Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1857-11-12
In orr Lady,s ~ Is sI,lI try u

And ssrthsai th S8an searching in
the thicket, foll0o Il Or u tge Greac Hunts
i man and all his retainers, and presently
| he spied the golden hunting hes, CLEAN.
ling amidst tuft of grass; then alittle
further on he picked up the bow; and
| then, after riding considerable distance,
the arrow-both being likewise Of gold
but all of which became visible to the
foresters when in Harold's hand.
i Now blow the born, Sir Harold p
said the Green Huptsman.
I Harold put the horn to his mouth and
blew a loud blast And Immediately a
white fawn with gold collar around his
neck came leaping through the brush
wood, and then ssSSd still, cycling Ha-
rold at the distance Of about twenty pa
ces.
Kill the fawn, Sir Harold /" cried the
lhuntsman.
Nay" said the young man; "why
should / slay the poor tame creature p
Let me STAY vii 1 boars or wolves, and
not such harmless DUaefs.
In mercy to RIA cried the huntsman.
kneeling at bis feewwith all his retainers,
IS III,
or we shall never be released
Then Harold let fly the arrow from the
bow, while he turned away his head, feel
ing reluctant to woand the gentle crea.
ture.
By the time he looked around again,
the fawn had disappeared, and beauti-
full maiden, dressed in white, and wear
ing a gold necklace stood before him, and
thanked him for having released her; but
he looked in vain for the Green Hunts
man and the foresters-they had disap-
peared.
In reply to Harold's look of surprise
and inquiry, the fair stranger told him
that it was punishment for the huntsman's
having formerly when warrior, seized
upon her fathers cystic and murdered all
the inmates exeeBs herself, who had es-
kcaped into the sssds, that the shades OF
himself and FsssErlsrs were doomed to
wander about, eternally chasing though
never catching her, under the form of a
white fawn, which she had been fated to
assume. Their arrows harmed her not,
yet still they continued their shadowy
chase, and were condemned to do so till
some one, free from mortal sin, could find
King Arthur's bow and arrow, and SUM
mon her, with his hunting horn, to re-
ceived the wourd that was to set her
free.
She then led the delighted Harold to
her former castle, buriedsssEamong the
trees that had grown wild around it, and
explained that her domain extended from
the place where the bow had been found,
to that which King Arthur had shot his
arrow, when he irst bestowed the lands
on her father; adding, with bewitching
smile, that the lands and the castle, and
her heart and hand were destined to be.
long to her delivsrer.
And what became of three guilty broth
ers2 Alasl do What they would, they
never could rein III their horses any more
which kept eyerlastingly going the same
weary rsand rand always bringing them
to the withered oak, and paving and
neighing, but never giving them time to
stop and dig for the wished for treasure.
And as they had started one after the
other, so they each performed this horse
lin-mill sort of penance separately, and
never met And there they will gallop
round and round in expiation of their in
tended crime, till the gates of mercy are
opened to them. Nor did Harold ever
learn what became of them, for though he
sought for them all over the world, they
were no longer visible, having entered
into the world Of shadows, or departed
spirits; and as the once withered oak re.
sumed its green leaves, there was nothing
left to indicate fiat one tree as being diff.
ferent from the Others.
4 So the treasure was never found: but
some of the learned in legendary matters
say that the 5slssnre was not meant to
i signify gold and silver buried in the earth
but the better treasure of good con,
science, which he who brought it with
him was sure to find it at the foot Of the
tree; or perhaps the good action which
he was able TO to do by releasing the
souls who were doomed to do penance,
| and which ultifStaly led him to happi-
ness typi6ed 4astaBamsel who under the
disguise of the fawn, and was living re-
morse, which the foresters were canstant
\ ly deserving wherever they roamed, and
4 which they could never kill. But any
WAY, Harold had no cause to regret his
! Journey to the Wood.