The free South. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1863-1864, 1864-01-30

the scene before me. To this day, l can
not recall it without something OF the
same sickening sensation.
Inside the hut, by the light OF pine
torch thrust into an iron sconce against
the wall, / SAW the herdsman kneeling by
the body of his wife = grieving over her.
like an Othello kissing her white lips.
wiping the blood stains from her yellow
hair, r;lvinS oHt inarticulate cries OF p;ls-
s;onate remur>e, AMI calling down nj the
curses of Heaven uprn his own head, aud
that OF some oIher m.In who had brought
this crime upon him. l understood it all
now-a!l tn, my>t'r7, all the terror, all
( the despair. ShH hal sinnah against him.
and he had slam hnr S;h, was qlt"
deal. The very k if.. with It's bilious
testimony fresh up III the Di.nl2, hty net:
the ,loor. ~
t1r1",l AMI a,I--h,inliv, Willy. liI-
man VITA hl,olhpan Il on his trl,',:
! now, Stumbling OYER Stones now. torn
I "y :Iri"rS; nov, rlu,ing II ;lnmaut 10
+ lake b.ca:a: :.o;g;. Ilshing forward siss.r
! thaa hafrrH; now, batting up hi'I VIZ,
, ,tgGiniag iaE55 ald trembling limbs;
! nov, sta!S.rn: ;.s-2---i 7=-r' ~ -,'--
nos, .TII:hg ID: the iligher s:onn ssai,f.
and cistiIg never a glance hohini At
: length reached % bare plteau above the
line % vegetation, where I dcnp)ai ez-
hGustel. Here / lay TO- long tim.
beaten anl stupriol, mil the intense
cold nj approaching dawn forcnd uoon
me the NECESSITY of action. rose ani
looked aroaul nn Che srrut, ~ ie.tnra O..
w!ie!i was familiar t, me- The ya.y sl,w-
peaks, though I knew thny m7st 'lr the
same, l;oicd unlike the peaks of Yesterday
raa ytTT g..i-:,1rS, seen from II aif rent
Do:nt Of view. ar'Imc,! new forms as Il on
purp1sn to bad no. Tins pr:plnye1 !
Ea,l. n rscoIrsr hnt % climb The nraY st
h2rc;!i! !rJ:.. T.:.cn 1t was ;,ro o3aba. thu: i.
general view might Ia obtained. da!
SO, i.'.S5 az the last helt OF parple rlisE
tnrnel Soldrn in tAa east, an tie SIN
ros,
\ superb panorama lay stretched before
me, peak heyond peIk, glacier bryonl
glacier, VaEey and pine forest and pasture
slope, al tlUshed and l"ipilat;ng IN the
crimson vapo.s of the dawn. Here anl
there / coull trace the foam of Il watcr-
fall, or the silver thread OF = torrent ::
here anl tn are the canopy OF faint biu"
smoke that wave~el upward from some
hamlet among the hills. Suddenly my
eye fell upon little lake-a su!len pool
laying in the shade Of m ampltnentrc
OF rocks some eight hundred feet below.
Until that moment the night and its ter-
rorS appeared to have passed. like wicked
vision bu5 now the very sky seemed dark
ened above me. Yes, tn re it lay ut my
feet. Youd + was the path by which hai
descended from the plateau, anil, lower
still, the accurSed chalet with its back
ground OF rugged cliff and overhan2iug
lrecipice'. Well might they lay in sha-
dow! Well might the sunlight refuse to
touch the ripples of that lake with gold,
and 10 light up the windows of that house
with an illumination direct from Heavenr
Thus standing, thus looking down, I
became aware O. a strange sound, a sound
singularly distinct. bnt far away. a sound
sharper and follower than the fall of an
avalanche, and unlike anything that I
remembered to have heard While l was
yet asking myself what it was or w,.ence
it came, saw considerable fragment of
rock detach itself from one of the heights
overhanging the bike, bound rapidly from,
ledge to ledge, and fall with heavy plash
into the water below 1t was followed by
cloud of dust, and prolonged reverbe-
ration. like the rolling of distant thunder.
Next moment dark fssure sprang into
sight i'll down the face OF the precipice-
the hsSure became a chasm--the whole
elf wavered before my eyes-waveret3,
plrted, sent up a cataract OF earth anu
stones. and slid slowly down, down into
the valley.
Drafened by the crash, ami o.inded by