South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1891-12-04
THElNTELLlGENcER
FRIDAY. DEC. 4. 1891
A STRANGE GUIDING.

pected that fact some time since
but had q ubbornly fouxbt down tbe
suspicion, though my hose evident
~ realized il. With patio mt sndur.
apcs he p,odded along. resignation
PLAINLY expressed in the drop of
his tail and ears. In place of the
ranch. the hearty ". lcoine, pleasan,
wpris, bed supper AMI Dire l had ex-
pected TO reach by sunset there vas
nothing to he seen before, behind. on
either hand, hut the dead level oil
The plain. There we're paths in
plenty IN fact, the trouble wac there
we're too msny-narrow and winding.
for whose meanieting there seemed
not the s'ightest excuse. except the
general tendency TO crookedness
most things. animate and iDanima,e
alike. pos ess. But it would have
taken the instinct of a blood -hoand
or a training Indian 10 have said
which paths had been made Ivy
ho' SEES ieet or those of cattle.
Now that the sun was gone,
found my knowledge Of the point oil
the compass gone with it. As sat
perple xsd aud worried. the gloom of
twilight gathered fast mt tho chill
OF coming rain sDo,e me through
and through, while in the distance
,h.re WAS the roll Of thunder. Glanc
ing up / saw that the masses of cloud
had closed together IN curtain OF
gray mist.
My horse strobe on IL his own ac-
cord, and hoping that his in.tinct
would lead US " sore house. Pres.
entity it began TO rain, a sort of
heartb:oken passionless weeping, but
with q steady determination To per.
severe all night, that swoke graver
apprehension in my bosom than any
amount Ct clustering, ,,iio very do wn.
pour ecu d have done.
1t was now quite da'k, and very
dark at that, though at short inter.
walls close 20 the horiz m faint CLEAN
Of lightning sh wed, TOO distant to
cast brightness on my path and only
sufficient TO Intensity the blackness
about ms.
All Ut once I saw man walking
about fifteen feet in front of me. Yes
| know I said it was intensely dark !,
hut all the same, repeat il. saw
a man walking in front OF me, and
furthermore could see that he was
=. large man. dressed in rough. but
we'll q ting clo' hes; that he wore a
heavy red beard, and that he looked
pack ut me from I me to time with
on expression OF keen anxiety. on his
otherw wise rather fixed features.
Heliol cried, but as he did not
malt l concludei he did not hear me.
AS a second hail produced no result
| spurred my weary horse up to over
,sKe the Stranger. But though the
gray responded With al alacrity most
commepdable under the circnm-
stances, | soon found that this strange
pedestrian did not intend To- let me
each up with bim-not that be hur-
RED himself. He seemed, without
any exertion, to keep good fifteen
feet between ia. Then l began to-
wonder how, with tue intense dark
ness shutting me in as four black
walls, vas yet able to see my
strange companion so clearly, TO take
tie details OF bis drese, aud even the
expression OF his face, and that at a
distance more thar twice my horses
length, when | could hardly SEQ HE
head before me. Lam no. given to
supersti,ious fa1cies, and my only
feeling was OF curiosity.
We vent on in silence for nearly
half 40 hour, when, as suddenly as
he appeared, he wss gone. looked
around for him, half afraid, from his
instant and complete disappearance,
lhst / had been dreaming, when L
perceived ,hat | wss close TO q msll.
low building of some sort. | refined
in and shou'ed several times, bu, not
the sligh'es. re-ponse co1ld | hear
and at last rode boldly IN aud tap.
ped on the wall with my riding whip
Then, ss this elected no sign nf lie.
/ concluded that had stumbled
upon some desirted house, nr it was
the abode Of my eccentric freud so,
dismounting and tying the gray, |
resolved 10 spend the rest OF the
night under a roof or TO fad some
good reason for continuing my jOurs
ney. I felt my way along the wall
TIL J reached a door. and trying this
and hnding tina il yielded TO mo, /
stepped inside, striking match as
] did 60. Fortunately, | carried ms
matches in an air-tlght case, and as
it was dry, the one ] struck gave me
a light at once. found myself ia q
large room close TO Gre place, over
which rude shelf wss placed. and
on this mantel saw an oil lamp, TO
which l applied ny match.
On the hearth was beaped guam.
titv OF ashes and over these sTo ched
a child. a little girl Of 5 or 6. Az
The other end OF the room, which
vas plainly and scautily furnished,
lay man across bed aud as
raised the lamp saw that be was
the sane [ bad been following, but
there was something IN bis attitude
and face that struck me as peculiar.
and ! vas about to- go forward and
look at him. when the child, WHO bad
at frst seemed dazed at the light,
iarrly threw herself upon me.
Have you anything for Nelly 10
est4 she said. and ibeo Oh, Nelly
so bunkry
ran ms hand into nv pocket and