Telegram-herald., 1890-03-25
A NIGHT OF DANGER.
Thrilling Adventure OF q Traveior
Il a Southern Forest

AL that day i had been tramptng
through n Wild and almost unbroken
forest. IN Oas OF our Southwestern
States
Since morning. had not seen moro
than h4if-dsren human hsbitations.
and they v-re OF the poorest and radest
description. hardly nt for the abode of
q ~tld animal
Since tho middle OF the afternoon, the
forest bad beon unbrolIe en on either side.
90 thtckly matted with trees and vines
that the eye could n0s penetrate dozen
feet into the gloomy shadows
All ,hers was 20 show that q human
being hsd sver been that way before
was aas apology Zoe road that | was
pursuing II thero had ever been any
travel upon IL there was little sign now
that suoh had been the case Bushes
had grown ap whore the ruts might have
been. and In many places the stout vines
had crept arosnd. 50 thxs one had to
keep . constant lookout 70 prevent him
self from being ripped up by them.
Now and then. IN the thickest portion
OF the forssk IL wss almost impossible
than . trail Here Is would seem 70
branch either 20 the right or left, but
up 20 nizhtfali sattercd myself shat
hsd not gone astrsy. But now | had
grave reason 70 be worried.
At the cabin where hAd passed The
previous night. I bad been told that
should come 20 another by the middle
OF the afternoon, or little later, pro-
viding I made good time. But now
night was close upon me, and the habi-
tAaon had been hooking for at every
turn had failed 70 na.erialize.
The prospect OF night alone in the
dismal forest was not pleasant 10 con-
template knew that in the dismal
depths about me, outlaws, moonshiners
and cut-throses had their refuge, and 1
did not relish the idea Of meeting them
az any time, much less OF enoountering
them in the darkness.
IL had begun 70 grow dark about ne,
when | came 70 poin, in the way
which puzzled me. The road forked
again, and for she life OF ne | could not
determine which 70 take, the right or
left
AS many had done before me-, let
chance decide the matter. Setting a
stick upright. removed my hand. and
let IL fall In the direction 1t would. It
fell 70 The left, and 50 I took that way.
| hurried onward now as fast ss I
could. I wanted 70 make use OF what
daylight still remained, and get TO the
cabin where I was 20 pass the night be-
fore is became go dark that travelling
would bs impossible Bat my haste
amounted 70 nothing. A darkness
which could almost be felt closed in
about me. and felt certainty that
must % lost. The cabin I expected 70
Cad hai not appeared, and Of iss exist
enco had no reason % doubt Tho
people whers had passed the previous
night could have had no motive IN de-
oeiving ne.
Stumbling along IN the darkness,
trying 70 make up ny mind 70 face the
inevitable. that OF passing tho night
out of doors, | suddenly tripped over
something which lay across the path,
ard went headlong over 10 70 the ground.
Mingled with the shock Of striking the
earth vas thrill OF fear. coupled with
sstonishmens. did not got upon my
feet at once, but sitting up, / reached
out toward The obstruction over which
had trfrped A thrill % horror ran
through ny framo as my hand touched
r.. It vas the BODY OF . man
I sprang 20 m7 feet, while I could feel
the hair rising apon my head. Had the
body been stlT aud cold. ny friFat would
nos have hce1 go bad. By chance had
placed my band upon is face, and felt
therc Sas the warmth of iife s,ill in II.
This was not all I. was wet. and The
moisture stuck - ny hands. Although
7 could not see felt sure that it was
blood that was site king % them. An a.
csdent bad occurred. or a murder had
been committed. withi1 few minutes
o. my coming.
With trembling hands 7 sought for
match. and when / found one. I struck
ira-a rlanoed down a. The object before
mo Nc vas ths body If nan. its face
a. covered rith blood that its features
wore roe a s~erniIle. The match went
out and vas alone a~sin n the dark
mess wien tho hodY OF the murdered nan
lvtnr ne -y feet
LIZ ..'H rfo or ta-He TnaFe ~ - = onc>r
trt their H1ht only revealed - me
what bad already seen. What could
do The Thought - remaining by the
si1o 20 che dead man until morning +
ccu'd not entar-sfn Ger a moment
rnst r. ~ nn -ii a a-orsiderabl Die distance
a. fesst Vss PLACED between it and ma
This lose 70 time in toinz As fss- "a
nv fset would -ar-T ne. 7 harried On,
half unn.ndful = was rsepipx he
t-ail ~ re
fvE soucthing Ike hNlf a. hour
rrshed onward. nnd shsn cane Suddenly
81 stsndstlL
On hs'e~e ne lighs ~.s slirru.~frz
thrcnxh re tr--sss bat was u-certaia
whesh~r i- came ron a So 81 a wiil-,,'-
sAe-visp sissfng thr,ush 49, tasglet
naares ~ - fs~~st Rut weuA nst -
ioug kspt N snsrens~. Any COMPANY
wss hettsr han she f~sd a.a lrinS =
ths r.ad h~hIna me A I -~n@ s~ar
fhe autilnes - eshia flsclnsed 4 its~H
sad cas- thrraeh fas slsgls wfasso1 shs
hsas 49, xi~~mLae