The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-09-10

behind me, and tore off across the prairie
as if he too had seen the devil"
"What color was he ?'' exclaimed half
a-dozen voices in breath.
ale was too far off for me to distinguish
more than that be was dark horse-say
about as much so as mine. could dis
tinguish the pummel of the saddle and
the stirrups fying!"
"Stoner's horse was dark bay," was
buzzed around the table, in low tones,
every one looking seriously in his neigh
boris face.
"Yes!" said the squire, rising and step
ping uneasily to the window. "Stoner's
horse was good deal like yours he must
have got away from him, and that detains
him. But then, the nag was very kind
creature, and well trained. l wonder it
should have behaved so."
"Don't believe bay would have done
it SQUIRE" said one of the men. "Some-
things gone wrong, think! Was the
bride down, Mr.. Henry ?''
at was too far off for me to tell. 1 fol-
lowed in the direction the horse took, and
soon found myself here, and expected to
find it here, too"
mo, Stoner's is beyond here" said the
squire. "That wagon trail you were turn
ing and twisting about in, is a road I had
opened to number of board trees we cut
and rived out there you might have fol-
lowed it for hours and not been more than
a mile or so from the place you started
from. That ghost of yours, by the way,
may be some crazy fellow, who has wan
dered off into these parts, with mischief
in him. Did you hear no gun ?''
II thought did-about an hour after
parting with that man, or devil, or what,
ever he was-but the sound was so faint
and distant, that for fear l might be mis-.
taken 1 did not go to it; and the road had
turned so frequently, could not tell
whether it was in the direction he went
off or not"
Here the "driver' interposed, saying
that he heard rifle about that time Oh
the right, but, supposing it to be Henry
or Stoner, he thought no more about it
And half-laughing discussion followed
as to the probable character of the wood.
ghost Henry had reported of, some assert
ing that he was quizzing us-for these
men were too much accustomed to the
exigencies of hunters life to be for mort
than a moment seriously affected by the
circumstance of Stoner's non- arrival. Ii
the midst of this, horses feet were heart
gallopping up to the door, and louc
"Hilloa 4" followed.
The squire rose hastily and went out. II
a moment after he entered, looking pal'
and excited.
atom Dix Zone of Stoner's neighbors
says that his horse has come home with
out rider, the reins upon his neck, and {
clot of blood upon the pummel of th'
saddle! Boys, he's been shot! Just as
suspected from the first"
Everybody arose at the announcement
looking in the face of him opposite will
a blank pallid stare.
"The crazy man!' calculated several
STRANGE"
every mysterious business !' said 9th
ers.
II tell you what" said the squire afte
a pause, "has struck me from the first
1t is that this strange looking fellow Hen
ry saw, mistook him for Stoner, until h
looked into his face, for HeDry's horse ant
general appearance are not unlike his, an,
when he found he was wrong, got out o
his way and went on till he met Stone
himself, and has shot him."
"No doubt of it," said several.
"But is very mysterious affair."" con
tinued he, II know of no such lookin
man in this region as Henry described
but at any rate he will be hunted dow
to morrow, for Stoner was one of th
regulators, and Hinch is a perfect bloc
hound. He can hardly escape him, Graz
or not crazy"
This seemed to be the most satisfactor
solution of the difficulty, and as it ws
too dark for us to do any thing that nigl
we resumed our seats to discuss over agai
the details; while the squire sent off
messenger summoning Hinch and the regl
lators to be on the ground early in tt
morning.
, Before sunrise in the morning, HinC
arrived with six men. l was walked /
his loud clustering and swearing. E
was, as l afterwards understood ravir
: about Henry; calling his story about Il
t meeting with the remarkable personas
} all humbug, and asserting his belief tn
if the murder had been committed, Hel
t ry was its author. Our host quieted hi
a in some way, and when we came out
' Join them he greeted us with snarliI
| sort of civility. He was thick set, broi
: shouldered, burly- looking wretch, wi
/; blood-shot eyes, and face bearing all &
9 marks of riotous debauchery. Our scar
s was for several hours unsuccessful, un
i Henry by accident found the place whe
e he had encountered the bearded ghost
S some one christened him. Here one
# the keen eyed hunters found the traces o
a large moccasined foot. These were purs
]; ed several miles and lost, but on spread
d our line and continuing the same gene
g course for some distance further, we
: last found indeed the body of Stoner.
1T had been SO much mutilated by the vol,
h and ravens that little examination "
k made of the bones. We gathered thu
of together to carry them home to his fami
r and in doing this noticed the fractl
D, of bullet through the back of the ski
a 1t had been stripped bare of flesh, a
N both eyes plucked out by the birds, a
ID was too shocking an object for close {
,e animation. But what puzzled all part
d, most was the discovery short distal
IN off of the trail of shod horse. Now tn
ly was not one horse in Shelby county Il
,e wore shoes, and certainly not one in
le party. Shoeing is never thought Of, be
a unnecessary where there are no stones
SO This was as perfect poser as even II
ne ry's story, and threw yet a greater air
re inexplicability around the affair. 1t
to thought that this track might be eai
ng traced any distance, but after worry
ed about it for several days, it was given
Id in despair, and the regulators fatigued
ht disheartened, scattered for their respect
an homes.
l." But one of their number never reac
IN his Being missed two days, there WI
it general turnout to look for him, and
had been the case with Stoner, his b
ear was found torn to pieces by the vol
ha The renort was that ha had heen !