The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-01-31
THE HUTINTHE PRAIRIE
AN iNExPLIcABLE ADVENTURE
ON TEXAN wiLDs.
True story Of What Happened 10 . Rider
searching for . Nights shslter-Ths
0eespsnts Of the Lonely House 10
which the 6uids Led Him.

cd the TACT some tilnc nthCcf tuVuth
my horse evidently realized. With
patient endurance he plodded along.
resignation plainly expressed In the
droop OF his tail aud ears.
Now that the sun was gone, found
my knowledge OF the point OF the
compass gone with It. As / sat per-
picked and worried the gloom OF
twilight gathered fast and the chill OF
coming rain smote me through and
through, while in the distance there
was the roll OF thunder. My horse
strobe on OF his own accord. and hop
ing that his instinct would lead us To
some house. lot him have his will.
Presently IL began TO rain. Oh
course did not mind little rain. but
the prospect OF spending the entire
night exposed to 1t was anything but
agreeable. and grew really violent in
denunciation of the folly which had
led me, an utter stranger In the
country. TO attempt TO find anything
less than volcano in active eruption
dark. and very dark at that though
at short intervals close TO the horizon
n faint CLEAN OF lightning showed,
too distant to cast brightness on my
path and only sufficient to intensity
the blackness about me.
All mt once l saw a man walking
about fifteen feet In front OF me. Yes,
know / said II was intensely dark,
but all the same, repeat 1t. ! saw
man walking in front OF me. and fur
thermore / could sec that ne was a
large man. dressed In rough, but well
fitting clothes; that he wore heavy.
red beard. and that he looked back at
me from time to time with an express
sion OF keen anxiety on his otherwise
rather fixed features
"Hallor' cried. but as he did not
halt concluded he did not hear me.
As second hail produced no result |
spurred my weary horse up TO over
take the stranger. But though the
gray responded with an alacrity most
CONNIE ndabls under the circumstances.
/ soon found that this strange pedes-
trian did not intend TO let me catch up
with him. Not that he hurried him
self He seemed without any exertion
to keep good fifteen feet between us.
Then began 10 wonder how. with
tho intense darkness shutting mo In as
four black walls, i was yet able TO see
my strange companion so clearly, TO
take in the details OF his dress. and
even the expression OF his face. and
that at distance more than twice my
horses length when ! could hardly SEQ
his head before me. am not given
20 superstitious fancies. and my only
feeling was OF curiosity. When after
attempt after attempt to overtake the
stranger had failed. took mercy on
my jaded horse. and resolved 10 follow
my unsociable guide as no must have
some definite destination.
We went on in silence for nearly half
an hour. when as suddenly as no had
appeared he was gone. / looked
around for him. half afraid from his
instant and complete disappearance
that l had been dreaming, when |
perceived that was close TO n small.
low building OF some sort refined In
and shouted several times. but not the
slightest response could hear. aud at
last rode boldly up and tapped on
the wall with the butt OF my riding
whip. Then, as this elected no sign
OF life. concluded that had stumbled
on some deserted house. or that IL was
the abode OF my eccentric friend. so
dismounting and tying the gray | re-
solved 10 spend the rest OF the night
under roof or 10 find some good rea-
son for continuing my journey. felt
my way along the wall till reached
door. and trying this aud finding that
1t yielded to me | stopped inside.
striking u match as / did so. Fortu-
nately l carried my matches In an air
tight case. and as IL was dry the one
struck gave me n light at once.
found myself In a large room close 10
fireplace. over which rude sheli
was placed. and on this mantel | saw
an oil lamp. 10 which | applied my
match as looked about me.
On the hearth was heaped quantity
OF ashes and over these crouchcd a
child. little girl OF or 6. At the
other end OF the room, which was
plainly and scantily furnished. lay a
man across the bed. and as / raised
tho lamp saw that he was tho same
had been following. but there was
something In his attitude and face that
struck me as peculiar. and was about