The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-02-26
CHAPTERl.-THE NOCTURNAL VrsI1

whence is llaL knOeKlnpE
How S't with me when every sound appsls me!
hear a knocking
In the south entry! Hark more knocking!
SHAKESPEARE.
| Hurricane Hall is large old family man.
sion, built of dark. red sandstone, in one Of
the loneliest and widest of the mountain
regions of Virginia. >,
The estate is surrounded on three sides
BY a range of steep, gray rocks, spiked with
clumps of dark evergreens, and called, from
its horseshoe form, the DEVILS HoOf.
On the fourth side the ground gradually
descends in broken rock and barren soil to
the edge of the wild mountain stream known
as the DEVILS Run.
When storms and floods were high, the
loud roaring of the wind through the wild
mountain gorges, and the terrific raging of
the torrent over its rocky course, gave to
this savage locality its ill-omened names of
DEVILS Hoof, DEVILS Run and Hurricane
Hall.
Major Ira Warfeld, the lonely proprietor
of the Hail, was Il veteran officer, who, IN
disgust at what he supposed to belll-requit-
cd services, had retired from public life to
spend the evening of his vigorous age on
this his patrimonial estate. Here be lived
in seclusion, with his old-fashioned house
keeper. Mrs. Condlment, and his old family
servants and his favorite dogs and horses.-
Here his mornings were usually spent in the
chase. in which he excclled, and his after
moons and evenings were occupied in small
convival suppcrs among his few chosen
companions Of the chase or the bottle.
In person Major WarfeId was tall and
strongly built, reminding one of some old
iron-limbed Douglas of the olden time
Ills features were large and harsh: his COM
plexion dark red, as that of one bronzed by
long exposure and flushed with strong drink.
His fierce, dark gray eyes were surmounted
by thick. heavy black brows. that, when
gathered into a Irown, reminded one OF Il
thunder cloud, rs the flashing orhs beneath
them did of lightning. His hard, harsh
face wns surrounded by a thick growth of
iron cray hair and beard that met beneath
his chin. Ills usual habit was u back cloth
cont. crimson vest, black leather brccchcs,
long. black yurn stockings, fastened at the
knees, and morocco slippers with silver but
tons.
In character Major WarfcIl was arrogant,
lomineernc and yiolcnt-equally loved and
feared by his faithful Old family servants
ut homc-disliked and dreaded by his neigh
bors and acqlantanccs abroad, who, partly
from his house and partly from his charac-
acter, fixed upon HIM the appropriate nick
hah' Oh 'LD "a NAi>AAA'
! -, mere was however o''''' 6''u''4 u us
,'Nc DeS1ucs 'nht OF ms "fr"g"h' iH'nu, VIZ, ',
Hurricane was SAID to b0 an Old buchclOr,
I' 'u'"'' ''. 'i'e' ~ ooi'e
co'c",o P"I' - '"' "o'.u, ,:'e''' = ~"
rom t'uI,1L ~ u.T'Istn a. ~" I',..'
I'oF i2!Io'il AII '.'.t' 't'H''i ~ wa" u. "a,
,,.'i M ''.' s''.'' :,s
al ng'n '''.' ~, S'v,.2"'' "'r4 r'' "''u
.''' "-s"oIr' '.C.o''
'Nc part u VIZ ""'A 'S'!' ~ vi. "o''i y, ~
,'1''' ~ S'' ""7 ''''t CO. ~ ,l' '':] T'.'
low . ''' -, W. i,
'ot ~. '"''.s t'','' ''' 'U. .''n
""IS >'''ci' ","'"''' s''A "''N F'''i' !" nv
~ .,;.o 81 .a;i orI r.;n
",ic4u''ou 'oi'' ''r CIV p't"''0'' ',' t"''
u. H,I' ,,,, IT, I'S,,''1v n.y.
