The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1878-02-02
THE SHADOW OF FATE.
BY JUDGE JARVIS.

A rider was threading his way over road
which lay along the hills at the base of the
Blue Ridge Mountains, in the region known
as the fledmont OF Virginia. about the
sources OF the Rappahannock river.
The man himself might be described in
the same language, as far as it would apply.
Beyond this his age was about twentv-three.
his hair brown and full in lock, his ewes of
a grayish blue.
His way quickly brought the traveller to
stream now running over its banks Slip
ping easily from his saddle, he frightened the
girths, siackened the crupper, and, gently
patting his animal, addressed a few affee
tionate words to him. Remounting, he fixed
himself firmly in the saddle, gathered his
bride in manner to impart to his eompan-
ion his own energy and determination, and
| moved into the creek.
| Turning up the stream, he proceeded for
| about a hundred yards along the bank, and
then struck boldly across in direct line,
with the horses head slanted ND current.
The depth OF the water did not sensibly in
crease In the course of eighty yards, and the
stranger was congratulating himself upon
the probability of getting over without a
wettlng, when the animal in two steps in
creased the depth until he could no longer
hold his footing, and sprung boldly into the
middle of a deep, rushing channel In an
instant the rider had seized the name of the
horse IN his left hand, and slipped smoothly
out OF the saddle to the lower side, where he
| t1oated along.
Man and beast battled bravely with the
! flood for a moment, when the former was
startled to feel the horse finch and turn
with terrified snort down the current. A
| quick jerk upon the left rein served to pro-
cure but an instant's pause in the precipi-
tate course of the beast, but in that instant
the stranger became aware of another pres
ence by the touch of a clammy object
against his hand.
! Raising his head above the neck of the
charger, he saw dimly outlined upon the
waving and shinmering surface dark and
undehnable object. The next moment the
desperate plunges of the beast had obstruct-
ed his vision, when, with the self-command
ct one accustomed and nerved to the hard
ship of athletic sports and soldiers danger
he swung his leg over the back of his ami
NAL and gathered. himself into his saddle.
Reaching out a hand, he was about to
seize the object of his horror, when it ex-
posed the CHASTITY features of a woman.
For an instant only he hesitated; then, re-
covering from the thrill, he g-asped the
head firmly, by the loose, flowing, tangled
ili6@SS VI raven tTeSSes, an raised II above
the water upon the pommel of his saddle.
Turning his head again up stream. he re-
newed the combat with the tide. Twice it
seemed as though man, woman and beast
must all succumb, and twice the noble
struggles of the animal cheated the turgid
grave of its victims.
Finally, the hoofs once more crunched the
firm bottom OF the stream, and ten PAGES
brought the party safely to the shore.
>
Feeling the forehead, he found it cold !;
the hands were also chilled, but he thought
he felt slight f1utter of the pulse. Tearing
open the dress, he pressed his hand against
the heart and found it still warm.
His efforts to resuscitate her were soon re-
warded, and, after a few moments, the wo-
man made an attempt to speak, which re-
suited, however, only in moaning cry.
At this point he began to look for other
assistance, when he observed light upon
the hill above the creek. Once more raising
the body to the pommel of his saddle, and
mounting behind 1t, he sought the road.
=
One stepped around to receive the ,vo-
man, and another entered the house to pro-
cure the stimulant.
assisting the traveller in dismounting the
woman.
"Send for the nearest physician at once"
They lifted the motionless but revlving
form into the house, and deposited it upon
sofa.
The stimulant was soon brought, and,
upon small portion of it being admins
tered, the woman indicated an increased
vitality by broken gurgie. This, after
while, gave way to clearer articulation, in
which, however, only syllables were emitted.
These were IN turn succeeded by one or two
sharp cries of pain, which gradually sub
sided into moaning chatter of wailing, in
coherent sentences
At this point the stranger, in raising his
hand to her head to brush the tangled hair
from her brow, noticed clot of blood upon
the wet skin of his finger; rubbing it of, he
found no trace If wound.
=" She must be bleeding" he CALCULATED );
" see II there is a cut anywhere"
An examination soon revealed CHASTITY
wound, an ugly, gaping ebrasion upon the
left side of the head, above the ear, aud lust
behind the temple. The locks were matted
over it, and the blood still oozed slowly from
its mouth
Pending the arrival of doctor, the stran.
ger clipped the hair from around the
wound, and, after bathing it with feminine
tenderness, he gave the patient over to the
charge of the ladies of the house who were
in attendance.
~ presume you are the host sir" said
he, at once, addressing the elder of the two.
" Ii you will be kind enough to let me have
bed, until | can rest for an hour or so and
dry my clothing, | shall resume my journey
under great obligations to you. Matters of
Importance urge me to lose no time, and |
shall only delay until my horse can recruit
for the balance of my ride. In fact, but for
the incident of finding the unfortunate
lady in the creek, [ should have continued
on the road without consulting my comfort
so far"
Will you tell how you happened upon
the adventure, and how you account for the
lady's wound and present condition? 90
The traveller gave brief account of the
events, without, however, throwing any
light upon his own identity or business.
May ask your name, sir" nquired the
host, whom We viii introduce to the reader
as Mr.. Thornton, or Squire Thornton, as he
was dubbed by his neighbors in honor of
honor OF his being Justice OF the peace.
81 beg pardon for the misconstruction.
Ny name is Gaspard Durer, short while
since soldier in the French service. Do
you see anything in my appearance or any
thing else about this case which iustifes
you in iDterrogating me officially?'
g Until one who is found with body that
has been murdered or dangerously assault
ed has accounted satisfactorily for his pre-
sence there, there is legal suspicion fixed
upon him."
Ii | must be detained to satisfy the law,
| weld to the annoyance with as little i'm
patience as possible where the officer of the
law exercises his duties so courteously"