Frostburg mining journal., 1895-09-21

The new arrival burst into the draw
ing room. The four Prussian officers ut
tered cries Of surprise.
They rose at once in body and salut-
ed with great respect the stranger who
had come to disturb their peace.
'Be seated and let us talk" said the
new arrival in German, and in voice
of command.
"You will set out at once" he said,
land take this sealed message to the
Prince of x, at S-r' And he
drew out of the pocket of his long mill
tary cloak, white with SNOW, large,
white envelope and handed it to one Of
the officers.
! $50, all four of you, and place your
selves at the disposition of the prince
Further orders will be given to each Of
you later. You must get horses and car
riage and start at once! Is it understood?
Then hastenr'
Then, turning to the host, he said in
French:
''Please accommodate these gentlemen
with a carriage and two fresh horses.
Generals ordersv'
Lux, who had remained standing at
the door during this scene, anticipated
his masters reply.
cit is well, monsieur loficier, you
shall be accommodated as you desirel"
He spoke in peculiar tone of voice.
Only his master, however, noticed it.
A mad thought had been born in his
brain, something superhuman, prepos-
ferrous. Any one who could have read it
in his mind would have been shocked,
terror stricken.
While farmland harnessed the
horses to the carriage Lux put saddle
on Barka, an Arab horse, faithful ami
NAL, which he loved and cared for with
his own hands.
He spoke to it as he spoke to friend,
and the noble creature seemed to under
stand. When Lux mounted into the sad
die, he was trembling with joy.
A mysterious dialogue seemed to COM
mence between the man and the horse,
which suddenly, sending the sparks fly
ing from beneath it's four feet, vanished
into the darkness like a phantom.
Barka, like some great neurological
creature with wings, devoured space
Her fine, nervous legs hardly seemed to
touch the earth, and Lux kept her going
at her utmost speed.
At length they stopped. Barka was
white with foam, and Lux covered her
with his cloak. He did not feel the cold,
for the awful thought in his mind kept
his whole body warm and tingling.
ttTt ie, >, I, Il e., l.;
a deep voiced growl. ''It is there that
they are to perish.
At this point the road made sudden
turn, and apparently came to an abrupt
end. AS matter of fact, however, it
did not terminate, but continued in
steep, terrible slope. On the right was
dark, mysterious wood, and on the left
deep and dizzy precipice, such as are
often seen by mountain roads.
Children were afraid to pass it by.
The gulf of death, as it was called, had
its legend. The old folk said that it was
within its gloomy depths the monsters
lived that ravaged the country at night.
eff my calculations are correct" said
Lux in a low voice, "they will be here
in ten minutes.
He tied Barka to tree stem OH the
border of the wood, and a strange smile
passed over his lips.
An extraordinary scene might then
have been witnessed Lux knelt down
i'll this solitary accursed, haunted spot
i'll the nighttime and turned his face to
heaven. 1t looked like sinner asking
forgiveness for his sins rather than one
planning an awful deed for the satisfac-
ton of his rage and hate.
Not sound was to be heard in the
surrounding country. All seemed dead
or asleep, only a murmur of the wind
in the pines.
Lux placed his ear to the ground, as
the Indians do in the wilderness, and,
hearing u faint sound of hoofs in the
distance striking the hard road, he raised
his head. His face was transfgured
cat last shall have my vengeancen
he hissed.
Then he crouched down on his hands
and knees and waited
A few seconds more and the carriage
with the four German officers would be
upon him.
He uttered terrible cry of "Vive Ia
France!' to which Barka replied with
a joyful neigh.
The carriage, which had been ap-
preaching at tremendous speed, came to
a sudden stop, as if arrested by an ire
sistible force, and remained there stand
ing
Lux had not moved an inch. He was
not a man, but stone wall.
He made Il last and supreme effort
and raised himself upon his legs. Then
with a terrific heave he pushed over the
dizzy brink horses, carriage and men.
An awful noise rose on the still night
air, sound of crashing, cursing and
horses screaming. Then there was si
lence, heavy, complete, tragic!
The man rose and peered over the
edge into the black gulf of death. He
saw nothing Then ne sprang into his
saddle and disappeared like shadow
into the night. From the French.
A sure Sign.
Her Brother-Awfully bad news, Sis