Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-06-12

OF ice. The trees were chokeu up w1Gn
snow, and ON each side of the ice bound
river the forests lowered like massive
cliffs of chalky rock No path could
now be forced into the recesses of the
forest below our village. Scarcely had
winter settled down for his undisturbed
reign when heard whisperings that the
villain half breed was again lowering on
the outskirts of the settlement. 1t was
told me that he was living in kind of
wlgwam above the village, and also
that he had more than once come to the
very dwellings Of the settlers by night
to visit his friends and obtain various
articles for his camp. I knew it would
be vain to attempt to track him to his
wigwam or, at all events, to surprise
him. His woodcraft was much too deep
to admit of such possibility. But a
strange, wild joy trembled through my
being when I heard he came by night to
the village. A terrible scheme of ven
geance swept across my soul, and | felt,
no matter how fendish the spirit, that
the doom of the half breed was fixed, and
that l was to be his unrelenting execu-
tioner.
Night after night I lay concealed at
the bluff awaiting the murderer. was
armed with pistols and wore skates.
Skating was an amusement which had
excelled in when schoolboy, and facil-
ity in the art was of the last Importance
to my scheme of retribution. At length
I,o on l,f
The white expanse around sparkled in
the sheen Of a young Canadian moon
which sailed calmly through cloudless
sky. I could have shot the villain as he
skated by me within SO yards, but I
would not risk the chance, and besides
my vengeance cried for sterner fate
than death by the pistol. No sooner was
he past my hiding place, than with a
shout of exultation, started on his
track Olier swerved moment to see
who his pursuer was, then, quick as
lightning, tried to double up the river
again. But had anticipated this, and
with cooked pistol in either hand I
barred his passage. With curse he
turned and sped swiftly down the ice.
And now the race for life began.
Mile after mile we swept along in 81
lence. An awful, portentous silence it
was, through which nothing broke save
the hollow boom of the swift steel cut
ting its way over the imprisoned river.
The moon lit me nobly to my vengeance.
He could not escape me, for I found
with savage glee that was a match for
the swift footed Indian. Olier soon be-
came aware of this, too, for now and
again he would skate close to the woods
looking in vain for an aperture. But no;
there was but one outlet from this
walled in river, and that was over the
falls!
Faster and faster yet we skated to-
ward the cataract. 1t could not be far off.
I pictured to myself what Oilers
thoughts might be. Did he know whith
er he was fastening, or had that awful
light yet to flash on his guilty mind?
The half breed made answer to my
thought. saw him in the pale SHIN
mer start convulsively and throw his
arms in the air. But he dared not stop,
and on he darted again with a yell of
despair, which echoed weirdlike up the
frozen channel Another sound came to
my ear, and I knew what had caused
that cry of agony to burst from Olier;
it was the dull thunder of the falls We
were nearing them fast. Still the walls
Of snow shut in my victim, and every
moment lessened his frail hopes Of
escape. One chance was left him-to
distance me and hide somewhere in the
snow from my scrutiny. Vain hope; the
wings of the bird could scarce have
taved him!
Hoarser and louder grew the noise of
Jhe waters. If thanked the Almighty
in frantic prayer that the murderer was
delivered into my hand, humbly trust
that it is forgiven me now. From the
time l had first started on Oilers track
we had maintained exactly the same
distance between us-perhaps about 100
or $50 yards. 1 still grasped my loaded
pistols ready for any stratagem on the
part of the murderer.
And now the crash of the falls came
loud and ominous on the ear. Another
five minutes would decide the hunt
Suddenly Olier turned and stood at bay.
He was not armed. had felt certain Of
that all along, for otherwise he would
have measured strength with me before.
Without abating my pace, I skated down
upon him, holding leveled pistol in
each hand. Still my purpose was as
fixed as ever only to shoot the villain as
q last resource. When was within 20
yards of him. the coward faltered and
again turned swiftly down the river.
With yelling laugh I pursued him,
pressing still more hotly on his track.
Deafening was the roar of the cata-
ract. High into the pale sky ascended
the mist of its spray, through which the
splintered lines of the moonlight darted
in rainbow tinted beauty. I could see
directly in front the jagged line of the
ice where it was broken by the rapids
Immediately above the cataract, and be-
yond could trace the dark volume Of
the Scugog as it emerged from its prison
of snow and ice. For an instant the
half breed turned his face toward me as
I pressed, with concentrated hate, on
his footsteps. Never shall I forget the
horrible despair that distorted the vii
lains features. 1t was a mercy that the
sullen roar of the falls drowned his
curses-I knew he was shrieking curses
on me-for they would have haunted
me in after years.
With the courage which is begotten
of the darkest despair, he dashed on to
the brink Of the rapids, and the next
moment was alone ON the ice gazed
with stern joy on the dark flood which
had seized in its resistless hands the
shedder of blood and was hurrying him
over the falls. For moment I thought
could perceive the murderer struggling !
in the eddies, but the illusion, if it was
one, could live only for an instant. The
cataract was within pistol shot, and as
turned back over the dreary wilderness
of ice and snow knew that the doom
of the guilty skater had been fulfilled.
Chambers Journal.