The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-04-27

feeling of great relief that he saw ligh
in the tavern and tcthered his lame hors,
at the rack.
A he passed the window, n glance
showed him two Of the keepers carrying
a man, apparently drunk, into another
room, and, boy.like, he tapped on th,
sndow, and passed on to the door, which
he had scarce reached before two o.
the keepers rushed out, and seized him
roughly, and angrily enquired what he
wanted.
He called the tavern keeper by name,
told them who he was, and that his mas
ter told him to join him there, and then
laughngly asked which of them they had
Just put TO bed drunk. They replied that
his master had been there and had waited
some time after dinner, but that he had
gone TO the next tavern, and left direc-
tions for the boy to follow him there.
Facing the lonely heath in thunder
storm, on II lame horse, was rather more
than the boys nerves were equal to, and
he insisted upon staying there all night
saying he could join his master early in
the mOrniDg. To this the inn-keepers
rather reluctantly consented, and the boy,
after eating his supper, was soon sound
asleep.
lie had not been long asleep when he
was reused by smothered gurgling moan,
aud saw n light shining underneath the
door, and heard low talking outside in the
passage. Half frightened and curious he
peeped through crack in the door and
was horrifcd at seeing a stream of blood
along the floor, but was treasured when
he saw it was from goat which had just
been slaughtered, and that the woman and
her three Sons were standing around the
dying animal. Much relieved he was
about returning 10 bed, when one of the men
asked, "what will you do with the lad ?"
The mar addressed, who held the
Bloody knife with which lac had slauehte
cred the goat, pointed to the door al which
the trembling lad stood listening, with a
gesture to impose caution, and replied,
"send him to jain his master in the spring
"Right," added the woman, ''dead men
lell ne tales"
''h," rejoined the first speaker "thst
spring is god send, we could never car
ry On our business without it. | don't
think it has any bottom. and if people
knew what we put in there they wouldn't
like the water so well' and he laughed
bat was sternly reproved by the
elder of the band who again made war;
ming gesture towards the door behind
which the lad stood breathlessly listening.
Convinced that his death was intended,
The lad looked hopelesdy around for means
Of escape, but there was none. But there
was the window Breathlessly he raised it
his heart in his throat, lest rattle or creak
should warn the murderOus band, but n
few feet disland He looked out-the
window was to high TO hope for escape
without alarming the band, even if ths fall
should prove harmless, and hope died
within him DespairingIy he looked
around There were the bed-clothes;
might they not serve as a rope ! Rapidly
and sileatly they were twisted and tied,
and fastening the cord thus made to the
ped post. The impromptu rope proved
ong enough, aad the lad casting one fear
'ul, hurried glance around, sped away into
he darkness over the desolate heath. The
outlines of the dreaded house had scarcely
disappeared IN the gloom, when he heard
he cry:
"By hell |! the boy goue-let loose the
and a moment after the
leep bay of the hound rang through the
hight air, as he took the track of the fug'
tive lad.
Fear lent wings, and the boy few on
ward, but he stumbled and fell heavily
,ver one of the piles of rough stones with
which the moor was dotted, br1iising and
,utting himself severely. Stunned and
hopeless, he lay for & while motionless.
nut the bay Of the adSanc;ng hound reused
Inn, and once more he Struggled on in
desperate race for life.
Suddenly the baying ceased and the
ound of blows and curses literally be-
towed upon the hound by the enraged
,and, died away in The distance. and still
he boy sped on
Arriving at the next village, the boy
old his fearful tale, but il seemed too ims
Nevertheless, his half naked,
,ruised and bleeding state showed that he
It least believed it, and he was carried Ia
he house of a magistrate, TO whom the
ad told his terrible story.
The villagers who had clustered round,
hough they pitied the boy, evidently dis
'elieved his account, and hiated that the
10Y had lost his senses but the magistrate
whose first care had been to have the boy
lothed and refreshed with wine and food,
troked his heard musngly, and then said
There Is something wong about that
avern. The boys tale, although improb,
bile enough, hangs too well together, and
he sticks TO his story too closely for 1t
o be the mere phrensied fancy of lunat-
c. lie believes it, that is evident. This
must be seen to at once. A dozen of you
rm your Nclyes, get torches, and follow
ne."
The requisite number was soon pre-
jared, horse procured for the wearied
10Y, and they sIst out.
On getting to The house Just at dawn,
II WAS still and th Q inmates seemed asleep.
)n knocking, a IN an apparently just out
4 bed raised window and asked what
hey wanted. Being told to open the door
n the Kings name, it was done unhesita
ingIy. ''Ah George what did you run
Iway fort' asked tlie man who opened