Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1892-02-05

N'Ai III AltHIseiFcS uur
ing the plague, for sheep, goats an,
cattc roam uncared for through Oh,
meadows, far from the barn yard
aud at night they call to each othel
with long, sad lowing; instinctively
they formed themselves into group,
and would have followed anyone who
called TO them. In the death-stricker
villages many houses were left open
and deserted, the kettle still hanging
from the crane, the table set for thu
midday meal just as the dread spectr,
had found it. Robbers would have
nothing to do but TO walk into these
owncrlcss homes, and then with WELL
filled sacks to return TO their noun
tains in all safety and what matter
If some one vcntured to interfere
with them?-knives are sharp, and
who would notice one more corpse
among so many dead
The mountainecrs, however, did
not stir from their lair. WHY was
thisf Because they, too, were dying.
II seemed, indeed, that they were
carried off in greater numbers than
the people of tho valley, and when
the force of the pestilence was sub
siding in Quertorac, the "vagabonds
up there" continued obstinately to
die and to be buried. People won
dered and admired, for every evening
at dusk, three or four wagons fol-
lowed by mourners came down TO the
cemetery. These miserable pagans
treated their dead with religious
respect, instead of casting them into
the streams which rushed swiftly
through tho ravines! The spectators
ran away when these wagons appeared,
and the mourners passed on through
empty streets.
One evening about twilight, Ser
geant Valgcnod, ever on the lookout,
saw wagon drawn by broken
Winded muIo coming towards the city
gates. Behind it walked Mcritas and
a few of his tatterdemalions, singing
psalms in their degenerate patois,
white the long outline of a coffin could
be, seen on the wagon. Vagenod
drew himself up and salutcd in mill
tag style as the funeral train ap-
rrorchod, for the dead o"n el--------''
sers ,;r-y have been, and as he passed
the cu,tom-housc, old McriIas, his
eyes red and his face pale, raised his
great, gaunt arms towards heaven aud
sobbed out:
Only wife, my wife!'
"Poor fellow" thought Valgenod,
and lie lighted his pipe quickly and
felt deeply touched.
A short time after n similar pro-
cesslon came down the mountain road;
this time there were three cofiins OH
the wagon, and Merilas walked be.
hind. 1t was night and the iurid light
of the torches carried by the atten-
dants cast fantastic shadows upon the
walls Of the cus,oms-buiding. The
old smuggler tore his hair as he
walked, and filled the air with his
''My SONS, my sons! Give me
back my sons!" lie cried, hoarsely,
while Valgcncd salutcd three times,
and the whole post barred their heads
out of respect for the fathers grief.
This was repeated every evening.
Meritas, who was generally the chief
mourner, lost by the epidemic not
only ms w1re-'
also his daughters, nieces, me-
phews and cousins. His despair
was SO great that he had to be sup
ported by his attendants, and one day
he bosought Valgenod 10 kill him and
end his misery.
oils brain is turned-'tis no won-
der" said the officer, who felt his
former respect for his old enemy
.;,,., into ofncfiOn
This lasted for three weeks, and the
people of Qucrlerac were surprised
and dismaycd to find that pestilence
still ragged in the mountains, though
il had disappeared from the valley.
One evening three funeral wagons
came ACROSS the bridge as usual, and
one Of the mules having gone too near
the edge, the wagon lurched from
side to side, and the coffin was thrown
out at the feet of Sergeant Valgenod.
Immediately Meritas and the other
mourners spread out their arms like
great wings AMI fed at full
seed towards the mountains leav-
ing the officers to gaze thunder
struck, at the coffin, of which the lid
had burst open, and instead of corps
there rolod out four bundles of mer-
chandisc carefully labelled.
ITO arms!" cried Valgcnod, "fire!"
and the whole post went in pursuit of
the smugglers. Too late,s however,
and when the other collins were found
on examination to contain the same
cargo as the first, Sergeant Valgenod
tore his hair in exas Grafton.
But the people of Querterac were in
an ecstacy of joy when they learned
that not a single member of the noun-
tain band had died of the plague.
The dread visitor had passed away at
last, but the smugglers had improved
the opportunity and made their for