The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-09-29

and was found TO be lame from a similar
cause, tight siIken cord having cut in
almost to the bone of the animals leg
The owner had never been heard of, and
it was believed that he had been murdered
and his body concealed in the mountain
The smith suggested to Mr.. Stogdon
the precaution of examining the priming
and loading of his pistols. On examin-
alton the fints and printing in the pans
were found to be in proper condition, but
the loads had been withdrawn from both
barrels, and wads of cloth substituted in
their place.
The suspicious of Mr.. Stogdon were
fully aroused by these proofs of premed-
itated design of some sort upon him. He
was bold, brave man, however, and did
not once think either of changing his route
or of abandoning his journey across the
mountains Carefully reloading and test
ing the reliability of his pistols, he babe
adicu to his honest counsellor, after suit
ably rewarding him for his labor and ad-
vice, and rode off.
The morning was already far advanced
when he began to ascend the mountain.
The road, for several miles, wound along
its southern side. midway between the base
and the summit. The prospect was grand
and beautiful beyond his most sanguine
anticipations. To the right the mountain
sank down by degrees, abrupt or regular,
to the margin of the champaign country
below, which stretched out as far as the
eye could reach, and was covered with to-
bacco farms, corn6elds, dwellings, and all
the diversified objects peculiar to Virginia
landscape On the left the Blue Ridge
rose up like a mighty arch springing to
meet and support the sky, exhibiting, in
rich profusioh, all the grand and most of
the beautiful features of mountain scene-
ry'
Delighted with the scene, and absorbed
with the emotions which it inspired, Mr..
Stogdon rode slowly forward, recalling on
ly occasionally, and for moment, the sus-
picions excited by the events of tie morn
ing. After running for nearly five miles
along the side of the mountain, the road,
by an abrupt turn, struck towards the sum-
nit, through deep gorge, whose jagged
sides slanted upward to great heights on
either hand.
Shut out from the prospect Of the sub
jacent country, and hemmed in by steep
activities, Mr.. Stogdon reverted moro
frequently to the mysterious developments
which had come to light at the blacksmith's
shop, and became both alert and cautious
in his movements. Arranging his pistols
so that they could be easily withdrawn
from the holsters, he urged his horse to a
quicker pace as soon as he entered the
gloomy avenue on the narrow gorge.
He had gone about mile when he saw
some fifty yards ahead of him, large
boulder or earthly ridge, shooting nearly
across the avenue, and leaving only space
broad enough for the road bed, between
its edge and the steep side of the gorge.
1t was a spot favorable for an attack by
surprise, and Mr.. Stogdon surmised, at
once, that if one was medtated upon him
it would be made at that point. Check
ing the pace Of his horse, therefore, he
rode slowly forward and entered the mar
row pass. He had scarcely reached the
middle of the defle, which was about
twenty yards in length, when two men
rushed from behind the farther side of the
boulder into the road and stood, with lev
elled guns, only a few yards distant from
Mr., Stogdon His horse, frightened at
the sudden appearance of the men, whose
blackened faces and shaggy clothes made
them look hideous enough to startle both
rider and steed, SHE'D and refused to &c
forward,
The robbers advanced and demanded
as they approached, the purse and the val
uablcs of the traveller promising to spare
his life, if he would surrender them with
out noise or resistance. Without max inl
any reply, Mr.. Stogdon quickly drew fortl
a pistol from the holster. A derisiv,
smile passed over the faces of his assail
ants at sight Of the weapon. 1t was lev
elled and fired at the nearest robber,, VIII
fell dead upon the spot. The other, start
led at the report, and terrified By the ial
of his companion, instead of firing his GU
dropped it and fled in the direction iron
which he had come.
Before Mr.. Stonglon could draw an
present his other pistol, the rotber ha
turned the corner Of the boulder and wa