The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-10-16

the summit The prOHpert was grand and
beautiful beyond biz must nanguins sEpsetaS
tons. 10 the right the mountain sank
| down by degrees aabrhpt or regular, 10 the
margin Of the ohampaign country below,
which stretched out Rs far ~ the eye could
reach and was covered with tobacco faTms,
eornheds, dwellings, and all The diyerslhed
/ objects peculiar ~ Virginia landscape, On
the lnft the Bloc Ridge rose up like 3 nigh
! ~ arch springing % meet and support the
rHkyirKhbitTHE IN TisHVrOfHsiun ali ths graftsiV
and Most Of The beautiful features Of noun
tain n.enefy
Delighted with the scene.and absorbed
with the emotions which i Inspired, Mr..
si0gd6t rode slowly forward, recalling only
occasionally, qnd hr moment, the suspi-
cions excited by the events oi the morning.
After running Tor nfarly i've miles along tiS
side 0f the m0Batuiu, the road. by an abrupt
turn, struck hwnrds the summit, through
deep ghtgb, wFhise Jagged sldea slAnted up
wards 20 great heights dn other hsnd,
Shut out from the prospect Of the sulla~
cent country, and hsmIhed in by lteep aeclF
tiles, Nir, stOgdon feyergvA more frequently
10 tho mysterious de, slpptH- ~ which had
come 70 light NJ the blaCksminfs silop, and
became both alert and cautious IN hg move
menls Arranging his pistols 10 thHf fssy
could be- easily Withdrawn from the holsierE,
he urged his hoTsg a. a quicker pace, ~ soon
az he entered the gloomy avenue Of the mar
row gorge,
lie had gone about mile when be saw,
some iny yards ahead ofhim, large boulder
or earthly ridge, shooting nearly across ths
avenue, and leaving only space, broad
enough for the road bed. heiWern it edge
aud the steep vide Of the gorge, IL wns
spot favorable Tor ~ attack by SURPRISE. and
MIR StpEtDH SURVIVED, Ht once, thHt II me
was medtuiol upol him u wyuld be made
at that point Checking the pace Of his
horse, therefore. hc rode slowly forward and
entered the narrow pass, lie had scarcely
reached the middle Of the dehlc, which waa
about twenty yards IN length when two men
rushed from behind the farther side Of the
boulder into the road and stood, with level
led guns, only few yards distant from Mr.
Stogdon. Ills horse, frightened at the sud-
den appearance Of the men, whose blaekenod
faces and shaggy clothes made them, lbolS
hidcous enough to startlc both nilrr and
steed, Shied and refused To go forward.
The robbers advanced and demanded, As
they approached, the purse and tho vsluables
OF the traveller, promising To spare hja life, u
he would surrender them without noisr or
resistance. Without making any reply, Mr.
Stogdon quickly drew forth pistol from tho
holster. A dtrisiye smile passed over the
faces Of his Rssailants az sight OF the weapon.
IL was AFsllsd and GEed At the -nearrAt toh-
Der, who fell dead upon the spot. The 9TH
or, startled Rt the report, and terrified by tho
fall Of his companion, Instead of firing his
gun, dropped il and He'd in the direction from,
which he had come.
Before Mr.. Stoglon could draw and pre-
sent his other pistol, the robber had turned
the Garner OF the boulder aud was out Of
sight. Urging his horse forward with somo
difficulty, for the dead body ~ the robbcr lay
in the road, and the animal could scarcely be
made TO pass il, he discovered lateral FDTp1
entering from behind the bbullcr. the one
along which the highway ram tioping 20
nyertake the escaped rnhhcr. he entered this
gorge aud rode some distance along It's rocky
bottom. The scene wuN Wild and drearys
presenting whatever ir grand and impressive
in n mountain solitude. The deep BASIN ~
the gorge, covered with rock and tangled
underground and shaded almost to gloom BY
the dense. uYerhanging forest. seemed . ht
retreat for mnfauding bands. IL required no
common nerve TO penetrate alone into its re-
ccsscs IN pursuit Of rjbbcr. But the blood
OF the traveller was up, and he little needed
the risk he was running.
As he could neither see nor hear anything
To direct him in the pursuit Mr.. Stogdon
checked his horse and remained motionlem
for n short time, sheltered by the accidental
seTruty nf . low, htiziis trer, frau observation
in the direction the gorge reccded Gsw the
road. The song Of the mountain birds md
the low murmur of tiny waterfalls. were the
only sounds he heard. The robber had van
iahcd like n shadow and neither eye nor ear
could tell the direction he had gone.
Having made up his mind to abandon tho
pursuit, Mr.. Stogdon was in the act of turn
ing his horses head towards the road, whru
he caught, through the branches Of the tree,
in front of him, the figure Of a mSD ruRnnE
rapidly up the side of the gorge some dis
tnncc up the dctile. As pursuit on horse
back up the steep activity was impossible,
he remained in his position and watched, ns
well as he could, the rctropting figure which
be had no doubt was that OF the fugitive rob
Der.
Climbing from crag 10 crag the robbcT
stopped AZ length in front of two lodges Of
rock which projected from the mountain,
few feet apart, thus making an entrance or
pass-wOy into the side of the dekle. lie
ooked earnestly Tor n moment IN tho dires.
lion he had come, and then entering betwsrn
The rocks, disappeared from the sight Of the
traveller.
Convinced that he had discovered the den
Of the robbers, Mr. Stogdon at once dcsiAsd'
TO return TO the b,acksmith-shop at the hAs$
,f the mouutai+,-snt fferrruti,r, to the
neighborhood. Making careful ocular eI-
ploration Of the surrounding scenery and 6I-
ing in his mind as many object MS he couh,
which might serve to identify the spot where
the robber had Disappeared he turned hia
horses head and SoOn reached the narrow
pass in the main road, The body Of the
lead robber lay os It fell with the blood pud-
lied around it. Forcing his horse with difF.
culty to pass il he rode with rnpid pace
md soon reached the shop where he found
everal of the neighboring planters and the
smith stIli busy upon the mysterious devel-
sph VkA lugN, k.I wrt0 II =
he morning.
Mr.. Stogdon related to his eager and Won
lcring listeners his adventure in the noun
aim the death Of one robber and the probA-
Die discovery Of the place Of retreat of per-
laps many more In a few hours the news