Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1885-04-17


felt my reputation at stake; and
declaring i would on no account re-
main, / gave orders to have nv pony
brought round. The whole party came
to the door to see me start-the elders
inyeighing against my foolishness in
setting off at that time of night; the
young people plying me with horrors
and telling me to be sure to come
round next morning If alive-and give
an account of my adventures. To all
gave a merry reply, and lighting my
pipe. swinging myself into the saddle.
and shouting Good night cantered
off down the avenue.
For couple of miles the road led me
down deep wooded glen. On both
sides the mountains lowered aloft to a
height of more than two thousand feet,
their lower slopes thickly clad with pine
and birch, their shoulders and SUBMITS
white from recent heavy snowfall
The river poured along unanimously,
close beneath the road, swirling past
frowning cliffs of rock, brawling and
battling with heaps of powders, shoot
ing in sheets of glancing foam over cas-
cade and rapid. By daylight the scene
was sufficiently grand and impressive !;
Illuminated as it now was by faint
moonlight, it was much more SO. The
night was calm and slightly frosty; but
overhead a strong breeze was blowing.
and from time to time the moon was
obscured by the flying clouds. The
play of light and shade brought about
by this was very beautiful; at one mo-
ment the shaggy hillsides and deep
pools of the river were plunged in
deepest shadow; in the next flood of
pale glory poured over them, paint
ing the rushing stream with silver,
shooting shafts Of light among
the tall trees, tracing mosaics
on the dark surface of the road. Each
clump of ferns, each bush and stump.
took uncommon shape, and it required
no great stretch of Imagination to con-
vert the powders and reefs of rock out
in the stream into waterbulls and kel-
pies. The rush and roar of the river
drowned all other sounds; but with the
exception of the echoing tread of my
pony and the occasional bark of fox
from the hill there was nothing else to
be heard. On my way down the glen |
passed few scattered cottages, but
their occupants were long ago in bed,
although it was not much past ten
o'clock.
The wilder part of the glen ended in
fine pass, where the hills lowered al
most straight up from the river, and
the pines threw SO deep shadow that
for few yards it was impossible to see
the road. Just beyond, the mountains
retreated to right and left, and through
short and level tract OF meadoW-land
road and stream made their way down
to the shores of the loch. Ahead of me
| could see its broad bosom glancing in
the moonlight, and the great snow-clad
mountains beyond it. As the improved
condition of the road now made rapid
progression easier, gave the pony his
head and he went along in a style that
| promised soon to land me at nv deS-
| tination.
There was only one thing that
troubled me-the haunted bridge Once
past it, and I should thoroughly enjoy
my moonlight ride. | do not know
! whether it was the thought of the ghost
stories with which we had beguiled the
hours after dinenr, and which now kept
recurring to my mind in spite of all eff
4O4 bo " VIC COdpA di " VI WAUbhCl IL was
the solemn and impressive scenery had
passed through in the glen, that had
unstrung me; but the nearer | drew to
the bridge the more uncomfortable
felt regarding it. 1t was not exactly
fear, but vague presentment of evil
| the Highland blood asserting itself
could not get rid of the sensation.
tried to hum and whistle, but the forced
merriment soon died natural death
I was now on the loneliest part of the
road From the bottom of the glen as
| far as the bridge-.about three miles
there was not a single cottage; and more
than mile on the other side of it lay 8
| scattered hamlet. The moon, too
| which had hitherto befriended me, row
threatened to withdraw its light, anC
/ where clumps of trees overhung the
road the darkness was deep. The pony
carried me along bravely-he knew h,
was going home-and in short time
turn in the road showed me, some dis
tance ahead, a ribbon of white ligh
upon the dark hillside. 1t was TIN
stream that ran beneath the fatal bridge
Better get out of this as soon as posi-
BILE, thoughts; and with voice and stick
encouraged the pony to increased speed
1 On we went! The roar of the haunte,
stream was loud and near now; tn
gloom increased as we plunged deepe
into the wood that filled its basin; il
another minute the bridge would be ia
behind, when, without the lest warn
/ ing, the pony SHE'D TO one side AM
then stood stock still, quivering al
!, over. The shock all but sent my hy
ing over his mead; but by an effort
kept my seat. / had not far to look fo
/, the cause of the beasts fright Not
dozen Yards away were the dimly see
! parapets of the bridge; and on one Q
them crouched an object that froze m
with terror. There are some moment
in which the events of lifetime pass il
! review; there are some glances in whic
an infnity of detail can be taken i
j quicker than eve can close. This wa
. one of them. / do not suppose that m
{ eve rested on the terror for more tina
: a second; but in that brief space SAY
. what seemed like the upper part OF
:, distorted human body, hunchbacke
! and without legs, with a face tha
! glowed with the red light of fire! ca
!. laugh now when I think of my fright
: but at the moment / remember gettin
the pony into motion somehow wit
stick, bride and voice, and speedin
across the bridge like thunderbol
: crouehing down, Tam O'Shanter-lks
!. : and momenfarily expecting to feel th
9 grip of q clammy hand on my necl
$ Hard, hard we galloped through th
hamlet l have mentioned; nor did
!, slacken the pace until the lights of IN
:. abode had cleaned through the plants
4 ton and we were safe and sound in tt
: stable-yard.
Tn rnola a rnallu rood rhnsf.sfnY