Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-07-09

but the neighbors began to put
INTO practice various little arts
and contrivances, which, 1t was
hoped, would make the mystery
IF his inner life clear to their com
Drehension. Thus, at odd inter
vals, a pretending belated citizen,
whether a certain per
son, whose name he would not
mention lived there, would make
known his presence at the door
by rapping. When the door was
opened-and it was always opened
by the old woman, unless that per-
son was absent, and in this case 1t
was not opened at all-the inquirer
while asking his questions, would
seek by peering into the room to
gain some insight into the stran-
gers mode of life, and would re-
tire at the close Of the interview
disappointed. Then, again, small
boys playing in the street, would
toss a ball over into the yard, and
would plead to be admitted for
the purpose Of rcgaining it; and
little girls, carefully instructed by
their parents, would call timidly
through the key.hole, begging the
gift of flowers, Of which many
kinds grew in the yard. But all
all these attempts proved unsatis.
factory, for the reason hat the re.
quests were always attended to, or
refused, as the case might have
been, by the attendant, who never
permitted a strangers foot to
cross the threshold of her employ.
er's retreat, And in this way was
it that the combining days rolled
into months, until that fatal night
s~upervened wherein the soil was
ripe for the planting Of the Tree,
and the doom of the Traitor was
accomplished.
The month was February-at
least so goes the chronicle. The
night was one of the stormiest
known in the annals of the city's
history. The nine o'clock gun
had long been fired, the guard
upon the street had been set, and
the people retiring from the fierce
blasts of wind and rain, had sought
their houses. Dismally walled the
wind around sharp corners, and
the rain fell upon the roofs with a
sound Of melancholy import. The
noise Of the storm was broken
into only by the breaking of the
rusty signs, and the m~onotonous
calls Of the guard. 1t was such a
highland there are those yet Iiv.
ing who remember it-as might
well have been chosen for the in.
carnations of witches, or u night
wherein a dark and damnablc
crime might have been conceived
and committed. The very heav-
ems, as it were, put on mourning
for the time and the hour, and the
elements grew unruly in their pro.
lVgue to the dram Of pain and sui.
fering which was upon the point
Of enactment.
1t was hard upon twelve o'clock
and as the great bell of the Ca.
thedral clock struck the hour of
midnight, q large yawl containing
fifteen or twenty men, emerged
from the darkness of the river,
drew up to the wharf IN front. Of
the Place DIES Armes, and was
made fast to the piers. From this
boat a band rapidly disembarked,
forming themselves in military
order upon the levee. In a min
ute more, a word Of command is
given, and the band is in motion,
approaching the Cathedral, with a
regularity and precision Of step
which denote the discipline Of
soldiers. We can imagine that no
man, on that eventful night wit.
messed the spectacle of this adj.
vancing band. Indeed it Is on
record, that no man did observe
their progress, although the sound
Of their footsteps, and the clank.
ing ofthcir weapons, crept through
the walls Of houses, and became
mysteriously audible to their half.
sleeping occupants. 1t needs no
stretch Of fancy to picture the
slothful guard at this hour. shrink.
ing from the tempest, crouched In
alleways or slumbering in forbid.
den places, and ignorant OF this
strange Eruption OF dark, foreign
looking men, clad in an unfamiliar
garb and armed with glitterinc
swords, whereof the scabbards rat.
tic as they walk, passing swiftly
beside the Cathedral and making
their way up St, Anne street until
they had reached Royal street. As
they cross the street, the swing
suspended by 4 rope from
its gallows looking frame, brings
the part y into bold relief. They
have the look and bearing either
Of Turks or buccaneers. Upon
their heads are fez caps, each fur.
nished with a scarlet tassel and
their wide, baggy trousers are
thrust into their boots, Their
faces are hard fixed in expression
and swarthy in hue-such a hue
as might possibly have come from
The influence Of tropical suns. or