Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-11-12
A Night Of Horrors.

lDy up Holn iiic "tsI tIiut iCuuVltu TUX
way darker and gloumler at every step,
The horse | bestrode vas powerful
animal. Int had been ridden hard during
The day, aud was exhibiting signs o
great fatigue.
l was not in the best of humOr.
had agreed 10 meet the Chief of Service
It Gui..cn. Oh the following morning
$50 ri, hour, and knew coult
not .e. u,ie. Add to this that l wa;
>upperless aud WON down with tht
day s ride, and it may be imagined ths
l Was in no very amiable mood.
The storm WAS approaching nearel
every moment. and l was just despair
ing of shelter, when the horse shlet
suddenly to Que side of the road. anc
fell back ou his launches with violence
that nearly unscated me ; aud in
moment my eyes were dazzIed with
brilliant light that seemed TO have beer
lnstan .aneously flashed out Of tie dark
ness.
Bad road here!' said gruff voice
aud then l observed man standing ir
the middle Of the road, holding Ian
tern, in the back of which was a strong
reflector. Heard your horse, and came
out to see who 1t was. The storm vii
be on US directly, and you'd better BIT
under cover
is there a house nears' asked
when l had recovered from my aston
ishment.
Yes; just around this clunp o
trees, in the fork in the road. You car
put up there if you like. Follow me y
| had been startled and amazed BY
the incident, but was exceedingly CRATE
ful to find shelter, aud probably susten-
ance. so near. and was glad to obey th'
mans directions.
We had hardly been housed when thu
storm burst With great violence, and al
though the place was tar from inyilin!
it was very acceptable.
The man who had met me in th'
road, and who proved to be the land
lord, was a coarse, burly fellow, up
Ward OF fifty years OF years, with lonl
gray hair, matted together, and lookln!
as If it had been permitted to grow from
childhood without attention. He wal
powerfully built; his countenance wa
cadaverous and iorb!dding, aud his eye
had peculiarly ferocious gleam abou
them that did not reassure me.
A young man, whom ho called hi
son, was but trife more prepossessing
ana an old crone who sat by the corne
of the huge fireplace, rocking to and fro
smoking a pipe, and rubbing her hand
nervously together, appeared uglie
than all.
A supper, consisting mainly Of a
Irish slew strongly impregnatrd wit
garlic, was laid on the table but par
took of it sparlngly, and as soon as tn
meal was over asked TO be shown {
bed.
There was a good deal Of bustln
about at this request. The old croL
m.,de several trips over the ricket
STAIRS leading to a room overhead, an
Was compelled to call both father an
son t" her aid; but the preparation
were finally completed, and the elder
the two men volunteered 10 show M
TO the room.
There is no lock on this door, h
SAID we never lock doors here-bu
there i. a good bolt, and you eau use
if ou are IN the way of locking yoursel
up at nights, as most city folks are. !
god nights rest to ,ou;' and ther
pauslng a second, and casting his eye
toward the ceiling, he added: A Ion
sleep and pleasant dreams.'
Then he placed the candle on tk
table and left.
did not liks the way in which h
had said a long Sleep but did not ie'
superstitious about it. When he ha
gone closed the door, and observe
that there was a good bolt on ii, as h
SAID. THIS l shot into its socket, an
giving the door a firm pull,to make SUI
il was fast, was surprised to see the socl
ct yield little, and then, as my ho
on the door-knob relaxed, drawn I'M
place again.
Close examination showed 1t TO
held by small spiral spring. and it WI
apparent that when the spring vi
drawn out to its full tension, 1t wou
readily snap, and render the entran'
to the room an easy matter.
This incident startled me still mo
than the one that had occurred on tt
road, and fell TO thinking Of the PEI
= pie whose guest / was, with an inten'
: ty bordering on nervousness.
There was but one window in Z
room,- and observed that access cou
!, not be had 10 that from without. exec
by the aid ofa ladder.
Beng fully convinced that W
among bad people, resolved to dr'
the bedstead up against the door, al
i'll slept at all to do so with one e
open,
. But here another surprise await
me. The bedstead was immovable.
J, was rather heavy structure, certain|
being Of the old-fashioned osken kin