The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-05-27

spring hole was, away he swept to the
end, till the figure was lost among the fa-
nous islands of wild rose bushes, all
| leafess and frozen. Wheeling around,
he had just started TO return, when anoth-
er boy, skating in the opposite direction,
having slipped upon a loose stick, plunged
| heavily against him.
Isaiah was hurled back ward, striking
his head upon the ice, and then he re-
maIned motionIess. The blow was SO
violent that II made starlike imprint in
the glossy floor, Vainly his terrified
companions lifted his head, or moved the
small feet and hands With his cap lying
near him with the red and white COM
forter about his neck, and the skates upon
bis feet, ne lay in silence.
The boys drew together to counsel
They were horribly frightened poor
little feilows for the loneliness was terri
| ble, there on the black ice in the dark
| uess, win their seemingly dead compan-
ion.
Crying, whispering or decIaiming in
round eyed terror, the little lads canvass
ed their position. They had heard Of
dreadful murders-they had heard that
boys had been hung? Grandmother had
told them so-Auut Clara and Uncle
John had told them so. Boys had been
hung ! Wouldn't they be hung Wouldn't
people say that they had killed Isaiah.
just as the boys whom grandmother told
them Of had killed tier playmate? And
then they would have ropes put around
their necks and be drawn III cart
Sobs and downright crying worse than
ever, attested TO their creduity as this
| view Of she case was taken.
The children Of that day were not like
those of the present. They were more
/ ignorant, more simple, more the victims
of imaginary and numberless terrors.-
And al las;, Zaiah's comrades, in their
nine and lensyear cid simplicity, resolved
70 conceal his body under the ice. They
/ dragged him towards the spring at the
! north end-Ied and white comforter, poor
! little skates and all, and there they laid
him down, close to the open water.
Then one boy Lcsilated, ana the hcsi-
tation soon grew 20 positive OBJECTION
Another Joined him, and again they all
! came to a debate upon the matter
Those who insisted upon the conceal
ment, feeling themselves guiIess, and YET
.inextricably involved in horrors, finally
| took off their skates and ran crying away.
! The others were about following, with
intention Of seeking aid, when Isaiah
! showed signs Of life. How the poor boys
cried for joy They stepped beside thcir
! playmate and raised his poor head, and
| tried to lift him TO his feet. The arrival
of older persons happily relieved them,
AMI Isaiah was carried home.
From that hour be had known but
little. Always in wiater his insanity was
worse than at other seasons, and though
! forty years had passed since the accident,
he was still at times raving maniac -
| Once, escaping from the madhouse, he
had come down at midnight 10 the pond.
There, in the morning his keeper had
! found him The neighbors were sum
moned to assist in his capture, and all
were terrified by his fantastic gestures. -
He was a very large man, of immense
muscular power.
The story of Isaiah made a deep i'm
preston upon Adelaide. In the begin
ming of winter she had dreamed that a
monstrous mailman pursued her about the
pond, and even after, when shaking there
at evening, she betrayed some timidity.
In January, the ice, which had been
| roughencd by the sllateeirons, thawed en-
tirely, and shortly after the pond froze
smooth as glass. | communicated to Ad~
die the intelligence, much to her delight
The area was larger than usual, and no
one had been upon the new ice.
We set out for the scene at evening,
thinking to find a number Of our acquaint-
ances there but in this we were disap>
pointed The farmer boys, with their
| sweethearts and sisters, were enjoying the
fine sleigbing-a snow having fallen just
previous TO the freezing Of the pond.
fastened the skates upon Adelaide's little
boots-real skating boots, which she had
just waded through the snow with-and
away she glided as if borne upon the air.
The excellent condition of the ice, gave
her artistic powers full play. In the clear
central space she made rapid circles, then
darting out at an angle she would sweep
backward with wonderful swifness.
At length, while we were widely sepa-
rated, she uttered wild cry, as if greatly
terrified. Fastening to her assistance, L
beheld, standing at the mouth of an inlet
about twenty feet in width, the gigantic
figure of man. He was bare-headed,
with bristIing hair and horribly fierce
aspect. Beyond him, and between the
hedge-like lines Of wild rosebushes, stood
Adelaide, her beautiful arms uPraised in
frantic terror.
|
AS I approached, he turned towards
me. The frightened girl, seeing his at
tentien diverted, endeayored to escape by
passing him. Instantly he rushed to-
wards her, and as she wheeled despairing-
ly back, glided close under his arm and
reached her side The inlet was dozen
rods long, narrowing as it went; but