The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-09-07

and the Precipitation OOZing out oI ever
pore, He was badly used up, but muc
wiser man. He will probably get swee
revenge by suing Lige for third oi th
60 so. TtIs ;lrsH
A RIDE ON HORSEBACK.
Our ride from this scene to our place @
starting was a joyous one, and too short
From there we again mounted and tool
across the country. When we started 1
was nearly sun down, and the road was
new one 10 US. But we took 1t leisurely
looking carefully over the country, ant
enjoying the beautiful sunset over the hill
and mountains. We knew we had six.
teen miles to 60, and had heard the roat
was good. We found 1t go. Like all O
these country roads It was very crooked
and billy. Winding up the mountain sid
1t makes towards every point OF the com.
pass about twice every mile. last below
there, not stones throw, Is the samO road
where you passed q mile back, and JUS
above you can see q faint line which Il
the same road mile further on. Abou
five miles out we met q man and asked
him how far II was TO W., our objective
point. "Only four miles" Then WI
asked him what he thought oil the nomi-
nation OF Ben Wilson, and he said
Ben would make a good Governor, and
he thought he would vote for him, Ne
left in disgust, without believing word
he told US about the distance. Shortly we
passed finger. board that told US that ten
miles OF our journey still laid before US
A bali mile on, and We met three men Of
for coon hunt. Oh how we did want
to Join them. But no, VIC did not dare. 90
we asked them the distance, and they told
US seventeen miles. Then we tried to
borrow an ak to go back and demolish
that finger board, but we desisted through
tear OF the County Court. A little on
and smother flnger.board, and we rode
up to decipher II. thread something like
this: (names changed OF course. ''''
TO fQuEEDuNK Q e;
eB II OF Nv0zHAoXs OIL
Both arrows being pointed the same
way, we could not make much out of 1t,
and stood studying 1t when We saw q
young lady approach. We asked her
what 1t meant, and che read the top line
which was plain enough. Suddenly she
climbed up into sapling that stood close
to the finger. board. Her ascent was 80
rapid that it startled US, and her object
was mystery. Can she be, thoughtwe,
a lunaticH But no-her every look was
against that theory. Presently, how
ever, all seemed plain, as she cautiously
wrapped her beautiful form around q
limb and brought her hands down on the
top oil the finger board and commenced
reading the lower line on that artistic
sign. You see she couldn't read it from
below, the letters being wrong side up.
We forget, now what she gave US as the
result Of her investigation. We don't
know how far she told US il was 10 skow-
hegan. We don't know why the arrows
both pointed one way. We had our eyes
riveted on this mountain beauty up q tree.
Our heart was in our very throat, 90 fear.
lul were we for her safety. How she got
down we know not. II Is all blank to
us. The first thing that awakened us
was the terrible feeling that she Sal
mounted on our steed behind Us with her
arms around us and hands clasped in
front of US. We tried topersuade her to
let Us walk, but she would not, and then
80 10 speak, the subsequent proceedings
interested us no more for we "pintedly
wanted to giten outen dar." We know
she stuck TO her seat for, we should think
about 100 miles. She talked to US fluent.
ly about how much "ssng" she had dug
that day, about how many wood chucks'
she had killed, and how much
"wooD CHUCK BACON"
she had to sell. She told me how Bill
Simpson had promised TO marry her, aud
then ran of, and asked me il I knew oi
any 'likely, smart young chap who
would like 10 marry $50 acres
well watered and timbered? ?" And then
she passed her lily white hand, bleached
by digging "sang," over my beardless face
10 see how my beard felt, and asked me
my age. We gave 1t 10 her as 20 yesrs II
months and 90 days, and she said, "Tht
two days be darned, that's near enough.
And then shesaid. "Dad moved here ter
years ago from Ohio, and. bought thI!
iarm. He only has two children, Sam anC
me. Sam is two years older than me
Sam was only nine years old when WI
moved here" And then she asked mi
how old ! thought che was, but Tor th(
lie Of me I could not tell But she can.
didly told me seventeen, and / expect sh(
told me the truth. Next she showed mi
her picture; one she had taken but {
few DAYS before, down on the river, Oh
my, but II was pretty. Clear black eyes
rosy red cheeks, r,.-
DIMPLRD CHIN AND CHERRY LIPs,
and such a form She said might keeI
it il wanted to, and put it into my
breast pocket and pressed 1t to my yes
front. could stand 1t no longer. WEAR
Of life determined to end either that rid
or life then and there. 30 plunged spu
into my horse, made spring and alightet
upon the ground and was tree. Two Of
three rods from US stood her father
house, but no amount OF persuasion coul(
induce me to go In, even for q little but
termllk, which she "had churned with he
own hands," much less to spend the night
About how much time we had lost By
this mountain beauty we knew not-wI
will never know; but 1t was now dark
and at least eight miles Of our journey
still before US. Taking lively gait, WI
pressed on; but the road soon again LEI
US into deep woods, and we had 10 Stacker
our pace. Soon we came to q littl
stream, along and in which lay the road
II you have never tried it you can know
nothing Of the trouble Of following such
road in the night, when it is strange botl
to you and your horse, But We neve
lost 1t, though many times We werl
tempted to 60 back to some farm housC
to spend the night. Occasionally W,
would pass house and inquire the dis
tance. Sometimes itwould be five mile
on, and riding an hour longer 1t would b.
six. Then, q little farther on, and eIgh