The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-03-02
EY MIDNIGHT PERIL.
BY AMY RANDOLPH.

The night of the 18th OF October-shall
ever forget its pitchy darkness, the roar
Of the autumnal wind through the lonely
forest, and the incessant doWn=p0ur OF the
rainH had heard lonely wayfarers
being lost in,.tfie woods before; 1 had
pitied.them; but now I fully realized the
Trague terror, the underlined danger which
broods over the lost
"Tbis comes of short cuts" muttered
petulently to myself as ploddcd along,
keeping close to the trunks of the trees to
avoid the deep ravine through which
could Just hear the roar of the turbulent
stream some forty or fifty feet below. My
blood ran cold as thought what might be
the possible consequence Of mis-step or
move in the wrong direction. Why had
not been contented to keep in the high
road ?
81 should have reached the railroad
station an hour ago if had not foolishly
imagined the wood path would be more
direct now have wandered off, nobody
knows how many miles out Of civilization,
and if / escape with whole skin and
sound bones, shall consider myself par
ticularly lucky. Hold on-was that a
light, or are my eyes playing me as false as
did my common sense
stopped, holding on to the low, resin
boughs of hemock that grew Oh the
edge of the bank, for it actually seemed
as if the wind would seize me bodily and
hurl me down the prccipitous descent.
1t was bght-thank Providence, it was
q light, and no ignuS fatuus or corpse
CLEAN to lure me on to destruction and
death.
Halloo-o-o-om
NV voice rang through the woods like q
clarion, strengthened by the energy of des-
peration the light hesitated, oscillated
back and forth, and finally stood still.
plunged onward through tangled vines,
dense briars, and rocky banks, until
gradually nearing could perceive bent
figure wrapped in al old oil-cloth cape or
cloak, CARRYING lantern. AS the dim
light fell upon his face, almost recoiled.
Would not solitude and the woods be- pre-
ferable to the companionship of this
withered, wrinkled, hideous old man {?
But it was too late to recede now.
"What's wanting 7" he snarled, with q
peculiar motion of the lips that seemed TO
leave his yellow stumps all bare.
81 am lost in the woods can You direct
me 20 Il StatlOn r.
eyes; R station is twelve miles
from here 7"
"Twelve miles ~
stood aghast.
eyes"
"Can you tell me of any shelter could
obtain for the night?"
"No!"
"Where are you going 70
"To Drew's, down by the maple swamp"
SIS it 8 tavern ?"
"No.n
"Would they take me for the night? /
could pay them WELL"
His eyes cleaned; the yellow stumps
stood revealed once more.
"Iguess so. 'Taint a tavern, but folks
do stop there once in q while."
Is it for from here p
Not very about half q mile.''
Then let US make haste and reach it.
] am drenched to the skim"
We plodded on, my companion more
than keeping pace with me, though he
must have been nearly seventy Ave wears
of age, and bent with infrmity. Presentiy
wa left the edge Of the ravine, entering
what seemed like trackless woods, and
keeping straight on until the lights Of some
hsbita tai cleaned ftfully through the
wet foliage.
1t was ruinous old place, with the win
dows all downto one side as if the foun--
dation has settled, and the pillarso q rude
porch nearly rotted away, yet Aladdin's
castle could scarcely have looked plea-
ganter or more welcome to mo, Way,yorn
ind weary asI was.
"A woman answered my fellow-trsyeIler's
;nock-a woman apparently abont thirty-l