Nv "''a "''c''I - 'C' - - '''. 'in
80 W. '''0 ,, ''' ". 80. tI '',- "aaa - an,.
yer, 4.fI' ''7 e'''',''S ,.''" Us .s
uaFH anu elooanS' n'oIs EuaA 'no "l,1
"soSo ~ ''t' "3' va "s''' ~
~ ~ ''tu,' ,''ou ''o"s, ,na - ,,.;.b
'"e ou"' was ~, ~ "a, "J "I saw" :
"'i', ''.I an was ,Ii Mi II,I "''' u ,:o,
~ 'n'S was ->!' ii''Io" h''; ;:1 1"o ~ cav
III. .'i'v''CN'y VI Ie' Ms"s"v. u'I roT ''T'
Ne''S '"o ", "' .'oI', i'i
"' 'iI'nS 'neInH'':so y. ','s'. o,-
muster e'n'S''o''' "''" W. IA % "y"l
10 p"i'J" 'Ic"A"0"'' Il "e,u Al ''' N'e10
4utr'eFS OF 'leiF heA' Ic'9nHor'
pom 'Als evening" n'eh' 'i,tEc ""s 'c,, ~
i!"EF"'he hH'' o"'y -h"Jol ''E"' -n's,
'ho'nchC nI' 'I'''o "so Io19eN''!0'' anu
noI. ms body servant; ",
Ery III tlc evening '''e olO ''''' "''' ''1'' :nI
M 't"~c'y' 10 hccp OUT as h'ue'i ~ tUsSlote
'ic Sou"o oI ing 'V"'Hi '"h' ''"' t" ','' "T''
Wv III "''I'''' '''''''''0 "',' '''
walls Oh 'Ne mouse "S IL uc'er h,'li1n " iotcc
m entrance. As soon as she hau seen tN"s
AL was safe, Mrs. CondIneht went 70 pea
ana went to sleep. .,
IL was ABOUT 't" c'ocA ,''"' n'S"' '.,'''
ga il"rrlcane' well wrapped up III ms Iu'iI7 T.,
81 h"nhe' crossing GOWN s"' Al ms WEI!
padded easy chalr O"iore warm anu oFight
hr'' ''N'nS MS co'n'oTI ~, III HIS own WI most most
'r'i' o''"ni" oeoFo"m' ! MS was Wv wy N'u'
OF the coztes' enJoymrut to tne Telioln'I!- In u:
gent oiu oyoar'te, "uo ueal,y io'eu HIS
case. Very comf0rtao'e was "la hurricane;
ana as ne '"a.'"h ms leeV anu S'pFtn MS
punch' "h'ie ms b'aeK servant w "oo'' aP-
pIHa the warminG'ran 10 MS cozy coucil' ne
ta'rIy hu@Gcd h'mseif lor enjoyment ana
declared that n0thihS nhuer hea'ch "ouia
or cou!d tempt MN |" leaFe ,ha' room ana
tnat mousse ana 80 out 'nto 'i'"' STORM on
that ntCht' just as h' I''u eoiho TO .ii'
empnaslc oe'eF'hlI".lon 'le was S'aFtIcu oy
violent ringing OF '"e door oeL'' order-
ing WOOL to 90 ana see "nat was the mat
ter, he hastily arrhyed hiihse'l IN MS sleep
ing hab'IimentS ana jumped INTO oed' deter
mined not TO be ih'fu"eo upon' OF 10 oe
eHl.eo o0' "a "'' 'ooD' =" "'' '> ''0"' " A"'
V',' q. o,. Woo, rs,nro,rol
.t' '!.s n'oi'V"' "u r;Iiaf;a f',l'' n"
.oni 1"us .va ."e 'yU .Sn,s bo,;n~ It onn, Ou mo
aJi'n W ss.' ;fo-ntng sno; .5s nJ , =" NV
' WHoi h,s+;lv cInsa1 tho ofrand;nr nortols.
and buried to his masters side.
swell. sir. who was it runs the bcll?,