
one foot advanced as if he had stopped in the
act of stepping across it, and long heavy
gun, just swinging down to the level, bear.
ing on me. Of course, my heart leaped into
my throat, and my flesh shrunk and crept.-
Before could think of raising my gun, my
p, met those of this strange figure; and
such eyes! Surprise at their cold, unnatu-
raj expressions, suspenced my action; burn
Ing with chill, singular brillancy, in deep
sunken socket, they looked as if they nev-
er had winked. Dwelling steadily upon my
face for moment, they seemed to be salts
tied, and the gun was slowly thrown back
upon his shoulders; and plucking u long
grisly beard with an impatient gesture of his
bony hands, the figure made stride across
the trail, and without speaking word
plunged into the thicket. | was so con-
found by this curious dumb show, that he
was nearly concealed in the bush before |
found tongue to shout to him to stop; but he
kept on, not even turning his head. | was
provoked, and spurred my horse in after him
as far as could penetrate, but he kept on,
and lost sight of him in moment, and
whether he can talk at all or not, is more
than can tell"
"Did you look at his feet, Henry"
terrupted one of the party. 81 expect it was
Old
"Never mind what you eXpect-hear me
out" he continued. 81 followed the tral
turned, it seemed to me, towards all the
points of the compass, for an hour or more;
when at last it led me into prairie which
thought | recognized. | stopped, and was
looking arounI to make out the landmarks.
when horse with saddle on burst from
the woods behind me, and tore off across the
prairie as if he had seen the devil"
"What color was he!" exclaimed haf-a.
dozen voices in breath.
HE was too far off to distinguish more
than that he was dark horse--say about
as much so as mine. could distinguish
the pummel of the saddle and the stirrups
flying. .,
"Stoner's horse was a dark bay" was
buzzed around the table in low tones every
one looking seriously into his neighbours
face.
"Yes," said the Squire, rising and step
ping uneasily to the window. "Stoner's
horse was good deal like yours; he must
have got away from him, and that is what
ietains him. But then the nag was very
kind creature, and well trained. wonder
it should have behaved SOL"
"Don't believe 'bay' would have done it,
Squire" said one of the men. "Some-
things gone wrong, think. Was the bri-
die down Mr.. Henryl"
'It was too far off for me to tell fol-
lowed in the direction the horse took, and
soon found myself here, and expected to find
It here tool" #
"No! Stoner's is beyond here" said the
Squire. "That wagon trail you were turn
ing and twisting about in, is road had
opened to number of beard trees we cut
and rived out herej you might have follow
ed it for hours and not been more than
mile or so from the place you started from.
That ghost Of yours. by the way, may be
some crazy fellow, who has wandered off
nto these parts with mischief in him. Did
you hear no gun?" ..
81 thought l did--about an hour after
parting with that man, or devil or what
aver he was-but the sound was SO faint
Ind distant, that for fear l might be
l did not 60 to it; and the road
had turned SO frequently, could not tell
whether it was in the direction he went
off or not"
Here the driver interposed saying that
ne had heard rife about that time on the
light, but supposing it to be Henry or Ston.
sr, he thought nothing of it. And half
laughing discussion followed as to the
probable character of the wood ghost Hen
y had reported of-some asserting that he
was quizzing us--for these men were too
much accustomed to the exigences of
hunters life to oe for more than moment
seriously affected by the circumstances of