The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1863-02-20

the bucket attached must be hoOped
Of iron for weight 80 heavy was
never lifted from household well
before. Tremuous!y, heavily the
great end of the pole swayed down.
ward; something dark and dripping
came in view--a heap inanimate,
crushed, and swsying to and fro.
dropped the rod with a cry and
curee. for as God is my judge
Brock Eimunds' face allleprons and
bloody, and shrouded in m matted hair
had appeared TO mo, caught in the
graphing hook Of the bucket. ~
For a moment Law nerveless and
hrcathless on the cold ground. The
weird incidents of the night devel.
orod themselves in all their horrible
relations TO the murder Of my friend
i now comprchepded the terror OF
my host--his irepidation at the ut
terance Of "Ticondercgs," the p1ss
word oftle night in which his butch
cry had been efiected-the strange
conduct OF the cripple at my sp-
proach to the weIl--the riderlcss
horse that lmpcd before me in the
dimnessl Had providence designed
me to discover and avenge2 Or was
| likewise 20 he sacrificed to the de
moniec hate OF THE savage family?
A door in the direction Of the s'a
bic shut here with a shock, admon.
isbing me that some one was abroad
Stea'thily creeping across the lawn,
entered the stall where my horse
yet remained, and discovering como
thing that stood mo.icnless in a far
corner pressed toward it hut received
il an instant n powerful blow upon
the LETT side OF the hosd that nearly
fellcd me. closed at once with the
cripple, Tor il was he, and maddened
by pain and rage, threw him heavily
upon tho ground. A few moments
served to bind him securely with a
halter, and almost Instantly heard
the beating OF hoois in front OF the
house. Fonr horsemen rode up in
The starlight, and dismounting close
to the porch, slipped quietly into
tho DWELLING. A minute more and
| shonld he discovered; another and
| should be cold and dripping, like
tbs heap Of mortality that lay ip the
well.
| | caught at my Bride frautioally,
dragged my beast TO the door, and
mounting dashed over the gate and
b.r. lleft all to my horss. | shout.
ed maniacly 10 drive him forward.
| leap q ditches and f,nccs, bruised
my limbs ngainst the keen edges OF
cedars, and clinging to main and
ponmel, gave him freedom OF rein
and BIT. A fierce feverieh desire for
life, hye, LIFE, possessed me. |
know thit ] was followed. The
shouts OF the fends bohind me rang
hosrsely above the d ,sh of hoofs, and
the painting of my weary horse, al
monishcd me that | e could not keep
his pace. Then it was that the
memories OF the past, tho sanguine
an,icipations of the future, tho sins
snd shortcomings unrepenteI OF, the
promises uniulfiled the prayers un
said, came rushing egon zngly up.
on mo. | was about to realize the
glory Of war-a pass Of steol or a
pistol fash, a tramplcd body by the
wsysidc, sccluded grave, and =
fite unknown. In vain should the
Gen raj wait impatiently till dawn
IN vain my beloved chsfe for her cx
pected letter, in vain my mother
continue to kneel with my name up
on hor lips. sbou'd die with the
intsmous accusation OF deaertion,
my messrnates would recur to me
with bitterness, and in place of sol.
emn procession and honorable tomb
| should moulder in the dampness
and silence OF the lonesome WE'LL
Those things flashed upon mo as the
'rles and clou Is went by. An etcr
nifty OF thou! !ht concentrated in those
awful moments. as | heard behind
me the tramp Of the blood thirsty
tiends--lhe brothers | know OF the
deforncd. Oh that | had my hol
ste's and The good ir, ns they con-
tsined! On icr my naked sword
that lay with them by The accursed
bsar,h!
My tirld horse had slacken ed his
speed; the pursuers were closing the
| gap bttwocm MS; I raised my eyes
to the eky, and commanded my soul
to God.
Bat suddenly something glittercd
mid way in the road a lew rods be-
hind mt; ! recogniz,d ID the sabcr o,
a sentry. and with a lond halo O
Grown Poinl! Crown Poinl!r gall
loped into the midst of Fedora :,
picket! At tho same moment .
SC ,re OF rifles cracked cloeo beside
mo, and my horse fell heavily I
tho gronni. ..
Well, indeed, hal my comradc
been avenged, There remained ol
the Lightfoots only The daughters,
for tho ol mon was stiff md pallid
in hi, bed, aud tie saddles OF his
some had all been emptied. These
worthless had run tho gauntlet oil our
pickets for the last time. We dis,