Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-11-17

for moment, and looked into vacancy. lie
continued:
"Heavens end arth All the Internal dew
lis in the pit could not have put up such an
awful yell as /. heard. 1t was enough to drive
one mad. And though I don't like to tell it,
I was scared, and my hair stood right square
up, in spite of all I could do. know
'twan't human voice-I amt afraid Of any
human critter. 1t was the scream of some
damned one, and was as near the howl Of q
wolf as anything, only enough sight more
frightful. Mary fell fainting in my arms
and the boat went down the stream, with that
damnable howl ringing in my ears. L hear ii
no,v P'
We all started and looked out into the
darkness, but it was not there that the Trap
per heard the sound. After moment, he
resumed:
"Mary was never like her old self again
never She kind O pined, and seemed to be
dreaming. She was kinder to me than ever,
but would sometimes seem to forget every
thing around her, and then she would look at
something just as she did the stranger on the
river.bank. 1t cut me hard, for I knew the
spell was on her yet. One evening found
her standing where the strangers boat left
the shore, her hands locked as they was then
and she leaning out over the water. When |
spoke to her, she started and commenced
sobbing like child. I was in trouble, tell
you, and so was Jed.
"Mary was used to hunters fare, and used
to 20 with US on trips, for we burst not leave
her alone in the cabin. One time, we'd been
nigh upon a hundred miles up the river,
and at night camped under bluff, by an In
dian trail. It was just such a night as this,
only it rained like suds all the time, and such
thunder and lightning never seed. 1t was
mighty. The rocks kept off the wind, but
the trees fell around US, and towards midnight
the lightning struck an old, dry pine, and its
blaze went clean into the sky.
"After while, Mary began to grow un.
easy. Her face was pale, and she would
start as though sho heard something, and
look steady towards the river. She looked
just as she did the night l found her with
that stranger"
"a bigger clap O. thunder than ever come
right down where we stood, and then l heard
the dip of oars as plain in the water-as plain
as I hear that fire, and then voice called
low, from the bank, Mary 1t aoas the
Strangers! I jumped for my rifle, but
before I could find it, Mary started like q
frightened deer, for the river, and and Jed
after her, as we'll as we could in the dark.
With cry, kind O sobbing like, Mary Jump
ed into boat, and the lightning made all as
plain as day, there stood the stranger, his
eyes shining, and that same Internal smile on
his face knew right where he was, and in
ajify pulled away at him. Louder than the
storm, and a thousand times more awful,
that same yell rung through the woods, and
was answered back from over the river. 1t
sounded like some devil laughing and yelling,
and then away down the stream. there was
wall like a child's growing fainter and fainter.
and we heard it no more. Jed Williams and
I both called for Mary, long time, but no
answer. We took our boat and went up and
down, but could not see or hear anything.
We looked for trail on the opposite bank,
but found nothing but wolf trail. AS
Jed stepped on shore, there was an awful
swapping and snarling, and then howls, and
as | live, they pitched into him. He gave
one quick call for help, and then | heard that
strang gers yell, and in the blaze of flash OF
lightning, as plain as now see the fire, there
stood a moustrous great wolf, as black as jet
but has face ,oas the Strangers! | made
lunge at him with my knife, and knew no
more.
The sweat stood in drops on the Trapper's
brow at this part of his story, and we noticed
that his fingers shut convulsively upon his
rifle barrel.
II laid there till morning." continued the old
man, "cold, and drenched in the storm. 1t all
seemed like dream at first, but it came to
me slowly, and l reused up and took a look
at things.
"It made me sick at the heart-that look
for there was the bones of Jed Williams, aud
his rifle by the side of them. The cussed
devils had picked 'em-as brave man as
ever drew a bead-killed like a dog. wish
ed they had killed me, too, and why they
didn I can't tell. I've sometimes thought
there was Providence in it, and that l should
meet the stranger yet. Ireckon l shaH"
As the hunter said this he clenched bis
teeth, and his eyes glared like madman's
"Well, boys after that night, my hair was
white as foam, and l grew old mighty quick.
I hunted the woods all over for many week,
and all up and down the the river, but found
nothing of Mary Williams. | went back to
our camp, and in about three weeks, what
should l see one evening in the cove where
I saw Mary with the stranger hrst, but
something like human person. On pulling
it out, great God, it was Mary Williams! !!
Her black hair was swimming with the cur.
rent, and her face was turned upward. |
took her gently up the bank, and laid her all
dripping on the leaves. All night, boys, l
sat and talked to Mary-it didn't seem as
though she could die. But she was dead, and
l hunted up the prettiest spot on the hill, and
buried her alone. The wild vines and flow
ers are all over her grave, now, and 60
there every fall, and watch by it all night
What is strange, like all the rest of the cussed
works, the night buried Mary, heard that
same Internal yell, and knew the stranger
was around. | was bothered to make up my
mind whether he was man, wolf, or devil,
but at any rat }, l piled great stones on Marys
grave tc mae all sure l shall meet that
stranger yet"
The Trappe pulled his knife from his belt
and felt its edD to the point, and then primed
his rifle anew. We could not help being
little surprised at his manner-his actions
indicating that he was expecting his dreaded
antagonist soon. And strange as it seemed,
at that moment there was voice on the
river and the measured dip of oars. A mo.
ment more, and the word "Mary!' in gentle
tones, came up like sigh.
We all looked at the Trapper. An ashy
naleness had crept over his swarthy features,