Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1858-04-21


the fore-feet secure bearing, plunge and
a struggle brought the poor beast on his legs
again; but he was so irritated by his previ-
Gus failures, AID SO startled by his sudden
| success, that bofore cabby could seize the
reins he was off, sliding and scrambling over
the slippery road like an awkward lad con-
tending with his first pair of skates, but yet
at speed that soon left both driver and fare
far behind. Cabby darted after his horse
aud in an instant nothing could be heard or
seen of cab or driver but dull rumble of
wheels and voice, as if wrapt up in blan-
ket, shouting, ''Wo-ho, wo-ho !'' which grew
fainter and fainter every moment.
Thompson's first impulse was to follow at
once, as fast as the fog and his thirteen stone
of solid flesh would allow; but he could not
in the darkness, lay his hand upon his great
coat. He had started back to some little dis
tanoe when the horse struggled up and plum
ged forward, and he could not, fo- the life of
him, find the place again; rothing but the
frozen snow met ard benumbed his fingers.
Quick decision Of purpose was becoming nee
sary if he pursued his seemingly hopeless
hunt after the coat. it was clear that he could
never overtake the cab. His, decision was
instantly made; it would not pay to continue
the search, and buttoning up his body-coat,
| he started in pursuit at a good round pace,
but putting and blowing as though he had not
| trained" sufficiently for a pedestrian feat of
| that nature.
! He could still hear family the rumbling of
| the wheels, and oabby's useless "Wo-ho. -
and if he had not walked into the hedge SO
often. and not found such difficulty in extri
| eating himself from the the thorns and bram-
bles, he must soon have overtaken the object
| of his pursuit. But one provoking impedi-
ment or other always prevented his consum
mating his hopes just as he deemed himself
upon the point of doing so. Yet On and on
he went and on and an again, after conquer
ing each fresh obstacle. 1t seemed to him
that he had thus struggled along for miles in
the thick darkness, with the Will-o'-the-wisp
"Wo-ho'" :" only just ahead of him.
In vain he shouted he could hear no ans
Mer but the distant, ''Wo- ho. wo-ho"' He
got irritated, and, as q natural consequence,
was (exactly, in the ratio of his increasing g
irritation) just so much the oftener in the
hedge or the ditch, and each time just SO
much the longer'getting out again. Ho ac-
tually began to disbelieve in many of his most
strongly rooted convictions connected with
half-crowns and other matters, and his good
solid common-sens was beginning to waver
and wonder. Could it be really himself
Thompson, the eminent indigo merchant Of
Blue Lane-who was thus allowing himself
to be lured after:a strange. dull sound of "Wo-
no, wo-ho ~ in thick fog, for miles ant
miles along dark slippery road. till he wa:
ready 10 drop with fatigue? He was begin
f ming to doubt his own identity, and nigh
a have decided against it, but that just the n h
: thought he perceived the glimmer of a light
0 He was not mistaken, and Immediately scram
, bled toward it, but evidently not by the pro
e per road, as he passed through deep ditch
s and up steep bank, breaking bis way .hrou
d gh some rotten garden palings. At last b
It arrived at Lighted candle, apparently he'll
e close to woman's face, in which he recog
It nised lndistinctly the features of the Kento
|. carriers wife, who lived at the roadside nc
v more than FIVE miles from his own residence
q That was encouraging; and whatever becam
d Of the cab, he should at al events soon NEE
!. his own "vehicle." But that hope was spec
Oily dispelled; for Mrs. Parcels informe
+ him that his coachmsn had been there abor
J. two hours before, and as the fog was SO thick
he thought it dangerous to 60 on, and 81
feeling sure that his master would Eot attemI
to come through it, he had turned bac
again.
~ And tho cab?
!. Mrs. Parcels had heard something rumb
+. by about ten minutes before, and heard SOM
BODY CRYING, "Wo-ho3' but had seen notl
a ing
ut This was rather depressing, but Thompsc
had identife himself again the conyers
of tion with Mrs. Parcels had brought his wa
a dering imagination back from the dreams
be that sea of fog which had seemed peopl
with hoarsevoiced sirens singing "Wo-h
od ho." to lure him on to destruction. He f
a again that he was Thompson-the Thomps'
til of Blue Court; and, being guided by MI
by Parcels into the road, by way of tho garde
.ss gate instead of through the fearful gap he h
lie Just made in the old palings, he rcsum
ed the chase He had got his second wind, a
ke was getting up to his work SO away he We
Ter at pace worthy of the Barclay match"
,at for he had no end of pluck-and, after 10
nd RIM he was evidently gaining upon cabl