The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1866-07-26
A Night of Terror.

burgh over the mountain. My fellow
passengers were two gentlemen and
lady. The elder gentleman's appear
ance interested me exceedingly. In air
and manner he was calm, digni6ed and
polished ; and the contour of his feat
ures was singularly intellectual. lie
conversed freely on general topics, until
the road became more abrupt and pre-
cipitous, but on my directing his atton.
tion to the great altitude of the preci
pice, or the verge of which our coach
wheels wereleisurely rolling, there came
a marked change over his countenance.
His eyes so lately filed with the light
Of mild Intelligence, beanie wild, rest
less and anxious; the mouth twitched
spasmodically, and the forehead beaded
with a cold perspiration. With sharp,
conclusive shudder, he turned his gaze
from ths giddy height, and clutching
my arm tightly with both hands, be
clung to me like drowning man.
" Use this cologne" said the lady,
handing me bottle with the instioc-
tive goodness of her sex.
I sprinkled little on his face, and
he soon became somewhat more compos-
ed but it was not until we had trav.
ersed the mountain and descended to
the country beneath, that the fin e feat.
ures relaxed from their perturbod look,
and assumed the placid, quiet dignity l
had noticed.
II owe an apology to the lady," said
he, with bland smile and gentle incli
nation of the head to our fair compan.
ion, q and some explanation to my fel-
low travellers also, and perhaps I cannot
better acquit myself of the double debt,
than by recountiug the cause of my re.
cent agitation"
|" 1t may pain your feelings" deli
cately urged the lady.
h "On the contrary, it will relieve
them, was the respectful reply.
y Having signifed our several desires
to hear more, the traveller then proceed
cd 4:
At the age of eighteen I was light
of foot, and I fear (here he smiled }
light of head A fine property on the
right bank of the Ohio acknowledged
me as sole owner. | was Fastening
home to enjoy it, and delighted to get
free from college life. The month
Of October, the air was bracing, and
the mode Of conveyance, a stage. coach
like this, only more cumbrous. The
other passengers were few-but three
in allan old, grey, headed planter Of
Louisiana, his daughter, joyous, be
-witching creature, about seventeen, anC
his son, about ten years Of age. The,
were just returning from France, o
which the young lady discoursed il
terms SO eloquent, as to absorb my en-
tire attention.
The father was taciturn, but thu
- daughter was vivacious by nature, and
We soon became so mutually well pleas
"a with each other, she as a talker, [ al
4 listener that it was not until sudder
fash Of tightening, and heavy dash o
rain against the coach window ELECTED
au exclamation from my charming com
oanion, that l noticed how night passeC
on. Presently there was low, rum
bling sound, and then several tremend
GUS peals of thunder accompanied b.
successive flashes of tightening. Th'
rain descended in torrents, and an angry
wind began to howl and moan through
the forest.
l looked from the window of our We
hicle. The night was as dark as ebon,
but the lightning revealed the darkues
of our road. We were on the edge o
a frightful precipice. could see a
intervals huge jutting rocks far ava
down on the sides, and the sight mad
me solicitous for the fate of my fai
companion. l thought of the mere hail
breadths that were between us and etel
nifty; a single little rock in the track c
the coach wheels, a tiny billet Of woot
. stray limb of tempest torn tree,
restive horse, or a careless driver an
of these might hurl US from our sublr
= nary existence with the speed {
Thought. band .e a9a. r.
"'Tis perfect tempest" said tn
lady, as withdrew my head from tn
window. How / love a sudden storm