Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1860-05-17
THE BRIDE OF THE BACKWeODS
ATHRILLING TALE.

4 y
he's waking up"
A queer spell, this, to break up a Low
dream, but eminently effectual. l wa
asleep in cabin in the remote and newly
settled regions of Arkansas, and the objec
of my excursions into these wilds was t.
look after the affairs of debtor, who wa
likely to diminish the profits of my exten
sive and hitherto successful business il
Philadelphia by several thousand dollars
| Iarrived exactly at the right moment
secured my money and left it in charge o
my landlady, while started on little rid
into the outskirts of the settlement, t
give vent to my elated feelings at my un
expected success, and pick up what littl'
incidents l could to entertain my friends a
home. l have lustier story to tell thar
I anticipated, for my curiosity, like that O
Mother Eve-brought me into trouble
but with this difference in the final result
that, whereas she lost her Paradise, l gain
ed mine.
The magnifcence of the weather, for il
was in early May, and the novelty OF
everything about me, caused me to ride
carelessly here and there, until at length
l lost myself in path difficult to trace,
and impossible to retrace. Neither going
back nor grunbling was of any use, so l
pushed on.
Drawing up at last before miseable hut,
hailed, and was answered by the mingled
bowling, yelling, and growing of half a
dozen dogs of every grade; our combined
clamor at length brought out tall, stap-
ping fellow, exceedingly delapidated as to
his wardrobe, and judging from features,
his moral character also.
"What'll yer hav, stranger?"
"Can you direct me back to Penthrake,
friendf"
"To Penthrake! Lord its better'n fif-
teen mild. What on airth brought ye
here this time o'day.
"My horse, as you see," replied, judg-
ing it best to be facetious, and thus end
the conversation as easily as possible.
Now, although say it, am not one of
the timorous sort, and have no reason to
be, as l can look down on any man not
over six feet high, and can also compare
farorably with most men of that stature
in muscular development. But it was
growing dark, and imprudence, my con-
slant and blind guide throughout this ex-
pedition, had prompted me to take out, in
his sight, my watch, an elegant gold repeat
er, when he alluded to the time of day
The look of ofcuriosity blended astonishment
and covetousness which passed over his
sallow visage increased by desire to part
company. He seemed 10 observe my un-
easiness and continued his interrogatories-
"What'll yer take for that hosss"
"I would take some corn, if you had it.
Is there any settlement on Lead?"
"Ye-as, bout mild"
"Any hotel thereg"
"No, but any on EMIL take yer in;
they're alters glad to see strangers"
Putting spurs to my horse, galloped
away and entered the village just at dark.
1t was collection of log huts, with here
and there a small frame building. One of
these had more pretensions to comfort
than the rest; there was in the rear
spacious barn, with garden on one side,
and large enclosure for cattle, numbers
of which were coming in from pasture.
l made my way to the door without
any scruple, threw my bride over a post,
and had hardly time to dismount, before a
sensible old man presented
himself. To my request for nights
lodging, he gave genial and hearty affir-
native
"Oh! yes, sir; yes; come in-the old
woman and are always glad to keep a
gentlemen. It's long time since we've
seen one Mrs. Birch, let's have some sup
per directly. Sam! Sam! put up this
horse"
We adjourned to the barn were my
horse was literally provided with corn and
hay. I remarked that the stable door was
destitute of lock, and asked the old man
if his horses were not liable to be stolen.
"Oh, no, we have decent neighbor-
hood. There's only one really bad man
anywhere about here; Bull Lake, as they
call him, but be amt got courage enough
to steal horse"
said nothing, but thought good deal.
After supper, Sam was dispatched to his
cot in the loft, and really enjoyed the
evenings conversation with the old couple,
who seemed altogether superior to the
people I had seen in those parts. The
house was two-story cottage with two
room on the ground foor-one used as
kitchen, and the other, furnished with
stone fireplace and window on the same
side, with bed on the other, was the sit
ting and sleeping-room. The old people
me that this room was at my
service, and themselves retired to the loft.
I felt presentiment that something unusu-
al would happen before morning; SO, exam
ming my revolver with care, I laid il on
the projecting beam besides the bed, and
sternly resolved to rest with
out sleeping, and keep my ears open to any
noise from that stable.
The very effort to keep awake, aided,
BY intense fatigue, overcame itself, and in
less time than have taken to to tell it, l
was from the stable, away from the wilds
Of Arkansas, away off in Dreamland. By
the side of one whom l once claimed as
mine, but who had been wooed and won
by Death, the only rival | could not van
1uish, 1 was listening to the melodious
Lones of affection, when suddenly they
changed to dibolical hiss, and the words
Al