Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-11-24

had Mary Williams, and tuko her to my own
cabin, over the river" Moro thun ono
tear now glistened moment in the freight
and dropped fast from the check, as the
Trapper gazed silently again into the flames.
"Coming back from a hunt one night,
we-that's Jed and I--fouud stranger
in the cabin. Ho was ono of your
oity follcrs, and yet he was handsome as
picter. He was richly dressed. His eve
wos tho blacklist aud peroingcst ever
seed, aud seemed to 60 right through one,
every time he looked at em. alters felt
kind o chilly like, every time he looked
at 'ale, and uin't apt to caro- for any cri.-
tors looks. His voice was lik lie aud crept
right into one, somehow. didn't like tho
looks of the felIcr at all, and it may be l
was little jealous.
"Jed never turned q stranger oway from
his cabin, and this one stayed and STAYED.
We wasn't awful thick with eauh other,
and the more | sec of hin the worse |
liked him. lie seemed 10 know it, too, but
never said nothing only in his smooth kind
o way didn't really wan, to pick fuss
with him, but felt all the time as though
there was devil in bis eye when he catchcd
the watching him.
"One day remcmbcr it os we'll as
tho twas yestcrday-[ came back from
over the river, and found no one 10 the
| cabin. felt uneasy und lonesome like,
| and walked slowly down to bend ia tho
river whcro we used to hitch our boats. AS
| got near, heard voices, aud knew that
the stranger and Mary Williams WAS there.
They were talking low, but prairie on fire
10 gale. wasn't nothing to what went on
my breast. | shut my hand op my rife
till it seemed that tho barrel would give
way. But was cool. awfuIly cool, and be-
gan to creep nearer. l didn't want TO
eavcs rop, cut was determined the stranger
shouldn't comc any of his designations over
Mary Williams, if l could hclpit They
stood upon the bank, and he seemed to be
trying to coax her to go into his boat, and
she kind O. half hcstutin' like, as if afraid.
| Ih"o'ccd she ,oas charmed! Some would
laugh, but no crittcr ever had such eyes
aud such voice, who could Eot charm.
I've seen Lirds charmed by ratttsnakcs,
and know that some Men, cuss 'cm, lnSc
the same na,ur Well, as was saying,
Mary VAS charmcd, and stood troubling,
her month partly open and her face pale as
asGcs. Sho would lean towards The stran.
ger at times, aud then sway back agnin,
and he all the time watching her with his
git,ering eyes, aud talking low to her AS he
| stepped into the boat aud held out his hand
Mary burst right out crying and slowly
followed him. 1t WAS not quito dusi sh,
but the strangers eyes, as true as am u
living man, glowed just like Goals of fire.
y cold sweat stood all over my forehead,
aud grew faint for n mint. | jumped
down the bank, right fore the stranger, and
dropped my eye along :'oli Mori," ,"-ttnt's
my lillc-and yelled at him to stop. IIc
had just swung out from the bank, and MS
| yelled, Mary put up her arms, like Que in
a nightmare, aud cried for help. The
strangcrs eyes fairly burued. but my blood
was up, aud didn't care what | did. I
tircd!'
There was breathless silence around
the campfire, as the Trapper here ceased
his tale for Il moment, and looked into va
cancy. He con;inucd
''llcavcns and arth! All the Internal
devils in the pit could not have put up
such an awful yell as | heard. It was
enough TO drive QUO mad. And though |
don't like to tell it. ] was scared, and my
hair stood right square up, in spite of all
| could do. know 'twan't a human
voice. ain't afraid of any human cr:tcr.
1t was the scream of some damned one,
and was as near tho howl of wolf as
anything, only enough sight more frightfu.
Mary fell fainting in my arms, aud the
boat went on down the stream, with that
damnabe howl ringing in my ears. I hear
IL n0,o."
We all started and looked out into the
darkness, but it wus not there that the
Finpper heurd the sound. After moment
he rcSumcd:
"Alary was never like her old self again,
never. She kind O pined, and seemed to
DC dreaming. She was kinder to me than
ever, but would sometimes seem to forget
everything around her, and then she would
look at something just as she did the strun--
ger on the YER bank l. cut nc hard,
tor | knew the spell was on her yet. One
evening | found her stupding whore the
strangers boat left the shore, h,r hands
locked as they was then and she leaning
out over the water. When spoke to her
she startod and commenced sobbng like
child. was in trouble, tell you, and so
was Jed.
"Mary was used to hunters fare, and
used to 60 with us on trips, for wo burst
not leave her alone in tho cabin. Ono
time, we'd been nigh upon hundred miles
up tho river, and ut night campcd under
bluff, by an Indian trail. 1t was Just
such night as this, only it rained like suds
all tho time, and such thunder and light
ming | never seed. 1t was mighty. Tbe