The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1856-12-18

"0ne day-I remember it as well as tho twas yes
terday--I came back from over the river and found
no one in the cabin. felt uneasy and lonesome
where we used to hitch our boats. As got near,
| heard voices, and knew that the stranger and
Mary Williams were there. They were talking low,
but prairie on fire in gale wasn't nothn' to what
went on in my breast. shut my hand on my rife
till it seemed that the barrel would give way But
was cool, awfully coe and began to creep nearer.
l didn't want to eavesdrop but I was determined
that the stranger shouldn't come any of his fassy-
nations over Mary Williams, if | could help it,
They stood upon the bank, and he seemed to be
trying to coax her to go into his boat and she kind
o half hesitatin' like, as if afraid. knowed she
was charmed Some would laugh but no critter
ever had such eyes and such voice, who could not
charm. Nv seen birds charmed by rattlesnakes, and
| know that sum men, cuss 'em, have the same ma
tur. Well as was saying, Mary was charmedand
stood trembling, her mouth partly open, and her
face as pale as ashes. She would lean towards the
stranger at times and then sway back again and he
all the time watching her with his glittering eyes
and talking low to her. As he stepped into the
boat, and held out his hand, Mary burst right out
crying, and slowly followed him. 1t was now quite
duskiSh, but the strangers eyes as true as am
living man. gowed just like Goals of fire. A cold
sweat stood all over my forhead, and grew faint
for mint jumped down the bank, right afore
the stranger, and dropped my eye along old Mort,
(thats my rife) and yelled at him to stop He had
just swung out from the bank and as yelled, Mary
put up her arms like one in a nightmare, and cried
for help. The strangers eyes fairly burned, but
my blood was up, and didn't care what did. !
fired"
There was breathess silence around the camp
fire as the Trapper here ceased his tale for mo-
ment, and looked into vacancy. He continued:
Heavens and arth All the Internal devils in
the pit could not have put up such yell as
heard it was enough to drive one mad And
though don't like to tell it, | was scared and my
hair stood right square up, in spite of all Icould DO
know 'twan't human voice. amt afraid of any
human critter. It was the scream of some damned
one, and was as near the howl of wolf as any,
thing, only enough more frghtful Mary fell faint
iTrt sfream in with that damnable howl ringing in my
ears. | hear it now !"
| We all started and lookel out into the darkness
| but it was not there that the TrHpper heard the
soupd After amoment, he resumed 4:
.Mary was never like her old self agairl--never'
sho Lind q mined. and seemed to be dreaming. She
was kinder to me than ever, but would sometimes
seem to forget everything around her and then she
would look at something just as she did at the
STRANGER ON the rivcr-bank 1t cut me hard, for
! knew the spell was on her yet One evening
found her standing where the strangers boat lei
the shore, her hands locked as they were then ant
= he leaning out over the water. When spoke Il
. her she started and commenced sobbing like
s child was in trouble, | tell you, and so wa
Jed
4 "Narv was used TO hunters fare and used to
&c with us on trips for we burst not leave her aol
in the cabin. One time, we'd been up nigh upo
Nd a hundred miles up the river, and at night eampe
l. under a bluff by an Indian trial 1t was Just sue
Mt night as this only it rained Ike suds all the tn
in and such thunder and lightning never see ltw
al mighty. The rocks kept off the wind, but the ire
If fell around us, and towards midnight the hghtm
se struck an old dry pine and its blaze went clean
es, to the sky.
hv 81 After while Mary began to grow unea
at Her face was pale, and she would start as thou
on. she heard something, and look steady towards
uu- river. She looked just as she did the night lou
ing her with the stranger.
vcr A bigger clap o thunder than ever come ri
4 a down where we stood, and then heard the dlI
and oars in the water--as plain as hear that fre
,ol, then voice called low, from the bank, Mary
os at was the strangers Jumped for my rifle
owe before could find it, Mary started like lni
one ened deer for the river, and and Jed after he
s. well as we could in the dark. With a cry XII
like sobbing like, Mary jumped into boat, and us
,t of lightning made all as plain day. there stood
life stranger his eyes shining, and that same int
his smile on his face. knew right where he was
Yhoe in jif pulled away at him. Louder than
storm, and thousand times more awful that
md 7 veil rang through the woods, and was ansV
r and back from over the river IL soulueu nN0
used devil laughing and yelling, and then away dow
like stream there was wall like ehlds growing
have or and fainter, and we heard it no more. Jed
,obip, liams and both called for Mary, long time
listeu- No answer. We took our boat and went u
from down, but could not see or hear anything
Il into looked for trail on the opposlte oanA' ou'
nothing but wolf trail As Jed stepped on
CHATS there was an awful swapping anu s"afi"s -
e was howls and as live they pitched into him
,me as gave one quick call for help and then hear
,os the strangers yell, and in the blaze of fash OF
seemed ming, as plain as now see that fire. there
ed at monstrous great wolf as black as jet but h
lime he was the Strangers made lunge at hlr
,y crit my knife, and knew no niore' A.,
pt right The sweat stood III srea' uiop0 up01 w e-e
of the pers brow at this part OIL hiS s'o'!, "nu
ous. ed that his fingers shut cOnvulsively upon
his cab barrel.
wasn't laid there till morning continued the
70 SAW acold and drenched in the storm. 1t all