Litchfield enquirer., 1856-06-05

over the island were horror, to their demand
of Who goes there p my reply, The Doctor
brought the instant rejoinder An right Go,
in Gods name, doetorv Nay, these very fel-
lows have, on many an occasion, been my guides,
conducting me by ways known only to thesa-
| selves, confident that would never betray
them. To them owe knowledge of passes
| and short cuts through these hills that no man
besides is acquainted with. have often re-
| ceived refreshments from these fierce outcasts
of humanity, when l was ready to faint with
exhaustion more than once have even slept
| all night in their rude huts in the mountains,
feeling the profoundest security in guards who
had the repute of being destitute of all feelings
but the most dabolical. / have attended them
| in their sickness or their wounds, and | have
seen and heard revelations by the deaths-beds
| of robbers and murderers that would draw tears
from a stone. Oh if the world did but know
what glorious faculties and feelings might be
cultivated in youth, in the poorest and most
AFFECT of our population and deformed
reptiles as they afterwards appear to US, yet
in whose heads and hearts God has originally
deposited the precious jewel of great and
capable nature-many man, who has come
hither leprous with crime, and venomous as q
trodden serpent, would have remained at home
to adorn society, and to accelerate its progress
towards higher knowledge and nobler STAN
dard of opinion p
But what was the exception p
This: l had but little to do, and I made
long rambles, devoting those attentions to in
sects which were not required by patients. In
one Of these, entered new township in q re-
mote situation, and stopped for the night at an
inn std but partly furnished. l observed that
my bedroom had no lock, but that was too
common to give me any concern. But, having
deposited in this room when l had gone up, on
entering, to wash my hands, brace of pistols,
and a small morocco case in which l carried
my insects | observed that these articles had
been removed and replaced in q very different
manner. examined the pistols, aud found, to
my surprise, that they had been both unloaded,
and that water had been poured into them.
This gave me strange sensation, and it occur
red to me that my insect case had been sup
posed to contain money, and that there was a
design to rob me. 1t was too late to quit the
house without notice, and without running
greater risk outside than in the room itself. /
carefully wiped dry and reloaded the pistols,
drew with as little noise as possible O heavy
myself down in my clothes, anxiously waiting
for the anticipated attack. 1t came. About
midnight, heard something at the door-force
die had burnt cut but exclaimed, Who's
therer
"Oh are you awaken said mans voice,
which l supposed that of the landlord Il
want to come in for some bedlnen in the draw
ers-a guest has just arrived, and We can't do
without it,
II told him nobody should come in on any
account till morning. The man swore that he
must and would, and proceeded to push vio-
lently at the door. On this started up and
cried, 'Desist or take the consequences
whoever comes in here is dead man ? But
the mainland he was huge brawny fellow
swore dreadful oaths that he would come in
and, as he furiously thrust open the door, /
fired"
"Mcin Colt I" exclaimed the two German
gentlemen, recurring in their excitement to their
native tongue, though they usually spoke Eng
lish like Englishmcn.
"Yes," continued the doctor; "he fell, l
heard groan. / could see nothing, but
heard great running on the stairs, and low,
suppressed ordinations Of horror, and wills
perings. Then all was still, and / remained in
a condition which you may Imagine till morn
ing. No one came near the chamber. At day.
break pushed away the drawers, looked out,
expecting to see frightful stain of blood, but
all was clean-the floor had been carefully
secured
81 descended. There was no one to he
seen but girl, who looked at me with sort
Of stupid wonder. asked what owed, paid
it to her, and walked away. No one appeared
to oppose or to question me. 1t seemed all
like horrible dream. AS assembled the vii.
lage, Q man began tolling bell which hung in
a tree by new wooden chapel asked what
that meant.
ga 1t is the passing-bell, said the man, for
the landlord down yonder, who died suddenly
in the night
1.-THE words struck me like an actual blow
l went OHIO one pursued memo one ever
afterwards spoke or seemed to know Of the az
fair. A short time ago was in that neigh
borhood. The place is become great town !;
new family is in the inn, which is one of extern
sive business. ventured to ask if such ira
dition did not exist !? No one had heard syl-
liable about it."
You had a narrow escape, DOCTOR" said
his wandering friends.
"Ay; and what would now give if had
told that dishonest landlord that had discov-
cred his trick, and that my pistols were once
more loaded. 1t was his conviction that they
were empty which made him secure"
"No doubt of it," replied the professor,
and enabled you to rid the country Of mon