Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1870-08-31
THE MIDNIGHT MURDER.
BY J. HARVEY SMITH.

WELL, this is certainly getting delici-
Gus ~ exclaimed my companion, Harry
Moreland' turning to me laughingly,
''Is ~ I grumbled. Pm glad you
enjoy it,
well, don't enjoy it much, must
confess he replied; but you know what
can't be cured must be endured. And
this was what we we're enduring.
Harry and had started that morning
/ from our hotel in Waynesburg, Indiana,
for days shooting; for at that period ]
speak Of, the limits of civilization were
not very clearly defined, and you could
leave the busy streets of the town and
in half an hour be in virgin forest fill
ed with all sorts Of game. Well, we had
not been very successful and COnse-
qUently, were somewhat out of spirits,
besides being very tired. To add to the
unpleasantness of our situation, we lost
our way, and as neither Harry nor ]
were vGrsed in wOOdcraft, we had small
hopes Of inding it again unless we could
meet some person who would direct us,
and that seemed very unlikely event
to happen, because the forest we were in
seemed as if it never before had been
desecTated by the foot of man. After
searching for the road for about two
hours we gave up in despair, and it be-
came evident to both of us that, as night
was coming on, we should probably have
to spend the night in the woods.
So we built fire, and Harry was soon
engaged in roasting two plump prairie
hens. They were the sole trophies of
our days sport; not exactly because
game was not plenty, but, to tell the
truth, because neither Harry nor 1 were
crack shots, and we both had made some
abOminable shots that day.
In due time Harry announced the in
teresting fact that supper was ready, or
rather that the hens were cooked
Though they were rather tasteless with
out salt, we soon were engaged in reduc-
ing them to skeletons, when suddenly
We were startled by terrific clap of
thunder, and then the next moment
commenced such a storm of rain as it
was never my good fortune to see before,
and hope it will never be my good for
tune to see again.
We found the trees were no protec-
ton, for in less than minute we were
soaked to the skin, and then the excla-
nation escaped from Harry that YOU
have already heard. Notwithstanding
Harry's last words I was in no humOr to
endure it, and / saw a large tree about
hundred yards in the dim twilight.
that | thought would be a better protec-
ton than the one we were then under;
and mentioning it to Harry we agreed
to rush to it, with the hope of bettering
our condition. When we arrived there
the agreeable impression daWned upOn
US that we had jumped from the frying
pan into the fire, because we found that
tree No. > was every bit as bad, an UNI
brella as tree No !. and in addition sew
eTal bTigades of mosquitoes had taken
refuge there, and by the way they settl-
ed on US expressly for their enjoyment.
Neither Harry nor I were Jobs in the
way Of patience, and were contemplate
ing a return to tree No l. when Harry
uttered joyful exclamation, and cried: |
4 see light and looking in the di-
reCtiOn he pointed out, / saw glimmer-
ing light not three hundred yards away. |
The only wonder was that we hadn't !
observed it sooner.
But we did not stop to think, but rush |
ed toward it at a rate that cast Dexter's !
2:l7l in the shade entirely; and we were
soon knocking at the door Of misera- |
bic looking hut, from the window oil
which the light shOne.
After a little delay the door was OPEN !
ed about an inch, and voice asked what |
we wanted.
Shelter, of course, roared Harry, iu-
patiently; and without waiting for an
invitation we pushed the door open and
entered the hut.
Who be ye. strangers y asked the old
woman, who had opened the door for
rs.
We have been out hunting, said I,
AND have lost our way
Hunting ? said the old woman, in a
suspicious tone. Where are your guns%
By George, exclaimed Harry, I'VE have
left them under that tree
And so we had, now remembered.
AS we stood by the fire drying our
selves, I took survey of the ROOM
The only other person in it was q middle
aged man, who was seated on sort Of
tool near the fire, and as / looked at
aim thought he was about the hardest
OOking specimen of humanity had
ever seen. His brutal cast Of features
jeemed to indicate q man fit for any
rhine, and I shuddered as l looked at
lim, The woman was considerably older