The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-06-18

Tfin!afiOsHlROBBinR J

Oh a fne evening, IN the spring Of
1880, O stranger mounted on a
noble-looking horse. passed slowly
over the snow-white limestone road
leading through the Black Forest.
just, as the. sun was going to rest
for the day, ,TTil;SSaa, Tl;SSaa the, gloomy sha-
dows were beginning to stalk, he
drew rein, as he saida s'arDtaf' 'e.s. .
s'This must be near. the spot, sure
ly. I'll stop here, anyhow, for
q while; ind see whatiI can learn.
He thereupon dismounted, and
entered the parlor of the inn, where
he sst'down beside small table. Z
.iHoW CAM Iisarve you, Meinheer? r.
said the landlord.
"See TO my horse, outside, - re-
piled the quest, carel lessly, but iat the
same time eyeing the landlord from
head to foot; and let me have some
wine-Rhine will ldo."r aeS
The landlord was turning to with
draw from the strangers presence,
when he stopped, and said:
Which ais way. ...l lMleeiirnheer, eir do you
:To Nanstaat, replied the guest.
"You will rest here tonight,
suppose?" continued the landlord.
az will stay here for two or three
hours, but I must then be of, so as
to reach my destination there in the
morning. lam q going to purchase
lumber for the market. :
s'And you have considerable mo-
ney with you, no doubt ?" asked the
landlord, innocently.
eyes, considerable" replied the
guest, slipping at his wine disinter-
estediy. = r& ;!
"Tien, if you1l take my advice"
said the landlord, you'll stay here
till morning.''iiTsF hs3oEs
ssWhy Pr replied the stranger,
looking up curiously.
Because" whispered the land
lord, looking around, as if he were
disclosing a great secret, and was
afraid of being heard by somebody
else, "eyery man that passes, over
the road between this and Nanstadt.
for the last ten years, has been
robbed or murdered, under & very
singular circumstances."'
s'What were the circumstances ?"
asked the stranger, putting down his
glass empty, and preparing to fill it
again. 8 .T iii
''Why, you see, the landlord went
on, while he approached his guests
table and took q seat, "I have spoken
with several who have been robbed.
ALI I could learn. from them is, that
they remember nesting, in the lone
some part of the wood, something
that looked white and ghastly, and
that frightened their horses SO that
they either ran away or threw their
riders. They felt o choking sensa-
ton and smothering, and finally
died, as they thought. butlawoke in
an hour or SO to find themselves
lying by the roadside, robbed of eve
rything."
'Indeedl,'' calculated the stranger,
looking abstractedly at the rafters in
the ceiling, as though he was more
intent upon counting them than he
was interested in the landlord 8 story.
The inn-keeper looked at him in
establishment. Such perfect GOODNESS
J40 Attu aOJ WAtuSoSOo 1OT u lOuR bllu0.
s'You will remain, then p suggest
ed the landlord, after waiting some
time for his guest to speak.
81 ?"cried the stranger, starting
from his fit of abstraction, as though
he was not sure that he was the per
son addressed. "Ohi most certainly
not. I'm going straight ahead,
ghost or no ghost, tonight"
Half an hour later. the stranger
and o guide, called Wilhelm, were
out on the road, going at O pretty
round pace towards, ,Nanstadt.
During flash of lightning, the
stranger observed that his guide
looked very uneasy about something,
and was slackening- his horses pace,
as though he intended to drop be-
hind.
'tLead on" cried the stranger;
'don't be afraid" gr
''I'm afraid cannot" replied the
person addressed, continuing to hold
his horse in until he was now al
least a length behind his companion.
'My horse is cowardly and nnman-
ageable in q thunder storm. If you
will go on, though, I think I can
make him follow close enough to
point out the road"
The stranger pulled up Instantly.
A strange light cleaned in his eyes,
while his hand sought his breast