Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-14

,beu certain IL is that at this moment
they all faced about, and rushing with
loud squeakings past the legs OF ,neir
driver. vanished in general stampede
away into the wood. /,
Mr.. Pogson stood aghast, and leaned
AGAINST a tree-trunk for support. The
noise OF the pigs died away, and DO was
aIono-alone in blank darkness. Even
pigs are company, and now he would
have given a good deal for the compan-
iouship OF single one OF his victims;
There was singing in his ears. cold
sweat ON his hard brow; he felt quite
unable to 90 further; his head swan.
Suddenly he heard voice from over
bead-a gentle voice. reproachful and
somewhat hollow aud ghostly-
"Whoo? Tu-whoo :?
Mr.. Pogson felt creepy sensation
and would have cast himself to the
ground and hidden his face in the blue
bells. but again the voice asked
"Whoo? WHO'D? Tu-whoo -?
"Popson o. Highfeld," cried the be-
lated man in answer. But in still more
reuroachful accents the voice demanded
for the third time
"Whoo? Tu-whoo " ~.
"Poeson O. Highdeld, pig dealer, "
cried the wretcbed man in suffering ac-
cents. ga man as never did no harm to
nothing in all his life "
"Whoo? Whoo?" said the voice,
seeming to retreat, and, urged to follow
n by some mysterious influence, Mr..
Pogson staggered forward n few PAGES.
But he had hardly left bis tree for more
than half a minute when something
caught him on the shins and trpped
him up at the same moment ne re-
ceiyed a violent blow on the head,
which. added to the effects OF the brandy,
stretched him quite unconscious ON the
ground. There he lay in the darkness,
with the bottle slipping out of his pocket,
while the mysterious voice continued to
question him ia vain from the old oak
tree overhead. -
And now, but for the voice, all is
silent again for n few minutes. stay,
who il this coming down the "nght,
betraying bis presence by the cracking
of dry twig beneath his boot ? 1t Is
Mr.. Weekes. bent on further profitable
destruction. who would not have ven
tured himself in the wood after dark Tor
fear of ghosts and other terrors, but IS
now urged to unwonted courage by the
hope Of gain and by the companion
ship of his old gun. lie IS making tor
the tree where he saw the owl at sunset.
As he advanced deeper into tbs dead
blaekness Of the wood, MIR. Weekes be-
gan to feel slight uneasiness, which
was soon uncomfortably increased by
strange noises on his right hand, as OF
weird creatures making toward HIM
through the underwood but he was
now close to his tree, and be could hear
the hooting OF the owls that were to be
his prey. He was il the act OF raising
his gun, ready to fire when al
owl should cross the bit OF sky line
open above him. when the noises IN
creased to his right, and with terrific
cracking and confusion an army OF ter
rble creatures burst out upon him INTO
the ride. All his courage lied. With q
veil of fear he discharged his gun at the
advancing foes, and then throwing 1t at
them as a last resource, took TO his heels
and ran from them. But he had not run
many yards when he tripped, first over
heavy body and then over tightoned
cord. and losing at once ms balance and
his senses Mr.. Weekes swooned outright.