The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1869-08-26
IN DURANGO VILE.

I had escaped at last from the hot stuffy
atmosphere Of "chambers," the sweltering pro
cess Of sitting bewigged and gowned in the
courts, and, bent on gratifying my love Tor
pre- Adamite researches, was off with staff and
knapsack to search for fossils in some we'll
known chalk excavations in the ncighborhood
Of the little village of Esterwold, in Southshire.
Ny travelling Announcements were OF the light
est possible descriptions single change Of
raiment, and a few implements of the geologi-
cal craft to assist me in my researches, constl-
tuting my sole effects The train put me
down at distance Of some seven miles from
nv destination, and doubtless presented
somewhat dusty and travel soiled appearance
when after tramping through the chalky roads,
I reached early in the evening the best inn
of the village. The landlord, who combined
the business Of general shopkeeper and pub
lican, received me with sort of surly civiilty,
in which his wife initiated her lord, as though
the grain from my visit were hardly likely to
recompense them for trouble Of preparing for
my nights lodging and board. When the
room in which I was to sleep had been clear
ed from the litter and lumber that had accu-
mulated in it since it was last used by tray
eler. and by the aid of limited supply Of
fresh water,-for the drought had been OF
lono duration, and water was scarce at Ester
wold.-I managed torefresh myself, / des-
cended to the parlor, and sat down to tea
There we're some half-dozen gentlemens hou-
ses scattered about in the immediate neigh
borhood of the little village, and taking up a
week-old number of the county paper found
the chief attraction offered to its readers Of
late had been the details of several mysterious
robberies committed upon the property OF the
gentry aforesaid, occasioning evidently great
excitement, if any such sensation were posi-
Bile in SO sleepy a district
was sufficiently interested in the perusal
of the editorial lucubrations on this topic to
ask the landlady, when she entered with fresh
supply for my teapot, whether any steps had
been taken to arrest the burglar or burglars,
or whether suspicion attached to any one IN
the neighborhood. But the woman only
growled out some indistinct answer, and eye
| ING me with look anything but pleasant, lett
me again to the society of the newspaper. AS
I read on discovered letter from some In
tellieent correspondent connecting these rob
berries with the escape from prison OF noto
rious burglar, and favoring the reader with
real or imaginary description of the man tt
assist them in detecting him and securing HI:
arrest, should he happen to cross their path
Before turning out for stroll in the cool o
the evening, had occasion to ascend to m.
dormitory, and was surprised to see both land
lord and wife just leaving it. 1t struck nj
that the bag in which were tie hammer al
old chisel, an equally venerable knife, and
small iron hook that were to be used IN m,
researches had been opened, but had no par
ticular reason to care for this intrusion, am
Quilted the house for walk, unconscious Q
the storm that was brewing at my heels. 4
few children were playing about, some hall
dozen women were chattering at their doors
and here and there laborer strolled lelsurel
home from his work as walked slowly thr(
the small village street Of poor houses, an
reached at the end small green where som
b Us were playing cricket, and where ais
stool the sscags," modest stiled building
some eight feet square, with a door that seen
cd from the rust upon It's Hastings, and tn
grass growing beneath it, to be but saldol