Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1884-11-22

less sleep before l awakened, starting
shuddering with the horror of-what
was it The lugubrisus, longdrawn
howl Of . pack of wolves, drawn
| hither by the scent of our food !? But
in this section even the skulking
coyote WAS rare in the extreme. Was
it, then, the despairins cry ola way
farer, belsted, who had fallen upon
some unknown peril, or had q band
Of marauding Apachss slipped down
upon us to make an unaccustomed
night attack? ,-, -t.'., ..-5.u
"Ysador!" my father softly called,
Us I cooked my ready revolyer-for
on the frontier woman learns the
duty Of self-defence. ,e"
In another moment we were group
ed beneath the carriage, preparing a.
We could for what might come. The
long rifles rested across the wheel
spokss, and the reserve pistols lay
close at hand. No sight, no further
sound. The night WAS opaquely
dark. "Ths horses!" l whispered
with . sudden recollection, and, in an
other moment young Pande was
noiselessly gliding with 3 snakes
sinuous movement to the tree whore
his two bays were tethered. He
slipped among us again, calm and
weary. ..f .....- ..
"Cub and Baby are there" he
said, "but trembling to the hoofs.
They scent mischief" a.,.-.
"Look at the mine" cried Alfred
Walter, thrilling.
From the mouth Of the shaft
stresmed upward-what "a luminous
mist, a palely phosphorescent cloud
electric, glowing, vague and dim, but
unmistakable 1t increased in volume
and it deepened in density, hanging
an amsphorous body Oh cold incan-
descence in relief against the gloom.
Then began = distinct movement
among it's particles. =.
Gradually the mysterious sub
stance densified about its center.
With many q wavering expression and
contraction, an outline shaped itself
within the cloud shaped itself, ap-
parently materializsd, and stood
forth, the head and shoulders of
singulsrly handsome man, whose
mournful eyes looked toward us. over
us, through us in the tent of the
"Fraternity" partners on the edge Of
the draw.
"Good heavens" cried Harvey
Hande. cit il Lon Howard"
"But look" said Alfred Walter,
"see how tho cloud is moving"'
The central spparition resolved it.
self again into luminous mist, and
the nebuls swung forward, floating
tremulously down the hillside toward
us and the tent. 1t kept its shape
less shape not minute. Now
it streamed up through the night
like the mounting flame from some
pyre; now it spread fatty, like a
great bird stopping with pinions wide
out-spread ; again it rolled, globular
in form and motion, or whirled flu
riously, as if driven by mighty gale.
The edges of the aerial mass swept
so near US in it's passage that We,
crouching there berore the mystery,
felt ourselves drawn forward with it,
for through US, in its nelghborhood,
ran an electric thrill, acute to pain
fulness, yet with curious sense Of
exultation and attraction.
at is gone"
at is not gone,' said Mr.. Walter;
sit has entered the tent"
We had left the door-faps of the
tent thrown back, relying on the dry
ness of the SEASON, and through the
opening We could see the whole in-
terror illuminated by that strange
unearthly GLOW. And yet, not the
faintest CLEAN pierced the thin cam
vas walls. Save ut its entrance. the
tent WAS not to be distinguished from
the night without. Gazing into
that narrow space, we four who
watched that night saw developed
drama such as was never seen of
mortal eyes before. We saw the
heap of tools within, the bearskin
upon the clodded floor, the pilsd-up
powder cans, the -four barrel and its
attendant stores. At one side the
rude cot bed, with its rough blanket
and meager pillow and-could it be?
The form Of man was outstretched