Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-05-06
%FREEHoLD.N ]. HURsDAYsaoRNING MAY 6. 1858

it would be of no ordinary power, be be-
gan to. experience no little anxiety about
fading a place Of shelter for himself and
beast. He had ridden for hours without
seeing any sign of habitation, and the
prospect before him gave no promise of
finding one ere reaching his destination
for the day. which was still many a long
league distant.
Half an hours further hard riding,
however, brought him to an old, dilapida-
dated building, which from its appearance
had served some early Spanish settler;
and as night and the storm were now
close upon him, he decided it should serve
him in turn, at least during the continu-
ance Of the tempest. Riding in through
what had once been the main entrance of
the building, he found himself partially
sheltered under a roof constructed by some
passing traveller, who had thrown q few
saplings along the ruins, and interlaced
them with a thatch of brush and grass
It was not yet dark, but the night was
fast setting in, assisted by the advancing
clouds, which had rolled far up toward
the zenith, and long since yelled the sink
ing sun. Almost incessant flashes of
lightning, which descended in liyid chains
lit up the deepening gloom, and each was
followed by its peal of thunder, which
with a few exceptional crashes, became
one almost even continuous roar.
BY this light, and what still remained
of day, the traveller could see about his
place of refuge, which presented no very
cheerful aspect. A few broken stones
and other rubbish were piled up mere and
there, but in one corner lay a litter Of
straw, which should the night prove too
inclement for his further progress, he fat
tered himself would serve as a comforta-
bic resting place for his own weary limbs.
D~ismounting from his horse, he tied him
to one of the saplings overhead, and re-
moving the fragments from around his
feet, to guard against injury, and locking
carefully to his weapons, he deliberately
sat himself down to await the issue.
The storm broke f%ercely, the wind
shrieked dismally, the lightnings Hashed
necessarily, the thunders crashed contin-
uously, and the rain pouring down in tor
rents soon wetted our traveller to the skin.
One, two, three, long dreary hours pass
ed, and still the storm ragged so furiously,
that at last, reluctantly. our hero relin-
pushed all hopes Of pursuing his journey
further for the night-for even should
the tempest clear away, it was already
late, and he knew that the different
streams on his route would be so swollen
as to make the fords dangerous. He
therefore prepared to encamp where he
was and pushing a portion Of the straw
together, he threw himself down upon it,;
and wet though it was-and weary, wet
and hungry though he was himself-he
felt some little satisfaction in finding that
his long uncertainty and indecision had
at last come to an end and with a ling
ering sigh for his poor beast, which could
fares no better than its master, be soon
fell into a dreamless sleep-the thought
of his late narrow escape not tending to
a deeper impression upon his mind thar a
kind of inward gratitude that his good
fortune or a kind Providence had saved
him.
The storm passed on, the rain ceased,
the thunders died away in the distance,
and still the traveller slept. At length,
just as the first faint streak of day had
begun to tinge the East, he reused with
a kind Of start, and raising himself on
his elbow, looked ~curiously about him,
with the air of one who is trying to re-
cafi events Immediately preceding his
state of Inconsistencies. AS he peered
about the old ruin, by the dim gray light,
feeling cold, wet and hungry-his eve fell
upon his horse. which seemed to be
asleep; and remembering how long both
had tasted, and that their fast must con
tinue until they reached a settlement, he
resolved to resume his journey forthwith.
As he changed his position. however,
to spring to his feet, his eye suddenly en-.
countered the body Of aman lying in the
straw, not three. feet distant. The back
of the stranger was toward our hero, and
his face he could not see but thinking
it some one, who, like himself, had been
driven in by the storm for a nights lodg-
ing, he first looked carefully to his wea-
pons, and then moving over to the other,
quietly laid his hand upon his shoulder,
and said
We'll, stranger, so we are bed fellows
it seems !"
The man moved not, and spoke not q
word.
II say, stranger" pursued the first
giving him a hearty shake, Il think you
must be eYen a sounder sleeper than my
! SELF"
Still no mevement-ne answer.
What ails the fellow :" mentally que
: ried our traveller, as he turned his quie
companion over in the straw and at the
t same moment the horse, aroused by hi
! masters voice, started to his feet, with
e loud whiny. Good heavens! contin
4 ued the speaker, as by the faint but in
! ereasing light he looked upon the ghastl.
/ face of the human form beneath him
/" there is something wrong here-the mai
e is dead Ha murdered, as | live " b
quickly added, with a visible shudder, a
: bending more closely over him, he discoy
erred traces Of blood upon his garments.