The Washington critic., 1889-02-05

There WINS tause. The Squire got up
nid walked with ilEcty manner toward
the window TO lopk out, and, turning with
n serious face toward Henry, remarked;
"Ims Is n very curious story OF yours,
ard, If ] did not know you too well, |
,lould suspect you were quiLzing. Did
you hear run after you parted with this
Iunk sided fellow you describe ~
~ thought | did once, but the sound
WAS SO distant that ! was too uncertain
ahout its being a gun to risk getting lost
again In going to IT,"
"Wus II about quarter Of an hour by
sun ~ THAT is, before sundown) interrupted
the driver.
"lCsn
"Well, I hcarn n gun about that time on
your side, but thought it was some OF
yours.n n
~ expected TO find the horse. here-4he
came on in this direction" said Henry.
mo- said the Squire, "Stoner's house lie
beyond here.n
Henry now seated himself at the table,
md gieatas was the uncertainty attending
The fate Of Stoncr, these men were too
much accustomed to the vicesitudes AMI
accidents common to the life OF the frontier
hunter 10 be affected by IL for more than
few moments and the joke aud laugh soon
went round as carelessly aud pleasantly as
II nothing had occurred at all,unusual.
In the midst of this. the rapid tramp OF a
horse at full gallop was heard approaching.
The Squire rose hastily and went out, while
the room was oppressively still. In lew
moments he entered with contracted brows.
"Stoncr's negro has been sent over by his
wife to let us know that his horse has re-
turned with the reins on Its neck aud blood
on the saddle. lie has been shot"
We all rose Involuntary Mt this and
stood with blank, white faces, looking into
each others eyes.
"The madmanp' said one, In subdued
tones, breaking the spell of silence.
"Henry's bearded ghost" said another
Eyes" exclaimed several, "devil or ghost,
that's the way IL has happened
! ~ tell you what, Henry, It has occurred
| 10 me, ever since you finished your story,
| that This singular being was on the lookout
for Stoner, and while you rode with your
head down thought You were he, for there
are several points OF general resemblance,
such as size, color OF your horses, etc, but
4 that In the long look he took ut your face
he discovered the mistake, aud after leav-
4 ing YOU, passed over to the left and met
Stoner returning and has shot him. He Ia
one Of the Regulators, though and Hinch
is a very bloodhound. ! shall send for him
to be here In the morning with the boys,
and they will trail him up, II nc is the devil
In eatnest.n
| Soon after daybreak we were awakened
ly the sound Of loud, clustering voices
about the house. | felt sure that this must
lie Hinch's party, and, on looking out OF
my window, saw them ,dismounting and
/ grouped about the yard ] recognized the
voice OF our most III snafp, decisive after
cation, under our WINDOW, Win some one,
whose harsh, overbearing tones convinced
ne that II must be llinoh. listened anS-
iously, and heard him swearing in round
terms that Ilenry's story was all CANNON,
all "old woman's tale, that he didn't be-
leye word OF 1t; but, II Stoner was mur,
dered, Henry was the man VINO did IT,"
could only distinguish lnat tue planter
tone was angry ana deciueu, wnen they
moved ON Out OF nearing. HOW ne man
aReu 10 quiet MN, cahuot conjecture
(Henry fortunately heard n9thing OF ~,
but when we Joined them hinch greeted
us win gru1l sort OF civ,ity. ne was
thick-set, broad-shouldered, ruinanly.look-
ing Fellow, wearing me paipaole marks OIL
the uepauchee III MS oioateo person. ,. :.
We were soon under way. A ride or
nearly half the day through the scenes OF
Yesterdays adventure elected nothing, and
we were all getting impatient, when, fortu-
nately, Henry's search undertaken at my
earnest suggestion, was successful In recog-
pizipg the place where he had witnessed
the curious apparition of the evening be-
fore. On close examination the mocas-
sined tracks were discovered, and with Won
uciiui oNil she NcRuiutoio p"eSu shSh ~
several miles, I'LL, finally, In an open glade,
among the thickets, we found the frag-
ments OF a man who had been torn to
pieces by the wolves, numbers OF winch,
with buzzards and ravens, were hanging
around the place. The bones had been
picked SO clean, that 1t would have been out
Of the question to hope to identity them,
but for the fact that a gun was lying near,
which was instantly recognized TO be
Stoner's'
observed that there was round frac-
tnre, like bullethole, in the back OF the
skull; but 1t was too unpleasant an object
for more minute examination. we gathered
up the bones 10 take them nome TO Ills
iamily-but'b before we LETT the ground, a
discovery was made which startled every
one. 1t was the distinct trail OF shod
horse. Now, there was hardly horse
IN sheioy county tnat wore snoes'
lVr WheIe .heIe Moio ~ s'vhea,
SHOES were no. necessary selMihiy .IeiS
Wus nv. r Tnt ~ Vui sVluPnny 'ias n ,au
tnein On. ihis must oo 'he noioc Vi tne
murderer. ,o, ,,,,, ,uo,,, A.,
vi course tiey was ,ieGu e hi ,,o , .nt
pm Va v, sn,Sod noa ' 90,
srr . r VOW tbat they sho,;Id soon cnme ,,nor
sor,a rosuits ;rbsy sst ~ with 1raet cpn.
, ednnoa trailiro 10 snod horse IN naor,y
niSht lyhon i,5 snite ~ ali their ingen,,i,y
. they lost Il: and though they camped nea,
the place iii morning and tried IL again
never could find II. 'fhey were compelled
, TO give up the chase and Scattered for thei,
separate homes.
The very next day after breaking M
followed The astounding report that 4
, horse of n second one of their number had
galloped mn to his master's door with al
empty saddle. The Regulators assembled
/ again' and after long search the body wa,
/ found. or the fragments of II, rather. bart
/ and dismembered by the wolves. Tn,
rumor was that, as In Stoner's case, tn,