The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1861-02-16

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!, away. and tie BOY was still well. o.
Q even.n. IN Autumn Eas persuaded to a;
Lille social party. bns thas dea,h-he
scere haunted ne. ard eft the counan
. al an early hogr. Al night tossed n,c
my bed. bat the fee9ir1, flor il x-ss mo-
than thosahf.l THAI boz, M little rams
saEe. was diving. neTer left me.
s'The next ncrnia- frose early. ant, a.
termined TO tIv the effect IF horse lac
. ride before breakfast. took road rh;r
: Jed 1own through 4 Tarius, s.ien np biI
10 riees q woods beyoni. Just hefo-
entering the Taviue, CHECKED r.lY shosss.io
q few moments 10 look a, the bpau,ifn
river before ns- Thee bad been fros
enough 10 pain. the ieavss thousand cole-s
and everything wore the peculiar glory Of
bright October morning when the san wa
jus: rising in Z c!yursirss sly. thought
never looked abroad when srerrthinr va,
50 calm. 30 bright. aad so beautiful before
I 1T the bottom Of the raviDe was 10 cross
observed two horserasn, equipped for q
auntsng excursion. They had also refined
/ up their horses, no. 70 admire the prospect,
but apparently to make an exchange o. ar
/ tcies. As nearly as could Judge at tina.
I distance, ens Of then WIS emprying SOM
! powdersfron his Task to that Of his com
i ranlon which he handed TO him. and then
/ they rode rapidly Oh, and were soon lost in
| the woods. | wasin no hurry. and il might
! have been fifteen Or twenty minutes before
/ reached the point 4. which they halted.
| An, ollY9aI tree had ben blown down by
| the SIDE Of the road, AMI The remains of i,
were lying right across the bottom of the
| hollow. A l:tt.e before Preached this place,
spieu q hare, ventuT.ng 90. from under
/ the end Of the cid tree nearest me. and walk
| ing Or hopping along slowly beside the log,
and, although tia said hares can see behind
as wei! as before them, she did not appear
to notice me. | checked MT horse again to
watch her as she stop. Just about where the
horsemen had stood. Then put the spurs
10 my horse, and attempted 10 dash by her,
tossing my cigar to her at the same time
mention these little particulars 10 show
that was so completely in nv senses at the
time as am now, and tLat am reporting
from memory. and not from imagination.
just 1t the moment heard u sound, ihaugh
what it was or where i, came from. is stIll
the deepest mystery. Ny horse gave a
plunge, or a bound. don't care which von
call it, which landed me upon the ground,
with nv shoulder dsioeated. and when re-
covered myself, for avn was bewi,derct
Cor moment, | saw tho poor hare lying
dead at my feet. Ny horse kept the road
into the wood, and was caught and brought
back by n teamster Who was coming into
town. was taken home, sore and bruised,
and before night received Il dispatch say.
ing that my SISTERS labs died that morn
ing"
That ,rnS singular affair, take it all in
ALL said Col. Rawson. And did YOU
never get any clue to the mystery ? did YOU
never find out what killed The hare or wha,
the noise was:"
'Nsyer. Indeed that is the only part of
the story which appears absolutely mex
plicable. The condolences were remarka-
bic, but | would no, cali in any euperhumar
aid to explain them.
All this time Long John had been sitting
with his lips apart, ard bis eyes fixed upon
Mcdonald. at length be leaned forward
and enquired-"And if can explain that
mystery, and prove beyond doubt that it
was only the natural effect of natural
cause, do you give up?" "Yes, bu, defy
you, or any other manto do it,
"Wc!l," said Long John, winkiug to the
COL, and pointing with the forefnger of his
right hand to the palm Of the left, "we'll
see. But IN the first pace, are you quite
~"iv tho pi'.vv "hoio the hare WAS kIIIsu " as
the point where the horsemon were standing
when you first saw them?"
"Yes, am pretty positive about that j. |
was just at the bottom of the ravne."
Every well; you said one of the men was
emptying powder from one flask to the |
other. | suppose be might have spilled
some ?" ...# ..-.-z
"perhaps he did, replied Mcdonald, |
his eyes opening as vide as ever Daniel !
Webster's did when he was taking in new
idea.
"And your cigar toueAodi j. Of, and killed
the hare:'
"Per- haps-so''-snt Mcdonald.
Col. Rawson roared with laughter. "a
perfectly simple solution. Mac. wonder
you did not think Of tbefore.o
81 wonder | did not replied McDourld.
his eyes fixed on crack in the floor, as if
he was medisatIng his exit in that direction.
He would gladly have embraced the oppor-
tunity which the pause in conversation af-
forded, to have asked leave Of absence, but
be could think of nothing up street, or
down street. which could call him out at
that time Of night in such storm. For
tunately at this iuncture of affairs, a shout
was heard in the street, and a furious poll
tician burst into the room with the report
that "lhe returns were coming in gIori-
ouslv.'
"ls the Postofice open 3" inquired Nc
Donald. Selling his hat. and making plunge
for the door, and from thence to "parts
leaving his friends to laugh
awhile longer at bis expense.
StNpu ton had - nv1ih Oh tho TO' I
s,apping Long John across the knees, "you
are too bad to blow no that nine years
mystery with Fash OF eunpowder you
deserve to be blown SKY hi ii yourseIf.'
Twas too bad CONFESS" rephed the
never enjoy the boys deah again. But"
he added after little pau,e. II guess We
better not tease HIM abou. it,
l. was about twelve moutharter this little
in" dent, that the fashion and beauty and
wealth Of the village were gathered ut the
hospitable mansion of Mr. Hilton. to wit
ness the marriage Of his eldest daughter.
The ceremony was duly performed. the
bride received seTen'y-hve kisses, and the
groom at least half as many, the usual COM
piimeots were paid, and kind wishes ex
pressed. and at precisely the proper moment
supper was announced MT Hilton, ac-
by the ofheiating clergyman. led
the way to the refresimens room below,
followed by the groom ard bride. and they
in turn, by one gay couple after another,
tilithe yarlors were enptied Of the merry
shreng. Tagging behisd all the rest came
Col. Rawson with Long John on his arm,
the former declaring ''te never would be SO
cheated again, it was he last time he ever .
would wait on that old bachelor" when as
they were crossing the ball, their attention
was arrested by sGple standing at the