The mountain Democrat., 1864-04-30

VlHeRo 20 give ~ AccOuub VI Hms9lL.
Tks young men Of St 6uIise hsd bseI
altsT him in vain. HS bravsd then, b
OSsstHEnsd their plots, by showing him
self on the same evening In diRsren
places 10 thirty young heroes, who, nevel
being able 70 agree % to the piace nor th'
hour of the apparition, were obliged Z
break up, swearing at the cursed animal
This bare was Of enormous size, an6, ,ai
no one ever saw its equal, It was agreed
that il must be Q soreereT, and every one
had . tale concerning it. Of which the
most curious was that which obtained il
the name of Campion's Hare.
Campion was . young sailor, strong,
tall, vigorous, alert, active, and With q
sure eye. On returning from service be
heard tell of the wonderful animal. the
terror of the viellois;% he listened atten-
lively to oil the stories related before him,
and one evening, . fortnight after his re-
turn, be said, as be lit bis pipe, to the
sailors who were going into the viellOii
with him, "He bien, les garsl What's
the matter, that you seem in such q
hurry?"
=. awe haverseen the harel He is there
in the street l"
"And there you are, all upset |" replied
Campion, with q contemptuous toss Of
the head. "a bare frightens you. and
you call yourselves men-Rnd sailors,
moreover-like . parcel Of piou-pious. I
Faith, | don't know what to make Of you!
You have faced q hundred dangers IN
your voyages; you have seen-all of you
have served like mel don't speak of the
Terreneuvats,t who have seen nothing
but their village, the island, the gulls, the
Goldfish, and few gray or white bears
but you, say, who have seen the tigers
Of Bengal and Africa-you tremble Hike
girls before hare Of your own cOuatry
What did you do, then, before the ssFpsnta
and lospards Of Americai A set Of.
But that ts enough; one sees your ways,
and one Knows what n lot one has to do
With To show you that your hare is
nothing but rag" (chife, term Of the
Interest contemp0, "and isn't worth .
pipeful of tobacco, I'll wager that I'll
bring him you dead or alive within three
days; unless, indeed, the hare be the devil
himself with whom don't pretend to
measure myself"
All the young men eagerly accepted
the bet.
That same evening Campion went to
look after the hare; he had pointed out to
him the places it chiefly frequented; he
watched for it with all care but in vain
for two months he sought it, but without
ever obtaining q glimpse of the creature.
The first bet thus lost was paid.
Then Campion made q second, and CO.
ger not to lose it, he kept constantly on
the watch. Still the hare remained invis-
ible.
"They are pack Of visionaries |" then
said Campion, and be ceased to trouble
himself more in the matter.
He was coming home one evening from
visiting his sweetheart, thinking only Of
his future marriage, and how to gain the
consent of her family, richer than him
SELF He turned over his own savings,
and weighed them against the bit of land
of his lady love, when, all Of q sudden,
striking his foot against something, be
tripped and came sprawling across some
soft body which struggled under him, and
speedily escaped, leaving Campion to get
up and rub the sand off his hands.
A few PAGES before him sat the hare.
He had had the beast under him second
ago, and there it squatted, mocking him,
sitting up on end, and rubbing its ears as
if nothing had happened.
The brave sailor quickly recovered from
his surprise. Stealing along without q
sound, he cautiously stretched forth an
arm-the bare is under his handi but To-,
bound, and the beast is thirty yards
from the murderous arm which threatens
him.
Campion, at once making up his mind
to have an end of the matter there and
then, proceeded to follow him, but with.
out appearing to be in pursuit. So on nc
went, singing, to give himself an air Of
indifference, the hare skipping and caper.
ing from furrow to furrow before him, till
they entered the bouFg together. As they
passed by the Port. Barree, chance the
blind god that sometimes plays US such
scurvy tricks, placed . cudgel at his foot
CampiOn stopped, seized it, and sent it
flying right on the loins Of the hare which
rolled over on his side. In delight Cam
pion, thinking the hare was dead, and that
he had nothing to do but carry it off and
display it at the first viellois he should
come to on his way. stopped to pick it up,
when behold! the creature, which bad
only been laughing at him, rises up on its
hind legs, grows bigger and bigger, as
sumes q fearful aspect, tears the cudgel
out of his hand, and bestows on him such
a dressing as be never had before.
So thick and fast fell the blows that the
poor sailors eyes flashed FIRE; at last,
however, he contrived to escape from
them, and, perceiving light in q house
still open, he fed thither, and fell fainting
in the middle Of viellois there assembled,
despite the lateness of the hour.
Everybody overwhelmed Campion with
questions and attentions, and as soon as
he had somewhat recovered, he family
exclaimed:
"Mes amis, I've lost this bet too. l
have done more than see the hare, have
felt It'll"
He then related to them his doleful ad.
venture; every one remained terror-strick'
en-, and each, as he returned home. trem.
bled ct the thought Of what results this
event might bring about, seeing that the
hare was clearly the devil in person.
The young men escorted CsmpiOn home,
and saw him safe and warm in bed; but il
was long ere he recovered from the cud.
geling OF the unholy beast.
As to the hare, satisfied, no doubt, with
having felt the weight Of CampiOO's arm,
henever reappeared in the place, where
he is still remembered under the title ol
Campion's Hare.
Viellois-EvsHing neetingA where youpg
people assembled 10 tell stories, and otherwise
amuSo themselves.
Piou-pious, term ofoontsuPt ky IL
sailors for foot soldiers. Almost ali The Aals