Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-08-19
eyes. yes,' cried several.

man {"
"Most true! Let US seek him. The fool
shall die"
Acting upon this blind and savage conclusion,
with wild hootingS the fierce crowd ran INTO
the forest, where stood a sort OF hut, which had
been fashioned by the hands OF PcSky himself,
of branches torn by the storms from the trees,
and placed across deep opening in rock. 1t
was gloomy den for the dwelling of human
being, but the idiots cunning had made it i'm
peryious to the weather, and to him 1t was
palace.
Though his unpleasant tricks and grimaccs,
petty thefts and sometimes terocious temper
made him an aversion TO the people OF hiava,
he obtained sufficient tritling empoyments from
them to gain him apparel and subsistence, and
his little delinQuencics were generally overlook
cd but now, the uncommon atrocty OF inurder
had been pcrpe,ratcd, and the peasants sought
him, with no merciful spirit.
..rhis is the den of the dog t.:cy shouted,
surrounding it. Enter, somc and seize him."
Several entered the place. dmly illunincd by
a fir torch, but it appeared TO be empty and
they issued forth disappointed, when TIE sudden
barking of q dog was heard within, and the low
voice OF a man, bidding him down and be quiet
"IIe is thcre-that is his voiccn' Re-enter
ing instantly they found the object Ct their
search, nestled high up in tissure of tile rock,
and halccoycrcd with dead leaves-thc head OF
his dog, with glitterins eyes, peerins out by his
side.
sMercy, mercr! I didn't kill him !" cxclaiin-
ed the terrified Pesky, coming down at thcir
bidding and passvcly submitting TO their rough
clutch as they bore him forth from his sylvan
hiding place.
"Wretch p exclaimed his captors, with tor
rent of imprecatons, as they dragged the shrink
ing wretch to the spot where the corpse OF the
old man still lay; chow else did you know
that hc had been slain? Answer quickly, for
your own time on Garth is shortm
.I saw him dead before the moon wancd,"
said Peskv, his trembling, cmaciated frame and
cadaverous countenancc looking the very picture
of guilty horror Then ] ran to the woods
for fear"
"For fear OF what, villain ?" said his captors,
now loathing his uncouth appearance more than
ever and shaking rudely, while he stared ap-
palled at the boly before him, and his faithful
dog looked ptecualy up and whlncd in sympa-
thy
:sFor fear-for fear that-you would Kill me,
too"
"Had You been innocent, fool, you would
have felt no fear. You know-coneSs 1t! that
you killed him to rob him."
go, no, no." faltered Pc>ky. II know
have theved before but little things, only lit
tie things and only from children or women
creatures and not much, not much! But /
| never stole from man."
&; If you didn't, it was because yor had sense
enough to know that man would knock your
brains out, if you had any-miserable! And
now what have you done? Look murdered
the helpless old man."
The speaker seized tic wrist Of the IDIOT and
pointed the hand towards the body.
"What's this" lie suddenly askel noticing
upon the extended hand Of Pesky, silver ring,
ornamcnted with a cross. "Where did YOU
get that, thlct"
Gle gave it to me. It's mine, it's mine!
lie gave it to me, don't take it " screamed Pes
ky, struggling Intellectually to retain the ring
whicl, was taken from his finger. :" lie gave 1t
to me for some crusts of bread and told Inc 10
worship it-and did, it is So pretty"
;Liar!7 shouted the exa<perated mob, at tins
evidence of guilt and hypocrisy. i" You have
not wit enough to conceal your crime Ih!S
proves you to he guilty. y rope-a rope! Let's
drag him to be shrivcd and then we'll stone
| him TO DEATH
A rope was brought and nooscd about his
neck wLile he plead for life, upon his knees: the
big tears coursing down his hagggard lace, and
| his gaunt dor, true to him III his dire cmergen-
cy, licking them attectionatcly oil.
80, let inc have life, it isn't much, but let
me have it. 1t will do no hurt to you"
':It has done, already, lniscrcant"
"But didn't kill him. And if did, he Is
gone, now, and killing Inc will not bring him
back. And then he was an old man, and not
much lie in him. He would have died soon.
o, let me live If not forme, for my poor dog,
Dosl;y. Who will take care of DoSky when
am dead? No one to give him bone"
And yearning towards his dog, which was
the only thing on earth that loved him, Pesky,
though the rope was round his own neck, clung
to that OF his dog, and fondly bowed his head
upon him.
"lIc will want no more boncs lie shall
worry our sheep and cattle no more. You snail
die togcthcr!" was the harsh rctort; ''for have
you not, worthless, brought the curse upon us
Thou more ticnd than fool Tic saints will
make lis pay the penalty Of Your SIM"
But with what eloqucncc his shattered brain
was master ot the IDIOT with claspcu hands,
still implorcd for liIc.
BAT it. is bright to I've, o, lei me- Pleas
| AL IT. Walk III lile lOFSSl. anu s'ccP ~ wv
streams, and feed tic birds with berries. Let
me. let me! will never come from the woods
again to plague you. You shall never sec 'mc
more Give me the beautiful ring HOW, and
let rie so-and my dog, Doskr. We will hide
lar, far among the woods, and never fear the
wolves; and live on the things that grow in the
ground: and be Happy with the sun and tic
clouds and the trccs-mercy, mcrcy"
y I
their ccmcncy, and had so moved item by his
itryoi' that i;,r Il few moments they let 90 tic
rope by which they held him and with tic
last words he suddenly bounded from their
midst, under the impulse Of a moEirntary kure
to escape, and Do>hy gave a joyful balk-bat
llc was Immediately rc-capturcd. and a he felt
the rope once more tightly pulled he fell faint
Ing with despair, by tho side Of the murdered
man.
"pity he should die without being slrieved,
even though lie is Il witlcs,r' said some "Ict
lis away to the priests. 10 Eandcli,s we will
bear thcm!"
So saying, they formed vat!e lttcrs of L.anclr-
eS and the CORPSE and the idiot were carried
away and !ail down in front OF the cottage Of
klander.
"You arc the just man save Inc p was the
piercing cry of Tie prisoner, as dartins from the
litter, the halter still about his bonv neck, he
fell at the feet Of tie advancing form of the
priest
"What is it you would 90 with him. nv
children 2" inquired klandcr, looking compass
Sionatc)v urnu tic wretch who clnu, fo his