The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-04-26

habltations and Having marked; the
position Of the light, T at once Ire
traced my steps dbwn the hill. We
now remounted; and after little
more fatigue and few escapades,
arising rs much from our Ignorance
OF the ground asafrom its real diff.
Guilty, we &rrivedn mt theplace to;which
the light directed u.s. This turned
out to be bohandrt, or shepherds
shielding, rather 1arger than the or
dinary dimensions, and looking by
no means uncomfortable, and having
secured and provided for the horses
for the night in an enclosure back of
the shielding, we entered the bonari,
where we found " blazing fire, but no
human being. However, as we were
now in need thereof, we set about
preparing our evening meal, trusting
to the well-known hospitality of the
shepherds, that the liberty we were
taking would not be taken amiss.
After our repast, being greatly ia
tigued, we grew heavy and inclined
to go to sleep, and observing bed,
obscured by some drapery, in the fur
ther corner of the hut, we set about
examining it, and, finding it quite
comfortable, we both stripped us Of
our clothes, drew everything inside
the curtains, and lay down to sleep.
We had fallen asleep but shortly.
when we were awakened by loud
and confused noise outside the hut,
which we soon recognized to be the
voices of number of men. Stamp
ing and swearing, they rushed in,
seized hold of q small table at the
foot of the bed, and placing it in the
middle of the floor, they began emp
tying out great sums of money upon
it, which, OF the parting thereof, ap-
peared to form the matter of their
dispute. As it now sufficiently ap-
peared to me and my friend that these
ruffians were no other than highway
robbers, and that it was in their chiefs
bed we were now lying, and We were
driven to the extremity of despair,
not knowing what to do. AS soon as
discovered, we could expect nothing
at the hands of these bloody and law
less men but certain death, in one
form or another; if we dared move,
we wero discovered; and if we re-
manned as we were, there was hardly
chance that we should eventually
escape observation. Being almost
afraid to breathe, and nearly stupefed
with the squabbling and swearing of
the ruffians, I at length, in the eou-
rage of despair, whispered in the car
of the black man these words:
'My dear friend, God is always
good, and helps lis in our time of
need; have faith, and do this-seeing
that GOD has given you q skin differ
ing SO much from the people of this
country, you will seize my stick, and
rise up naked in your black skin, the
first time they mention the name of
the devil, and rushing up to them,
cry out: What, in my name, is that
you do2'"
Then, waiting his opportunity,
which was not long in coming, the
black man, springing from the folds
Of the curtains, and rolling up his
eyes and showing his great paws,
roared out in Gaelic the words L gave
him. This lucky idea brought the
desired result. The black no sooner
appeared in his Satanic character
than the villains scampered away like
30 many scared sheep.
After q fervent Praise be to Godr'
we began dressing as quickly as pos
sible for our departure; "for," said
L, Though we are perhaps safer here
now than we can be anywhere else,
the villains being SO superstitious
that they will. not venture within
some miles of the place before day
light, yet, with the first break of day.
they will be sure to return to see
after their money; and if then found
in the neighborhood, we shall fare i'll
indeed" We next gathered up and
secured the money, for the purpose
of having it restored to those who
might claim it. Much of it was
paper, and it amounted to q great
sum; and L wondered how such an
amount Of money could have come
within reach of robbers in that part
of the country. We equipped our
selves, moreover, with two of the
lanterns which the robbers had left
behind in their fright, and having
got out the horses, we were ready to
start. The black then proposed to
burn the hut, and, suiting the action
to the word, he thrust burning peat
into the wall, and hared wisp of
burning straw over the roof, and we
soon had blaze, which, the black
SAID, would let us see how to set out
on our way, as it had guided US on it.
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