Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-11-24
wALMALIA SOUTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY NOVEMBER "a 1881

ter-as plain as hear that fire. and then
voice called low from tho bank, 'Maryp
IL 'oas the Strangers! I jumped for my
rifle, but before could lnd it, Mary start.
cd like frightened deer, for tho river, aud
and Jed aftcr her, as well as We could 10
the dark. With a cry, kind o sobbiug
like, Mary jumped iuto "a boat, and tho
lightning nude all as plain as day, there
stood the stranger, his eyes shining, aud
that same ufernal smile on his face. /
knew right where ho was, and iu q jiffy |
pulled away ut him. Louder than tho
storm, and II thousand times more awful,
that same yell rung through tho woods, and
was answered back from over the river. 1t
sounded like some devil laughing and yell
ing, and thon away down the stream, there
was,a vail like child's growing fainter
and fainter, ond wo heard it no more. Jed
Williams and both called for Mary, q
long time, but no answer. We took our
boat and went up and down, but could not
see or hear anything We looked for a
, trial on the opposite bauk, but found uoth-
| ing but wolf trail. As Jed stepped on
shore, there was on awful snapping and
suaring, add then howls, and as l live,
they pitched into him. lIe gavo one
quick call for help, and then heard that
strangers veil, md in the blaze Of nls!, of
lightning, ns run as / now see the fire,
there stood n monstrous great wolf, as
black as jet but his face ,oas the strangers!
| made a Iungc ut him with my knife and
knew no more.
The sweat stood in drops on the Trap
per's brow al this part of his story, and we
noticed that his finger shut convusivcly
upon his rife barrel.
II laid there till morning" continued
| the old uan. "codl, and drcuched in the
storm. 1t all seemed like dream at first,
but it came to me slowly, and | reused up
aud took look at things.
at made nc sick at the hcart-that
| look-for thcro was the bones Of Jed Will
lums, and his rifle by The side of them.
The cusscd devils hid picked 'em-as
bravo man as ever drew boad-kllcd
like dog. wished they had killed me, too,
and Why they didn't [ can't tell I've
sometimes thought 'hcro was Providence in
it, aud tina. should meet the stranger yet
I reckon I huli"
As the hunter said this lie clcnched his
teeth aud Ills eyes glarcd like madman's.
yWcll. EioJa after that right, my hair was
white os foam, and grew old mighty
quick. I hunted the woods over for many
week, and all ur and down the river, tut
found nothing of Mary Williams. went
back TO our camp, aud in about three weeks,
what should see one evening in the cove
where | saw Mary with the stranger first,
but something like human person. On
pulling it out, great Good, it was Mary
Williams! Her black hair was swimming
with the current aud her face was turned
upward. took her gcntIy up the hank,
and laid her all dripping among tho leaves.
All uiaht, boys, sat aud talked to Mary
it didn't seem as though sho could die
But she was dead, and hunted up the
prcttcst epot on the hill and buried her
alone The wild vines and flowers are all
over her grave low, aud | 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, aud knew the stranger vas
around. | was bothered to ,uakc up my
mind whether he was man, wolf, or devil,
but Mt any rate, piled great stones on
Mary's grave to make all sure. l shall
ntccf W0t Stranger yc!
The Trupper pulled his knife from his
belt aud felt its edge to the point, and then
primcd his rife anew. We could not help
being little surprised at bis manner-his
actions indicating that he was expecting
his dreaded antagonist scon. And strange
as it seemed, at that moment there was
voice on the river and the measured dip Of
oars. A moment more and the word
"MaryW in gentle tones, came up like q
sigh.
We all looked at The trapper. An ashy
his shaggy brow had dropped, his eye gilt
tered witl, intense hate, aud his teeth were
closed like wise. The old mao was terrible
to look upon. Muttcring between his
olenchcd teeth, he slowly arose aud
turned his car towards tho river.
At the moment there was a football on the
bank, and us plainly as We ever saw star
10 the uight, there were two eyes of fire,
glowing with supernatural light aud steadily
advancing toward The camp. The rest OF
the boys mus, have seen the same, Tor they
by a roi..nnn Impulse, rc,rcHted behind the
ti,c aud raised their riffs
ola, ha, ho!' came in mockng tones
from tho direction of the fiery eyes. We
heard tall heard it.
Aud the old Trapper heard it, for in
tones not less startling aud husky, he ane
swercd laugh for laugh, and steadily ad-
vanccd. His cap WAS off and his thin locks
lifted 10 the gusts of wind.
Another moment and tho Trappers
rifle bozcd in tho darkness aud its sharp
r,nort r,n,, ,nt IN tho n;oIf \N;th ~,