The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-11-13
Ifrss Ths li.as jsuuHal.
TALES OF THE SOUTH.
~ s SOUTHERN MAN,
FREAluXrnoS

~ we year lh@D, when The present STATE
" alabama was comparative Nildrrnrss.
krnu'mAn ny the name Of Saunders cam,
nom a ncighboring state Ito ons of its .,,.t
gu counties In qusst Of place uf settl, me-, &
lie Was Well-drsssed aud welt mounted, suf
travelled alone
~ lhp close ~ fatiguing DAYS ride. D.,
Nnppel az House Of entertainment which
was me nucleus Or central poin( of n suy .
HhnB' haekwoods village, containing son,e a Il.
'een or twenty inhabitants. The h0st Vas q,
g'm' spur-'iaaRed man, With small, siniatl 70
""hlng eVes' which twinkltl like burni &,
! polnls between the heavy fringe Of the pr,t.,.
ineni eyebrows, The tavern buildings sgr,,-
4 80 20 have boen len IN on unfinished cnndl-
non by lhe HoEkmen, aud looked tui1utT, ur,si
"Ili Iof want OF paint aud repairs
'h shleung the bAHTnom, which was a
eHgl' halI-lighted apartment, Mr. Snundcrs
lpuhd lew men, very ordinary in both drcs,
anu appearance, retailing 10 each other the
k"eN'P mld new' Of the neighborhood. lie
sna''u nnhhel ln lheir midst, and awaited In
thrhet the announcement Of Aupper
Amer eatiug hearty meal, feeling both
iatlBned md dfoWly, be requested 10 1r c,.,.
aaetrd % his room, The landlord, tai inc 4
lamp IN one hand and the saddle baes of il.c
traveller ~ the other, went out OF The b,r.
room, inio tho yard, requesting Mr. Saundor.
10 follow him.
~ the eAttci6e end o. tho tLy.rn.buildip..
'hey assembled Eight Of rude steps 10 an t,5,-
Pei story Enirnng u narrow, dark passnpe,
Mf' saunders was shown into small l.,-
eohloliuple room, furnished with bed, or,
en"lf' and small table. The landlord plse-
td ine lamp on the table, bade his Rur,l
good night and retired.
~ the door Of the room was without
Ioek or fastening Of any sort, Mr.. Saunder.
7 necd the table and chair agAiu.t il. blew o,,,
me hghl. aud lay down. Overcome with a.
lgur hld drowsiness, he soon fell aslrep. b,t
iIn"N' Immediately aWokc quiverug in cyor,
inh' end ~ state Of extreme mental pcf.
'"p",l9n, Iie had dreamed vivid and
most irightial dream.
In his vision, hc saw man, grim and d,rl
'seending the outer stcps to ih,, ,ss,asc v L,rr,
td To his room, He bore a long glittcrir,,
'hile ~ hls hnUd, htd came up the stvps viii
,low nnd sileni tread. AT siuht uf hin,
sehhB oi npprehensiun--a prescntiment tl,t
lanScr was uigh-elme over the dream,
ic spranR out uf bed, opened his dor. NH
Topped out Into the passage Opposilc to
IN room ne eaN another door, through which
' iei' impcllrd 10 seek an escape Openin,.
!, nc saw hole in the middle Of the noor,
yer which the timbcrs of bedstp.J w.
Ntendcd, the ehm hanging down 10 ~,
"or beneath. As he was in the act of ,ri
" this 10 lee himself down, hc awoLe nnJ
'hHd that II was all dream. He WAS ,tiII
J ocu' ana The chair aud table remained Ia
le position he had p'ac ID them against the
DOR. 80
A'ter revolving the dream ia his mind for
icw moments, his nerves became au,et. mud
again iell asleep, dreamed the identical
Ir"ni over aud awokc, as before, trembling
nd utirightcd.
lie got out OF bed removed the chair and
t1
nat he had failed to observe before. Thai
ere -WaS anoth~S. door, close shut, oppo,itr
has room. The full moon had risen .,,I
up the passage aud upper rooms of The
u, winch we're without shutters, with Tho
@Hlr's sJ'ltFn 'busG I1ni 6is nufu. II now
de open, and displayed 10 the eyes of the
~ startled traveller the very objects and
rangement he had seen in his dream. In
g middle Of the room there was large
lie, made by the removal Of short pieces Of
ank noross il lay the uncorded timbers Of
bedstead, from which depended stout rope,
At reached almost TO the floor Of the ruanl
iUw.
Thoroughly alarmed by this literal and ut
r,y unexplained vcrifcation of his dream,
=. Saunders returned 10 his own room,
rssed himself in great haste, and with his
ddlr bags thrown over his arm, stepped out
'on the platform at the head of the stair
cps. His intention was 10 leave the tavern,
ID, if possible, get lodgings for the night,
a respectable looking house he had passed
the outskirts of the village. The pext
urung he could send for his horse and pay
8 bih by messenger, and thus avoid ex-
anstions which might prove unpleasant
,th To the landlord and himself
I hs shadow of n large tree, which stood
" yards distant from the end Of the build
& fell upon the platform,and nearly half Of
e stair steps A brilliant moonlight rested
the yard and all other objects on that
lie of he tavern.
Just as Mr.. Saunders stepped out on the
atform, he saw a man come round the cor
n Of tho house, and walk in the direction
the steps. He held large butchers
life in his right hand. and looked wistfully
ound him as he advanced. AS soon US he
me to the bottom step, he began to ascend
le stairs with a slow and silent tread. In
>pearance, movement aud weapon, he
IS the e1hct Counterpart of the image
.en by Mr.. Saunders in his dream.
What was the traveller to do, unarmed as
c was, to cscap, the menacing peril? Ho
IL glued TO the spot upon which he stood by
lie very imininenee Of the. danger which APP
nrently confronted him. To leap from the,
latform 10 the earth would emperil both lie
nd limb. A face to face encounter with an
rmed man could ouly end in his being deS-
erately wounded or immediately killed.
or was there even time to escape through
le room with the hole in its floor, for the
esperndo had already mounted to the high
st illuminated step. and was only few feet
istant from Mr.. Saunders.
Summoning all the resolution he could
ommand, he cried out, "Who comes there ?"
Startled by the voice, the man threw up
is face, and Mr.. Saunders at once recogniz-
him as the landlord OF the inn. Without
aging word he turned, almost ran down
ne steps, and hurried round the corner Of
he house in the direction he had come.
Mr.. Saunders Immediately descended the
tcps himself and walked, with no laggArd
to the house on the outskirts of the
illagc, where, after some entreaty, he pro-
ured lodgings for tho night.