Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-02-15

W AlCA ran UAA OA GAbACL 6lUG DI LUG
stands, which were known to the
hunters. We were unusually success
ful, and returned to late dinner at our
hosts, the planters house. By dusk
all had come in, except my friend.
whose name was Henry, and a man
named Stoner, one of the neighbors.
who had Joined our hunt. Dinner was
ready, and we sat down to it, suppOsing
they would be In, in a few moments
The meal was nearly over when Henry,
who was a valuable fellow, came bus
tling into the room, and with a slight
hurried manner, addressed our host:
Squire. this Is a strange country of
/ yours Do you let crazy people range
In 1t, with guns in their hands ?"
Not when we know it. Why? What
about crazy people? You look excited. y
well, I think I've had enough to
/ make me feel a little curious"
What is it? What is it?' exclaimed
everybody, eagerly.
why, [ have met with either the
/ Old Harry himself ghost-Or a
madman and which It is I am con-
foundedly puzzled to tell p
Where How ?2
! He threw himself into a chair, wiped
| the perspiration from his forehead and
! continued -
You know Stoner and myself, when
we parted from you all this morning,
took up the right hand side of the bot
/ tom timber. Well, Stoner accompa-
MED me to my stand, where we parted;
be to 90 on to his-and I have seen
/ nothing of him since. Soon after he
! left me, deer passed QUIT wounded
4 1t and started IN pursuit. l followed
some distance, but soon became aware
that | was losing my way, and reined
up. / wandered about nearly all day,
| but at last came upon a wagon trail,
/ and felt relieved, for 1 knew that it
must take me to some point where /
| could get information. The trail was
narrow, leading through shrubby
! thickets and I was riding along slow
/ ly, looking down In the hope of detect
| ing the tracks of some of your horses,
when the violent shying of my horse
caused me to raise my eyes. And by
| George 1t was enough to have stam-
peded a regiment of horses On the
1 left of the trail stood a very tall skel-
| etOn-like figure, dressed in skins one
| foot advanced, as if he had stopped in
/ the act of stepping across it, and long
heavy gun, just swinging down to the
/ level, bearing upon me. Of course my
heart leaped into my throat, and my
| flesh shrank and crept. Before /
could think of raising my gun, my
eyes met those of this strange figure
and such eyes ! Surprise at their cold,
unnatural expression, suspended my
action burning with chill of singu-
| lar brilliancy, in deep-sunken sockets,
they looked as if they never had wink
ed. Dwelling steadily upon my face
| for a moment, they seemed TO be salts
! fed, and the gun was slowly thrown
! back upon his shoulder and pluck
| ing at a long grisly beard, with au i'm
patient gesture of his bony hands, the
figure made a stride across the trail,
and without speaking word plunged
into the thicket | was so cOnfoUnded
| by his curious dumb show that he was
| nearly concealed in the brush before 1
| found my tongue to shout to him to
stop but he kept on, and | lost sight
of him in a moment, and whether he
can talk at all or not Is more than 1
can tell
Did you look at his feet, Henry ?"
| interrupted one of the party. II ex-
| pect It was old"
Never mind what you expect-hear
me out, be continued. Il followed
| the trail which wound about, it seem
| ed to me, towards all the points of the
compass, for an hour or more; when at
last it led me out into a prairie, which
| I thought I recognized. l stopped,
and was looking around to make out
/ the landmarks, when a horse with a
saddle on burst from the woods behind
me, and tore off across the prairie, as
if he too had seen the devil"
what color was he?" exclaimed
/ half a dozen voices In a breath.
He was too far off for me to distin-
guish more than that he was a dark
| hOrse-say about as mine. / could
| distinguish the pummel of the saddle
and the stirrups fying!
Stoner s horse was dark, was
buzzed around the table in low tones,
/ every one looking seriously in his
neighbours face.
yes" said the squire, rising and
stepping uneasily to the window
"Stoner's horse was a good deal like
yours he must have got away from
him and that is what detains him.
But then the nag was very kind crea-
ture, and we'll trained, and I wonder it
should have behaved so p
Don't believe bay would have
| done it, Squire, said one of the men.
Something's gone wrong, [ think
| Was the bride down, Mr.. Henry p
1T was too far off for me to tell. l
| followed in the direction the horse
/ took, and soon found myself here, and
lexpected to find it here too p
mo ! Stoner's is beyond here, said
/ the Squire. THAT ghost of yours, by
| the way, may be some crazy fellow who
| has wandered off in these parts with
] S,,g III h1,,-
gun ?''
Il thought I did-about an hour af-
| ter parting with that man, or devil, or
/ whatever he wss-but the sound was so
! faint and distant that for fear l might
be mistaken, l did not go to 1t; and
| the road turned so frequently, l could
not tell whether 1t was In the direction
! he went off or not.
Here the driver interposed, saying
! that he had heard rifle about that
| time on the right, but supposing it to be
/ Henry or Stoner, he tho't nothing of it.
/ Soon a horses feet were heard gallop-
4 ing up to the door, and a loud "Hillo"
/ followed. The Squire rose hastily and
went out. In a moment after he en-
| tered, looking pale and excited.
"Tom Dix Zone of Stoner's neigh
| Dors) says that his horse has come
home without a rider, the reins upon
his neck, and a clot of blood upon the
pummel of the saddle Boys, he's
been shot just as [ expected from
the first p
Everybody rose at this announce
ment-looking in the face of him op-
posite with blank pallid stare.
THE crazy man /" calculated sever
al. "Strange very mysterious bust
ness ~ said others.
II tell you what" said the Squire,
after pause, has struck me from the
first. It is that this strange fellow
Henry saw, mistook him for Stoner,
until he looked into his face, for Hen
rvs horse and general appearance are
not unlike his-and when he found he
was wrong, got out of the way and
went on till he met Stoner himself,
and has shot him"
mo doubt of it, - said several.
but it's a very mysterious affair,