The Florida agriculturist., 1889-12-18
HERMIT OF TIE PLAINS.
TRAVELLERS IN TEXAS ENTERTAINED
BY A MYSTERIOUS HOST.

Name Peril of His Life-Subsequent
Disappearance of the Strange Man.
A certain gentleman, whom | shall call
Herr l., was sent to Texas from Ber-
lin by syndicate of German noblemen
who were desirous of investing in land
for the purpose of establishing an exten-
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
suitable location for the proposed ranch
He wished to visit the sections he thought
of purchasing, and your correspondent,
as agent for the Houston and Texas Cen
tral, 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 at 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.
"No house at all, SIR" said mine host,
"except that of the hermit.
''The hermit!" we both exclaimed.
Eyes, the hermit of the plains. He'sa
singular foreign character, who lives
some fifteen miles from here, all alone,
in little shanty about half mile off
the road He's SO mighty unsociable he's
got himself the name of the hermit of
the plains. He might take you in, Mr..
-, but it's one of his peculiarities that
he can't bear German" with glance
at my companionl, land he wouldn't
accommodate me to save his life"
"a rabid Frenchman. in all probabil-
ity," said Herr L., as we drove off.
We had capital pair of brisk little
Texas ponies, all fire and nerve, and, the
roads being good, reached our object
point in good time, but several hours
were consumed in driving over the coun-
try, and, unconscious of the flight of the
short day, we were surprised to find our
selves near it's close. Another reason
for haste was also apparent in the
purplish masses of cloud lying near the
horizon that 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 | vainly en-
deavored to find again; but the vivid
flashes of lightning, instead of serving
me, only added to my confusion. An
hours plunging here 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 to 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, and 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 roof for the
night. After some delay the door was
opened, and we stepped in. A man of
average height, but of a commanding,
elegant bearing, stood holding in his
hand candle, whose light falling on his
face revealed it most distinctly. Herr