Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1890-04-18

two winged alOlt and hOVered uarKly IN une
moonlight, and the next moment we were
gazing through fringe of trees upon sin
gular picture.
A narrow plateau, overlooked by the white
mountains, aud encompassed nearer hand by
woods, lay bare to the strong radiance of tho
moon. Rough goods such make the wealth
of foresters, were sprinkled here and there
upon the ground in meaningless disarray.
About the midst a tent stood, silvered with
frost; the door open, gaping ON the black IN
terror. At the one end of this small stage lay
what seemed the tattered remnants of man
Without doubt we had arrived upon the
scene of Harris encampment; there were the
goods scattered in the panic of flight; it was
in yon tent the master breathed his last; and
the frozen carrion that lay before us was the
body of the drunken shoemaker. 1t was al
ways moving to come upon the theatre of
any tragic incident; to come upon it after SO
many days, and to find it lin the seclusion Of
a DESERT still unchanged, must have i'm
pressed the mind Of the most careless.
And yet it was not that which struck III
into pillars OF stone, but the sight (which yet
we had been half expecting) of Secundra an
kle deep in the grave Of his late master. He
had cast the main part Of his raiment by; Yet
his frail arms and shoulders glistened in the
moonligh. with a copious sweat; his face was
contracted with an xiety and expectation; his
blows resounded ca tho grave as thick soos,
and behind him, strangely deforned and mix
black upon the frosty ground, the creatures
| shadow repeated and pnrodied his swift ges-
! ticulaticns. Some night birds arose from the
boughs upon Our coming ard then settled
back; but Secundra, absorbed in his toll,
heard or needed not az all.
1 heard Mountain whisper to Sir William:
| u(I-CJ LJn'- dic-crioer
up" 1t was what We had all guessed and
! yet to hear it put in language thrilled me.
| Sir William violently started.
you damned sacrilegous hound" he
| cried. "Whats thist'
Secundrn leaped in the air, little breath
less cry escaped him, the tool few from his
| grasp, and he stood one instant staring at the
speaker The next, swift as an arrow, he
sped for the woods upon the further side; and
the next again, throwing up his hands with
violent gesture of resolution, he had begun
already to retracc his steps.
w ell, then, you come, you help he was
| saying. But by now my lord had stepped be-
side Sir William; the moon shone fair upon
his face, and the words we still upon Secun-
dra's lips when he behed ard recognized his
masters enemy Him. he screamed,
clasping his hands and shrinking on himself.
Come, come said Sir William, there is
none here to do you harm, if you be innocent;
and if you be guilty, your escape is quite cut
off. Speak, what do you here among the
graves Of the dead and the remains of the
unburied,'
you 20 murderer?' inquired Secundra.
"You true man: You see me safe:'
81 will see you safe, if you be innocent"
returned Sir William 81 have said the
thing, and / see not wherefore you should
doubt it,
"There all murdsrers," cried Secundra,
"that is why He kill-murderer, pointing
to Mountain; "there two hire murderers'-
pointing to my lord and myself-''all sallows
murderers! All, see you all swing in
rope. Now | 90 save the sahib he will see
you swing in a rope. The sahb,' ontin-
ued, pointing to the grave, The not dead
He bury, he not dead
Ny lord uttered little noise, moved nearer
to the grave, and stood and stared in it.
Buried and not dead - exclaimed Sir Will
lam. "What kind of rant is this!'
''See, sahib,n said Secundra. THE sahib
and | alone with murderers try all way to
escape, no way good. Then try this way;
good way III warm climate, good way in In
dia; here in this dam cold place, who can tell'
| tell you pretty good hurry: you help, you
light fire, help rub"
, What Is tho creature talking OFF, cried
Sir William. My head goes round"
Il tell you bury him alive" said Secun-
dra. Il teach him swallow his tongue. Now
, dig him up pretty good hurry, and he not
much worse. You light fire.
Sir William turned to the nearest of his
, men. Light fire said he. My lot seems
to be cast with the insane"
"Nou good man. returned Secundra
"Now go dig the sahib up"
He returned As spoke TO the grave, and re.
t sumed his former toll. Ny lord stood rooted,
and | at my lords side; fearing / knew not
| what
g The frost was not yet very deep, and pres
emily the Indian threw aside his tool and be-
gan to scoop the dirt by handtuls.
l Then he diseugagcd a corner Of a buffalo
! robe ana then | saw hair catch among his
: fingers: vet moment more and the moon
snone on something white Awhile Secundra
crouched upon hi, knees scrapng with deli
b cate fingers, breathing with pulled lips: and
when he moved aside l beheld the face of the
D master wholly diseugaged. 1t was deadly
. white, the eyes closed, the ears and nostrils
. played, the cheeks fallen, the nose sharp as
% if in death; but for all he had lain so many
g days under the sod, corruption had not APP
u preached him aud what strangely affected
u all of Us his lips and chin We're mautled with
, u swarthy beard
4 My Cod cried Mountain, "he was as
~ smooth as a baby when We laid him there'
=, They say hair grows upon the dead OBJ
a served Sir William, but his voice was thick
; and weak.
= Secundra paid no heed to our remarks, dig
o cling swift rs a terrier, in the loose earth;
i every moment, the form Il the master,
e swathed in his buffalo robe, grew more dis
Il tiuCt in the bottom Of that sEal!OS trough;