The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1881-09-28

tudy pe tTue. WnatuO KNOW but
not for millions would 1 travel that
road tonight"
ga very pretty story I replied
.and doubtless absolutely true. If ]
encounter any Of the Interesting per.
sonages connected with it I shall
treat them with due respect for your
sake"
So saying, l shook the worthy
mans hand and left him wagging
his head obviously over my temerity.
The road was good, the air cool and
braeing, and for the first hour / pro.
ceeded at a swinging pace. AT this
point the storm which had been
threatening all the evening burst
upon me. The rain poured down in
sheets, drenching me to theskin aud
converting The road into a muddy
torrent. The wind roared through
the leahess branches Of the trees with
a weird, shouting sound far from
pleasant 10 hear. ioa
The darkness grew so intense that
| had great difficulty in keeping the
track, and more than once foundered
into the wet ditch beside the road.
| kept up my spirits, however, and
plodded steadily onward.
Near midnight l arrived at a point
where the road divided into two
branches, which led of at right an.
giles to each other. 1 paused in dis
may, for l had not the least notion
which / ought to take.
While l was debating the question
in a very uncomfortable frame Of
mind, l heard the sound Of heavy
footsteps in the road behind me-
Delighted at the opportunity of in
quiring the way out of my dilemma,
| waited at the side of the road for
the approach of the travellers.
They came on at quick pace, and
as they neared me could see that
there were six of them, all men
dressed in the German forester's cos
tune, a traditional attire which the
peasantry are fond Of assuming on
occasions of holiday festivity.
They appeared to be armed; indeed,
| was certain that l saw a CLEAN ofa
deer knife in the belt of the one near.
est me. What struck me first as
somewhat odd was the perfect silence
with which they. walked. They ut.
tered no exclamation nor exchanged
a word, but tramped on like mutes.
= As l had hitherto found Germany
a perfectly safe region had no rea-
son to doubt the good character Of
these men, in spite of their myster-
ious movements. / hailed them and
inquired which road l ought to take
in order to. reach Erlachen. To my
indignation and astonishment they
paid no attention whatever to my
words, but marched steadily onward,
as if | had not spoken. | repeated
my request in a louder tone, with
the same result.
1 was now thoroughly angry, and
went up to the nearest one with the
intention Of shouting in his ear, when
a perfectly unaccountable sensation
kept me dumb. 1t was not fear, nor
any explicable feeling; but species
of terrible inward shrinking, as if
my heart was contracting.
At this instant l noticed another
startling phenomenon. l was now
near enough to see the faces OF the
men. They cleaned as white as
chalk in the obscurity-perfectly
blank and colorless as the faces of the
dead. l could see the dark circles of
the eyes, though the pupils were in
visible. The effect was altogether
ghastly and corpse-like.
l refrained from attempting to hold
any further communication with
them, and waited in considerable
mental confusion until their foot
steps died away in the distance.
presently shook of my unpleas.
ant sensation, and concluding that
the men had probably taken the
main road toward Erlachen, follow
ed after them. 1 had gone perhaps a
hundred PAGES when | detected the
creak and rattle of some heavy ve-
hicle behind me. Looking back, I
knew that it must be some sort Of
travelling carriage from the two
lamps that were upon it, which were
H. 49,. IL . - -