The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-06-24

steam and smoke; awakening lis Thousand
echoes that have little time for sleep an(
so out again into the fresh cool night
sway-past silent fsrmstesd, and sleeping
village, Gad grest furnaces that Fare thei
b)srts ont to The unheeding stare; onUArt
we went till Burkleigh station was reached
and sixty miles Of our journey had beel
achieved.
1 gathered from the stout mans obser
! rstto1s, That lie WIS Acquainted VIII thi
part of the country, and that our flight il
that dark country was now almost ended
indeed, the FREELY, good little engine
though she was, could not hsYe hold oui
much longer without q further supply O.
water.
"Half way between Rurkloigh and the
next station, said tho Stout Esn, fis 80
point where I wish to stop. You viii
make your arrangements accordingly
! and you will further understand, that Whe1
I leave the engine you must accompany
me. 1 cannot afford to dispense with you
mpany just yet"
Here was a new view of the case with a
vengeancel And Just as 1 vas ealculat
ing how comfortably could work my way
back TO Mellingshall, and reach home in
lime for an early breakfast.
1 demonstrated, but to no purpose he
stopped me sternly, and at once. "Run
your engine off the main line on the first
siding you come TO-" said he sand for the
rost, hold your tongao."
I slacksned speed a. once about a mile
further on we came TO a small brauch-line
leading TO a c%olliery soma distance away.
Here the slim man got down and held the
points open by my direction, while l ran
the FREELY Of the msiu line and brought
her to 3 stand. This done, I let of the
steam, snd rsked some of the fire out ofthe
CRATE, while the others stood by watching
me impatiently. When all was done that
was necessary, the stout man took me by
the shoulder ard addressed mo iIhpres.
sivsly.
"LOok here my young friend" said he,
" you have acted seuBibly tonight, in not
disputing my orders. Continue to do as l
tell you, and no harm shall befall you but
attempt TO decisive me- or 20 take French
leave, and you will have something sent
after you that vii silence you forever. On
one point msk5 your mind essy-I am
dead shot; / never miss my sim.H
"Go ahead" said ! sulkilyj you needn't
talk 30 much about yur ~e0Htounded pis.
tol."
The sSont man replied with q laugh, and
singing the dispaten-box by e strap over
bis shoulder, led the way az g quick pace
from the branch.line over q track of rising
ground, out On to a wide stretch of bleak
moorlsnd, intersecta1 by several roads,
vE-rar hg-TfoFfun for a -nOpro-k oa "a thu
path he ought to take, but leading the
way as confidently IS though he we're ia.
miliar with every inch Of the ground,
which probably he was. l followed close
behind, and with the slim mar brought up
in the rear. After walking thus for a milo
or two, we came to plantation of frs, the
edge Of which skirted the road we were
~traveysiug. The stout man whistlsd twice
in B peculiar way, and We all stood up to
listen. In o moment the response came
3 similar whistle and close ct hand. Next
we heard tho noise of wheels, and present.
ly q carriage of some kind came ou! CT O
narrow lane, That al by one end Of the
plantation, and drove slowly up to where we
were standing. as we'll as 1 could make out
by that light, il seemed nothing more than
an ordinary hackney coach, with perhaps
3 better horse than common in the shafts;
while, SIS for the driver, he Was 80 thor
oughly muil2d up, that it would have been
impossible to recogniha him again. He
began TO swear at rs, as soon as ne 60.
near enough 10 be heard, for having kept
him waiting so long; but at few whispered
words from the stout man, his otj1rgatio1s
lapsed into q muttered curse or two, and
then died away in q sulky silence. We
three pedestrians, together with the des-
patch-bo1, were quickly Inside the cab,
the windows were closed and the blinds
pulled down aud we were driven of at
a good pace, which was kept up without
break or 70 { for what seemed 20 me a very
long time, till at last we ratified over the
paved streets Of some town, and about i've
minutes later came TO q stand. had some
acquaintance with that part of the coun-
and | knew thst within a radius OF
fifteen miles from tho point where we left
engine, tbree country towns were stu
9te', all OF them busy populous places
On this point 1 was IS helpless
to form 8 judgment IS If ] had been horn
blind.
On alighting from the vehicle, I had on.
y time 10 take one hssty glance round,
and ID observe that We had been driven in
TO asnall court or inclosed yard, overlook
ed by high gloomy buildings on every side,
when a door in front OF US was silently
opened, and we all went in. TIE door
seemed to close Of its own accord behind
Us; and the next moment q light appeared
st the further end OF the long passage in
which VIC ware standing, carried by one Of
the Uost singular looking beings these eyes
have ever beheid. He seemed, at the first
more ike p resuscitsted corpse
Laan anything else he was very old and
very wi.hered, with Q wicked shrivelled up
face, the face Of a cengUry-old apo,
up with two eyes, SO restless, run
ming and suspicious, that they seemed TO
every body, himself included. lie
was dressed In an old red flannel dressing
roba, which fell in Voluminous folds to his
slippered feet while his c~Gdaverous Jaws
were bound up in a dirty white hsndker-
chief, fastened in 8 huge knot on the top Of
his head, on which a few spiky hairs were
still spare'y scattered. Holding the lamp
above his hesd with q shaky hand, he
grinned 8 hideOus welcome to US, and ad-
dressing tho stout man with the familiarity
of an Old friond.
"Welcomo, home again, Mr.. William
welcome home!" he mumbled. What
luck have you had, eh-Whst luck? But
who are these? Strangers, Ell? Friends of
yours, did you say? But are they safe, Mr..
Wliism-are they ssfe?"
Chatler1ng thus, the old man led tho wgy
into a large but plainly furnished room,
WHARF q table was laid ready for supper,
showing that the arrival of one or moro
than one had been expected. Another
plate was quickly brought, and the slstterD-
Unlocking middle aged woman who waited
US served up a plain substantial sup
por 10 which we did ample justice. The
slim man seemed, if such d thing were
possible, to grow more moody and despon-
dent with every mouthfal he ate. Behind
his chair stood Black Care, the terrible,
the u~nbjdden, and poisoned the contents OF
cup and platter, with a touch Of its skele-
ton finger. As for the old man, he num-
bled and abbeEed away il his apish insane
fashion, UNDECIDED by everybody, MIR. Will
liam being just then 70 much ~preoccupied
VITA his own thoughts 10 pay the iessJ al
TO him.
When supper was over, Mr.. William
and the old man left the room together
but in q few moments the former came TO
the door and beekoned me to follow him.
I accordingly stumbled after him I'D q lOng