, 1889-12-01
HERMIT OF THE PLAINS.
TRAVELLERS IN TEXAS ENTERTAINED
BY A MYSTERIOUS HOST.

He Ia Recognized by One of His Guests.
WHO Is Forbidden to Speak the Hermirs
Name on Peril of His Life-subsequem
Disappearance of the Strange Man.
A certain gentleman. whom | shall call
Herr -, was sent to Texas from Ber-
lin by a syndicate of German noblelnen
who We're dcsirous of investing in land
for the purpose of establishing an extern
sive ranch. Herr L. stopped in Fort
Worth for a few days, and. hearing
favorable accounts of the country lying
northwest of this city, became impressed
with the idea that he would find there a
suitable location for the proposed ranch.
He wished to visit the sections lie thought
of purchasing, and your correspondent.
as agent for the Houston and Texas Cen
trail, which owned the lands, was APP
pointed to accompany him. We left the
railroad at Vernon. and went by private
conveyance to the tract in question,
which lay some eighteen miles out from
that town.
AS we left the hotel ct Vernon we
asked the landlord if there was any
house on the road where we could pu
up for the night should it happen that
we would not be able to make the return
trip that day.
mo house at all, sir" said mine host,
except hat of the hermit"
THE hermit we both exclaimed.
Yes, the hermit of the plains. He'sa
singular foreign character, who lives
some fifteen miles from here, all alone,
in a little shanty about half a mile off
the road. He's SO mighty unsociable he's
uot hfn,en1f tho mama Of the Iar,,;t -
the plains. He might take you in, Mr..
-, but it's one of his peculiarities that
he can't bean a German" with n glance
at my ~companionl, IAN he wouldn't
accommodate Inc to save his life"
"a rabid Frenchman, in ell probable
ity, " said Herr l., as we drove off.
We had a capital pair of brisk little
Texas ponies, all fire and nerve, and, the
roads being goa4, reached our object
point in good time, but several hours
were consumed in drivingcver the coun-
try, and, unconscious of the fight of the
short day, we were surprised to find orr
selves nea its close. Another reason
for haste xas also appa.ent in the
~purplish masses of cloud lying near the
horizon hat threatened a storm. In an
Incredibly short time darkness was on
us and the entire heavens black with the
coming tempest. The ponies became
unmanageable at the first peal of thunder
and forsook the road. which I vainly en-
deavored to find c~2in; but the vivid
flashes of lightning, instead of serving
me, only added to my confusion. An
hours plunging Eere and there in the
bald prairie threw me completely out of
my reckoning, and when at last the
storm had spent itself and the rain began
to pour down in torrents, | Couldn't have
told my right hand from my left. Herr
l. called my attention 10 a dim but
steady spark of light burning close to
the horizon at no great distance from us.
Taking it to he at some house we drove
the now subdued ponies straight to it,
and found ourselves before a low shanty.
through whose unshuttered window that
welcome light was shining. We knock
ed, inc a voice in English, though with
a slight foreign accent. called out to
know who we were. We replied that
we were two belated, lost travellers, who
sought the shelter of II roof for the
night. After some delay the door was
opened. and VIC stepped in. a man of
average height, but of n commanding,
elegant bearing. stood holding in his
hand n candle, whose light fLliiE. on his
face revealed it most distinctly. Herr
l. looked at him and at once ex-
claimed in amazement:
God in heaven, it is the Count Won
~
But the name was unuttered, for the
man dropped the candle instantly, and
sprang like a wild beast at Is throat,
crying, in German:
"Speak that name and | kill you like
a dogr'
l. gasped out that he would not,
and his assailant took his hands from
his throat and relighted the candle. The
room was furnished rudely, but was
scrupulously clean, and the plank table
covered with books that proved on ex-
animation to be the untranslated Latin
poets, with a few well chosen volumes
of English essays. The hermit provided
us with n supper of boiled ham and
crackers, and then, turning to l.,
said that if he would pledge himself not
to reveal to any one his name and
whereabouts we would be welcome To
such shelter as he could offer. L.
promised, and we remained all night.
There was only one room, and we all
slept in blankets on the floor. Our mys-
FERROUS host had little or nothing to say,
and when l. volunteered some infor-
nation in regard to recent German poll
tics, replied that he wished never to
even hear the name of that country
mentioned again.
Il don't ask you who that man is, af-
ter your having given our word to him,
Herr l." l said, but what is he, or
rather what has he BEEN
Il will tell you only this" answered
my companion. THAT lone hermit is
the head of one of the most powerful
families in Germany. He is supposed to
have died, however, some years ago. AT
ny rate, a coffin was buried with every
,ossible honor, and, up to last night, l
an sure, it never occurred to any one to
doubt his body lay in it, He occupied
one of the most important positions at
court, and | am at a loss to understand
his exile to these Texas plains, for he left
y charming young wife, an exalted rank