The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-09-08
loffensburgh. Then might l be

I" He hei ha hal 10 hoi' Uttered q
voice close beside him and hot breath
as of charcoal.kiln passed over Peter
Bloch's cheek.
He turned round and saw, leaning
against neighboring fir-tree, an ex.
tremely tall and thin individual clad in
4 tight fitting suit of black, with a re.
markably high-crowned hat on his
and oddly-shaped shoes. half hidden by
enormous red rosettes. The eyes OF
this parsonage were black as Goals, and
twinkled with merriment, as he
laughed with mouth stretched from
| ear to ear.
Peter stared, and the stranger, hav-
ing apparently exhausted himself with
laughter, bowed apologetically, and
seated himself on the log by his side.
Excuse me, mein Herr" he said f;
"but you-he he?-you were wishing to
be the noble Count Won SchwaltzschoH.
ensburgh ?"
What is that to you ?" said Peter,
sullenly.
"Only that it may be in my power to
help you TO your wish,n answered the
stranger, suavely. And he put his
hand to his mouth, with a slight cough,
as if to repress an involuntary delighted
he herr
Peter looked incredulous.
"You do not believe me?' said the
strange man, his little eyes twinkling
malciously.
Mem p said Peter, doggedly.
cry me - said the man in black.
'See here write your name at the bot
tom of this parchment, and if you do
not Immediately become what you wish
then shall you throw me into your char
coal furnace and burn me to a cinder."
"You agree to that?'' quoth Peter.
"As | am an honorable soul who fears
the fire" was the reply. ''He he! ha
hal no no no ~
So great was his merriment that it
was some moments ere he could recover
himself sufficiently to unroll the parch-
ment and present TO Peter sharp
pointed iron pen.
''There is no ink said Peter.
The man in black seized the pen, and
without word plunged the sharp point,
with a sudden quick motion, into Peter
Bloch's shin, left exposed by the rolled
up leathern breeches. ooh, oh y
screeched the charcoal-burner, hopping
around on one foot and rubbing the
wounded limb, which burnt as if scared
with a hot iron.
1T is nothing" responded the man
in black, with grin. "Here, take the
pen before the blood dries, and write
your name"
Peter obeyed not from any faith in
the strangers promise, but simply from
curiosity. He could not write, so was
about TO make the usual cross-mark,
when the stranger, with startled yell,
arrested his hand.
"Not that" he shrieked, glazing up
on the affrighted Peter, and trembling
all over. "Not that, but do as you see
me do and he made a peculiar flour
ish of his long finger upon the parch-
ment, which Peter initiated as well as
he could, with the iron pen dr. piping
with his own blood.
"He he he! ha ha la ! no no no 10 d"
resounded in hollow, dying echoes
through the forest, and the man in black
was gone; whilst the charcoal-burner
suddenly felt himself flung to the earth
with a shock which at once deprived
him of his senses.
When Peter presently began TO re.
cover. he debated whether he were not
in a dream. great many people were
pressing around him with exclamations
of alarm and concern. He heard their
remarks vaguely.
ellis neck is broken
"No. il is his back. Don't YOU see he
is paralvzed ?"
"Of truth it is his highness's skull
that is fractured. What is to be done?"
"Take him to the CASTLE" said one
voice.
nUo ,,,,e+ NOT ba r,oved on anv oc.
oount - said anotbor
"a hot ha+h ~,
~, noId Latb -,
Grub him -
"BIeed him =,
sWater ~
brandy y
"A blisterl"
"A cooling lotionr'
a doctor!'
you, Berschoff, ride to the castle
like whirlwind for the doctor Tell
him our noble lord the Count has fallen