The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1863-10-22

wound over hill and moor, without wall o.
fence; and, where the snow was rapidly Gov
ering heath and path alike, to trace my route
with accuracy became impossible
'Human life had been sacrificed more thaI
once, amid the snow drift, on that wild moor
Hand, and sheep innunerable had been lost
TO make my danger greater, the place was
full of pits and hollOws, where mining specu-
Ilators had tried to sink shafts in former years
Should wander off the beaten track, the
chances were that Knight meet brokennecE
lin one of those COMPOUNDED holes
II stumbled on at random. L had lost my
Ibearing utterly and in few minutes knew
as little where | was as if had been sudden
" set down bound and blindfolded in the mid
die of the moor. was making way, surely,
as best could through the snow-drift; but,
for all / knew, might be going in any direc-
ton but the right one. Was | on the beaten
road, or was | on the heath?
''Anothermoment cruelty settledmy doubts
One step more-my foot found no rest and
fell headIong into broad, deep pit. Stunned
by the fall, lay there | know not how long.
Bruised and giddy, tried at last to regain
my feet, when a pang Of exquisite pain shot
through my left arm; the bone was broken.
| As with my right hand now tried to steady
myself and grope my way out OF the hole, the
agony | suffered was indescribable; yet my
first thought was to feel for the bag OF gold
which was still safely suspended from my neck.
| crawled out of the pit, and pushed forward
on chance more slowly this time, though,
and cautiously for the terror Of those vile holes
was strong upon me now. But grew weak
err every moment and a vague and sickly
alarm sliced me- Suppose | should swoon
upon that moor-nly head was giddy and my
limbs unsteady already: what but dreadful
death under the fast-faling snow awaited
me?
cat this horrible thought, cold sweat suf-
fused my whole body, and my parched tongue
Glove to my palate to my last hour | shall
not forget the horror Of that picture Of death
which rose before my minds eye that night.
The pain Of my arm grew more excessive ev-
cry moment; it hung by my side like lead
en- weight. But, strange to say even with
the grim terror Of death before me, a wild de-
sire began to creep over me to lie down upon
the snow and rest. Had done So no doubt,
my last sleep would have followed. But luck
| lily just then faint glimmer of light caught
my eye, and with the eagerness of awakened
hope | hurried towards it. In few minutes
IOulu DIT OJcll tiOOl VI u WlCOCICNt
cabin, on the hearth Of which a wood fire was
burning.
q 'HalIoo y was the greeting received from
a rough voice-'who the--are you, and
what dye want here such a night as this p
''The wood which burned on the hearth was
fresh and damp, and filled the cabin with
smoke as well as with pungent odor 1t
took some little time to discover III the far
Will oh fbn cd +hn
figure of man, large, gaunt and broad shout
dered, raggedly clad, with dark, scowling face,
and bullet head covered with coarse, black,
matted hair.
Il hurriedly explained to this person my
|misadventure lie rose and pushed towards
me the stool on which he had been seated.
g Sit you down, man he said, somewhat
less roughly; you look weak, and a broken
arm is no trifle. Though what we can do
for you, hang me if know. But what errand
took you out upon the moor such night as
this p
g 4 was going from Longley, on import
tant business to Farmer Carston's.'
" From Longley to old Carstons! he ex-
claimed. 'Whew! Why man, you chose a
very roundabout way to get to your journeys
end
" Roundabout? What do you mean?' I
asked.
. 4 mean that old Carstons is nearly in the
opposite direction, was his answer. and you
have been steadily walking away from it for
the last half-hour at least
g And how far am | from it now?
g Some four good miles at least
"Here was discovery; but what was to be
done? | asked the man to guide me to Cars
toms, and offered to pay him well.
8" Not for all the money they say old Cars
ton has in the bank, he answered, would |
attempt to go over the moor tonight Why,
man, the snow is falling so thick you couldn't
see a yard before you. 1t would be as much
as our lives are worth. Men have met their
doom upon that moor outside, before now, on
such night as this
''AlI this time the pain ofmy arm was grow
ing intolerable and help of any kind was inn
possible there. What was to do? Stay in
this wretched place till morning, and endure
my agony till daylight should bring chance
of aid? There was no alternative.
g All you can do, said the man. is to keep
where you are tonight; and be thankful that
you have the shelter of even these miserable
walls on such night as this. 1t will be well,
even, if this Internal snow storm does not bury
the cabin itself before morning. If you want
anything to eat.y can have crust Of bread
-thatsyall we have--and in that room inside
you may lie down on the straw till morning
comes. But you do look horribly beaten up
here, Sally, up with you, lass, and get us the
black one
Il turned to the other corner, beside the
fire, to which these words were addressed, and
now beheld, for the first time, young woman
sitting beside a child that lay asleep upon the
ground turned, and found her eyes fixed
upon me with a strange, eager glare She wag
miserably clad, and looked sickly and thin
yet her face showed the traces Of much per
sonal beauty. She was delcately fair ever.
feature was beautifully moulded; and her long
dishevelled hair, of golden tinge, actually
glistened in the blaze Of the fire. But what
struck me most about her was the hungry.
wolfsh glare her eyes, so unnaturaly large
as it was upon me- that wild, eager
look made my heart sick with vague feeling
of dread and dislike.
THE woman did not speak but she went
to large chest at the other end of the room
almost the only article of furniture in the
place, except rickety deal table and coup
lie of stools, and took from it large black
bottle and broken cup.
g Come said the man, taking the cup and
the bottle and pouring some of the contepso |
OF the one into the other, you did not expect, |
perhaps, to see anything like this in stop-
herds hut on the moor. No matter it came
to us some way. Try 1.-THE brandy is good, |
and you couldnot take much better physic to-
night
''NIost gratefully did l seize the cup and
drink off the contents and never was cordial
more welcome The blood came coursing
warmly through my shivering frame again,
and for while even forgot the excessive pain
of my broken arm. Declining the bread which
the man offered me- drew nearer to the fire. |
took epistol from my breast-pocket, and
laid it on the ground beside me and, as l
stopped to do this, the bag of gold struck |
against the stool with musical clink of the |
coins within. /
..In -,,cr.,rr,t rnisnd ho %