The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-03-15

his pare bto51, hs4Besa a usstsr s.las..
Peer
fhaTs ~ASa small grazing Ia tie fhirk
door ~ the naLs5asan, which r.s rea0hsi
H. q Eeseeat a for = fse steps. This
snbaeess ~Aieh heated . by-r0ai. S@s
bTickod up. The aassoiela Itself sss a
solid stoae structure. With little e- no a.
tempt at ornaments externally about four
teen yards square, with a domed roof rislrs
not more than four feet above the Level q
the road the ground ON all -four sides slop-
ing downwsrds towards the building. 1t
was consequently in a deep hollow, and
was further sheltered from high winds by
The hills which rose steeply above the road
on the other side. and by The wood Of mar
ehineel and sanabox trees. ~hlch hal
marched NJ 10 lie three sides TAe a protect
n garmy OF giants. Here and might lie
seen rotten stunips Of -eoooanut-trees. de-
stroye1b by a generalblight long before Jamie
corbyn made his nachpelah among them
and brought the dead to the dad.
Though they we're clothed with parasitic
verdure, they had a weird aspoct' on a
moonlight night. these ghosly skeletons Of
forgotten forest-palms.
1t was midday. The ripe ~penduious pods
Of ~the,thorny sandbox tree burst one after
another, and scattering their seed-rings to
.earthiwith sharp reports. as if q platoon of
distant mnsketry proclaimed the fAn of
each Bat another ripe seed was ready 10
be "sown in corruption, and louder ro-
port proclaimed that.
1t was the invariab,e gun cred through
the unbricked grating, TO dissipate noxio1s
gases generated within, lest the opening Of
the vault for the dead should let out pesti-
lence on the living.
A night had passed. Intelligence had
flown swift-winged over the little island.
The vault was purified the door stood
open. From all parts Of Barbados planters
and others had assembled to show their re-
spect for the dead Rising and falling with
the fluctuations of the hills. a long process
sion of carriages and pedestrians marked
the white road with a line of black for half
a mile or more. Slaves and friends, bond
ard free, white. creole, quadroon, mulatto,
and black, were there with sable suits and
white heudghar; but Of all thore hundreds,
not enc relative TO hold the pail or shed a
tear over the si.ver-movnted black col'n as
it WAS borne to its niche in the sepulchre
with solemn funeral rites and the door
wss closed on h~ospitable Archibald, the
"last 81 exc cofbyns."
"Briek it up close, Dam" said centonn-
rian Cufy TO the lnbores Mt work "nel,ber
be opened no more. Nassa nebber res. in
him grave ifa drop Of nixsar blood be bcr-
ried with him. An Tn 'fraii, Dan, there
be no real white massa 10 come after good
ole masea."
"'Fraid not. crfy ?" questioned Dan
ruefully-for Cahy was the oracle OF the
Notwithstanding All. him proud genpl-
man. but him berry good to black man.
Wonder who be massa now r
Amomentousl question this to a slave!
Cufy extended his withered arm to an
opening between the distant foliage, where
a glimpse Of the shining Atlantic might be
seen three miles away.
"Ib dat hungry sea swallow up young
Massn Charles. l much 'fraid. Dan, Massa
Walcot will be. He got a splash ob color
in him. but his heart not 30 warm as our
poor massa's for all dat F." and Old Cuffy
turned away m~ournfully, shaking his head.
Ccrbyn Hall had got a new master. The
win which made Matthias Walcott sole ex-
euctor made him virtually proprietor.
All that stood between him and absolute
ownership was the very improbable chance
that Archibald's younger brother, Charles,
hal escaped when the Mermaid, in which
he had sailed from Bristol seven years be-
fore, ~founderel OF the Irish coast, and not
a soul was known TO be saved. There was
also the remote possibility of his having left
a legitimate heir on dry lind but as no
echo Of ~wead:ng-bells had ever waited to
the brother in Barbados, this was as i'm
probable.
The brothers had parted in anger and
Archibald had never been his own man after
the Mermaid won't down. He was onlyforty-
eight when he died and his will was full Of
mournful regret. Matthias was enjoincdf To-
spare no cost, neglect no means to find a
rightfal heir; but, if within ten years no
claimant could be discovered, then-and
not until then-Matthias Waicot and his
heirs were topossess the Corbyn estete with
all its living broo' in perpetuity.
Matthias Walcot passed us an honorable
man amongst men; had been esteemed and
trusted by the dead; would have resented
the charge Of dishonesty. But the temp
tation was great. and he was not.
Prompt to take. possession. he was not
prompt in measures which might eventually
Dust himself and his. He made languid
official inquiries at first sent occasional ad-
refreshments to an English newspaper, and
tried to persuade DR.. Hawley thnt he had
been very active.