Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1861-04-12
A Chest In the Swallows Nest.

Old NUN called the Swallows test which many
years ago was the resort orsa bard of lawess free
baeters Some travellers who recently passed few
days in the vicinity Of the Swallow Nest, came
across old man whose long, grisiy locks, stray
ing over his shoulders, his flowing beard, his bag
gard face and decrepid form, made him seem Ike a
t0rgotteR representative af the old race Of men,
that knew, the yobber knights IN the height and
glory Of their power and when he spoke, his voice
sounded like call from the kingdom OF the dead /,
u was 20 feeble, so hollow, and SO vacant of all
life. Having heard OF bis wonderful familiarity
with the ghostly realms, they questioned him abouE
his experience, and gradually drew him into an
animated conversation. Sitting down on messy
stone, and leaning his gray chin on his stsf, he
told story after story Of ghosts and strange ap-
partitions which had APPEARED 60 him az night in
those melancholy hunts And he told them al in
such 81 unaffected, serious manner, that they
couldn't help believing them as frmly as he did
One Of these stories was very EeEaarkabie one,
and was TO the following effect
About Eve hundred years a %, the daring free-
boo. who shen mads Swa lows Nest the terE0r Of
all good and peaee- owing citizens, rode one cay,
af the head Of barr of armed reta7ners, into the
very couls of the Heidelberg castle. and abducted
beautiful yoray lady, princess, Killing her faith
tul maid ard Eoundlng several OF her attendants
The pursuit was hot but the freebooter regained
his castle IN 81 ETY., taking with him his noble cap
tive. IL was act foolish it was audacioas !;
for it ed against the pe1petrator the wrath Of
his sgverei a, aud brought him HnGer the ban OF
-1e empire. The robbiRg Of jews and common
traders was Tenial crime; the kidnapping OF a
pr ncess was an objectionable oHanse against the
priv asges Of royal blood.
The freebooter's castle was besieged By an over
whelming for For while be dehed his enc
mics; but one morning white dig was flying from
sAe high tower, the gate thrown open, the draw
hridge lowered, and the s5esiegeEs marched into
ind the freebooter gone, Heaven only knew where
He had disappeared some time in the night, WITH
out she knowledge OF any of his men, LII vas cur
renty reported that be had been carried OF by the
Evi One, with whom, IN the p0pul4r belief be had
made very hard bargain But the princess r.
She, tco, had disappeared and, as she was never
afterward seen it became The popular superstition
that she bad been rescued from her eHsmy BY the
Queen of Heaven herself
Thus nlaste1S rested Tor more than FIVE centuries
One summer night, this 0d man, Sleeping as usual
IN a sheltered corner Of the castle yard, had
vision Of beautiful lady, whose face bore traces of
suffering and tyoabls. She walked en- tie air. as If
il were solid hooF. Proceeding to the narrow
srchway thai once Id to the dungeons she entered
the dark passage, which immeiiasely became il
fGnninated, as-f lgltcd BY a torch. As the old
man knew the passage was entirely blocked up 10
ordinary person lges be felt prompted to follow
She led the way to large apartment. aud stepped
9wcE~H aput EH ta. aisssa af the f7o0F, where ahr
stood. appearing 20 weap. LookiBg up at length,
She saw the old Fnan. who Bad followed few steps
behind. Fixing nlzlaneh0iy gaze on ha1 as If
feet, and then retTaced her steps, walking, be-
fore, on the air. At lhe NEchEay she suddenly
disappeared.
Next morning tie old man foaHd everything as
usual about the cavern even the passage, through
which he had walked the night before, Bss entirely
blocked up. Bot the succeeding aight the same
adventure repeated and the third night il oc-
Cured again, with the addition thai The ady gave
him a costly ring In parting. Strangely enough,
the first thing that attracted his attention in the
morning was a bright ring lying among the loose
fragments of stone al bis side.
He told his story in the village. where, at FIRST
No one thought Of attaching the least Importance
TO it bat be insisted strongly that there must
be something In il worth searching cut, that at last
few of tie most substantial villagers obtliued
permission 20 clear ont the passage. 1t was
labor OF many days. At length, however, it was
crowned with success; large apartment was
reached, which the old man Immediately recognized
as the place whore the apparitien had stopped
They 1cr ped away the mould and dust from the
steEe floor. but could discover no signs of a trap.
After an hours search they gave up IN despair,
rating their own folly in having allowed themselves
to be made the dupeS of halt-wtted old man.
ssWe might have known, as usual, before be-
ginnirg," exclaimed one of them, striking the
stone faor with his spade, TO give emphasis 10 his
words.
To the astonishment of all, the smitteu floor
opened, and disclosed a narrow staircase, leading,
apparently TO suhterraneaa dungeons. After
pard0nable hesitation Of few minutes, one of the
Villagers descended, laHlp in hand, TO explore the
underground place, and the rest followed. The
staircs e proved to be short. Az the foot lay two
skeletons Between the ribs of the larger one a
rusty dagger was sticking! The superstitious
peasants took single look, rushed up the steps,
aud regained the daylight with the wings which
terror always adds to the clasy heels of untutored
humanity.
But few days afterwards the castle was again
visited By more courageous (because larger) COM
pany. The secret chamber was indeed found but
the two skeletons had cTdmbled to dust. There
lay the dagger, and near it found several
rings, q bTaceles and silver cross.
The mystery was, if possible greater now thaa
before. Were the bone those OF the Princess
and the Baron But how came he there? The
dagger suggests one solution. He probably found
her uncorqarable, and shut her up in that subter-
ranean prison. Going down one night TO see
whether she was tanned or net, he threatened her
with the dagger, she seized il, and ia a frenzy
stabbed him to the heart Then, unable to open
the trap-doer, she peFished Of hunger But why
was not the existence of this chamber betrayed By
the BaTon'S retainers In one corner of il was
found an iron chest, containing few old coins,
rings, bracelets, ehains necklaces and other costly
articles. This renders probable that the chamber
was the Baron's private treasury, and that its ex
istence was known only to himself. The truth
viii probably never be known