Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1868-01-09

Jea from his lit OF abstraction as thougi
~ he were not sure that he was thu
rct person addressed 80, most GER
'Oa tainly not; I'm going straight
gH ahead, ghost or no ghost, tonight. y
t Half an hour later the stranger
ii and guide, named Wilhelm, were
9 out on the road, going at pretty
] round pace towards Nanstadt.
NJ During a flash of lightning the
!, u stranger observed that his guide
q look'd very uneasy aboutsomething
. and was slackening his horses pace
o, as though he intended to drop be-
nd hind.
u Lead on" cried the stranger,
ei "do not be afraid"
"I'm afraid / cannot, replied the
IA person addressed, continuing to
" hold his horse in until he was now
J at least a length behind his compan-
ion. "My horse is cowardly and
unmanageable in a thunder storm.
! If you will go on, though, think
& 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
pocket, from which he drew some
thing. The guide saw the move
ment and stopped also.
"Guides should lead, not follow"
said the stranger, quietly, but with
a frmness which seemed to be ex-
ceedingly unpleasant to the person
addressed.
"But," faltered the guide, "my
horse won't 60"
"Won't hep" queried the stran-
ger with mock simplicity in his tone.
The guide heard a sharp click,
and saw something CLEAN in his
companions right hand: He seem
ed to understand perfectly, for he
Immediately drove his spurs into
his hores's fanks, and shot ahead
of his companion without another
word.
He no sooner reached his old po-
sition, however, than the stranger
saw him give sharp turn to the
right and then disappear, as Though |
he had vanished through the thick
foliage Of the trees that skirted the
wood.
He heard the clatter of his horse
as he galloped off. Without wait
ing another instant, he touched his
horse lightly with the reins, gave
him a prick with the rowels and off
the noble animal started like the
wind III the wake of the flying
guide.
The strangers horse being much
superior to the others, the race was
a short one, and terminated by the
guide being thrown nearly from his
saddle by heavy hand which was
laid upon his bride, stopping him.
He turned in his seat, beheld the
strangers face, dark and frowning,
and trembled violently as he felt
the smooth cold barrel of a pistol
pressed against his cheek.
"This cursed beast almost ran
away with me-" cried the guide,
composing himself as well as he
could under the circumstances.
eyes, 1 know said his compan-
ion, dryly, "but mark my words,
young man, if your horse plays
such tricks again, he'nbe the means
of seriously injuring his masters
health"
They both turned and cantered
back to the road When they
reached it again, and turned the
heads of their animals in the right
direction, the stranger said to his
guide, in tone which must have
convinced his hearer as to his earn
estness-
"Now, friend Wilhelm, I hope
we understand each other for the
rest of the journey. You are to
continue on ahead of me, in the
right road, without swerving either
to the right or to the left. If l see
you do anything suspicious, I will
drive a brace of bullets through you
without another word of notice
Now push on"
The guide had started as direct
ed, but it was evident from his NUT
terings that be was alarmed atsome-
thing besides the action of his fol-
lower,
In the meantime the thunder had
increased in its violence. and the