Plymouth weekly banner. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1856, 1856-06-12

BY HORACE B. STAMFORD.

In the fall Of l8-, | was travelling
from Ithaca to Buffalo, in the State of
New York, by stage. II was bitter
cold morning when we started out. and
the road was frozen hard. there having
been considerable mud only a few days
before. The first night we put up at
Danville. and on the following morning
when / woke, found that the earth was
not only covered with snow, but that The
snow was then falling fast.
After an early breakfast we started out
on wheels, but at the end of eight miles
we were forced TO take runners, the snow
clogged up so that the wheels would not
run. When night came on we found our.
selves forced to stop at a small village
only twenty miles from where we sat ou,
in the morning.
A good supper was provided at the inn,
and the place bad the appearance Of com.
fort. We had just sat down 10 supper
when the wind began to blow furiously
and we could see, by the dim light with
out, that the snow was being whirIed and
driven in a furious manner. There was
ire in the small sitting. room snd ihith'
er we passengers, six of US. sdjourned.--
We sat there and conversed until near
nine o'clock, and then went out into the
bar-room to smoke a cigar. previous to
retiring.
In tie bar-room found q bright woot
fire burning. and some dozen people were
sitting there. smoking AND drinking
(This Laws.) Several Of the company
judged to be teams,ers; a rough. hardy
good patured set. who were enjoying
themselves hugely over big mug oil flip
Then there were some whom | judged Il
be villsgers--men who lived near the inr
sort Of village politicians and news
mongers who made the bar.room thei
place of social meetings.
/ had Lighted my cigar. and taken ,
seat near the fire, when noticed a buffa
10 skin on the end of the long settee op
posite to where sat. and | was confden
there uas a human being beneath il.
supposed it might be some stable hart
who expected TO be up most of the night
and wos getting little sleep.
was looking at the buffalo robe. snt
thus meditaied. when heard low. deep
death-li groan come up fsom beneath
il, and in few moments more the rob,
was thrown upon the floor. and the maj
who had reposed beneath it came down
upon the top OF it, and there he lay FOL
some moments like dead man. / hsc
just started up. when four of the villng
ers and one of the teamsters hsstenea to
his assistance. They lifted him 10 his
feet, and after considerable effort be man
sged to stand up.
My God! what thrill struck my hear
when / So W that face. 1t was one OF no
BILE features. . high brow and amply de-
| veloped. over which clustered a mass OF
dark glossy ringlets; the face beautifully
proportioned. and each separate feNure
exquisitely cSiseled. But what an ex-
preston rested there now! The great
dark eyes had q vacant idiotic stare; the
face was as pale as death. and the lips
looked dry and parched. His clothes
were torn and soiled. and one Of lis
hands was bloody. He was surely no
more than fivesnd-thirty. and his sp-
resrsnce would at once indicate man of
more than common abilities. But the
Demon had him. and made him into some
thing below the brute.
How dye feel now Georgef asked one
of the men who had gone to his assist.
ance.
But. he only groaned in reply; snd was
soon persuaded TO lie down sgain. being
told ihs' he xoald soon feel better.