The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-11-26

IOdt- anu iuIyIUlPtl NE di tit SAINT
time in what direction to drive The
paper, he added, would give me fur
ther Instructions
[ was seated in the vehicle. bnsily
engaged in fastening the leather apron
on the side on which | sat. in order to
protect my limbs from the cold. when
somebody seated themselves beside
me | heard the landlord cry; Drive
on;" and without. looking round, !
lashed the mare into a very fast trot.
Even now. while | write. / feel IL
some degree the trepidation which
stole over me when | discovered who
my companion was. ! had not gone
far before | was made acquainted with
this astounding fact. 1t was as though
an electric shock had suddenly and
unexpectedly been impaired to my
frame, or as, in a moment OF perfect
happiness. | mad been hastily plunged
into the greatest danger and distress.
A bpnumbing chillness ran through
me. and my mouth all at once became
dry and parched. Whittier was | to
drive? | knew not Who and what
was my companion? | was equally
ignorant. 1t was the man dressed So
Enthusiastically whom / had seen alight
from the coach; whose appearance
and ineXplicable conduct had alarmed
a whole establishment: whose charac
ter was Il matter of speculation to
everybody with whom he had come
in contact This was the substance
of my knowledge For aught / knew,
he might De But no matter The
question that most concerned me was,
how was ] to eXtricate myself from
this dilemma? Which was the best
course to adopt? To turn back, and
declare | would not travel in such a
night, with SO strange a person, or to
proceed on my Journey? | greatly
feared the consequences OF tin" former
step would be fatal to my own inter
ests. Besides, | should be exposed
to the sneers and laughter of all who
knew me. No; | had started, and |
would proceed, whatever might he the
issue Of the adventure
In few minutes we had emerged
from the town. Ny courage was now
put to the severest test. The cheer
ful aspect of the streets. and the light
thrown from the lamps and a few
shop windows, had hitherto buoyed
me up, but my energy and lirmnass,
[ felt were beginning to desert me
The road on which we had entered
was not great thoroughfare at any
time, but at that hour of the night [
did not expect to meet either horse
man or pedestrian to enlven the
long and solitary journey. / cast my
eyes before me, but could not discern
a single light burning in the distance
The night was dark and unWEole
some, and not star was 10 be seen
in the heavens. There was another
matter which caused me great un-
easiness. | was quite unarmed, and
unprepared for any attack, should my
companion be disposed to take advan-
tage of that circumstance. These
things flashed across my mind, and
made more fOrcible impression than
they might otherwise have done, from
the fact of a murder having been
committed in the district only few
weeks before, under the most aggra-
waited circumstances. An hypothesis
suggested itself. Was this man the
perDetratOr of that deed-the wretch
was endeayOring tC escape from the
officers Of justice, ana vino was stig-
matized with the foulest, the blackest
crime that man could be guilty of?
Appearances were against him Why
should he invest himself with such a
mystery? Why conceal his face in so
unaccountable a manner? What but
man conscious Of great guilt, of the
darkest crimes, would SO furtively
enter an inn. and afterward steal
away under the darkness of the night
when no mortal eye could behold him
If he was sensible of innocence, he
might have deferred his Journey till
the morning, and faced, with the for
titude OF a lnan, the broad light of
day, and the scrutiny of his fellow
men. L say, appearances were against
him, and L felt more and more con
vinced, that whatever his character
was-wh whatever his deeds might have
been-that the present journey was
instigated by fear and apprehension
for his personal safety. But was | to
be the instrument of his deliverance
Was | to be put to all this inconveni-
ence in order TO favor the escape of
an assassin? The thought distracted
me. | vowed that it should not be
so. My heart chafed and fretted at
the task which had been put upon
me. Ny blood boiled with indigna-
ton at the bare idea Of being made
the tool of so an unhallowed a pur
poses. Twas resolved. | ground my
teeth with rage. grasped the reins
with tighter hold. | determined to
be rid of the may, even to at
tempt to destroy him rather than it
shOuld be said that | had assisted in
his escape. At some distance further
on there was a river suitable for that
purpose. When off his guard, he
could in moment be pushed into the
stream; in certain places it was sufli-
ciently deep to drown him. One
circumstance parpleXed me. If he
escaped, he could adduce evidence
against me No matter: it would hs
difficult to prove that l had any in
tention of taking away his life But
should he be the person | conceived,
he wonid not dare to come forward.
Hitherto we had ridden without
exchanging Il word. Indeed l had
only once turned my eyes upon him
since we started. The truth was.
was toD busy with my own thoughts
too intent upon deyising some plan to
liberate myself from my unparalleled
situation. L now cast my eyes fur
,ivajy toward him. [ shuddered as |
contemplated his proximation to my
self | fancied | felt his contanina
ting influence. The cap, ao before,
was drawn over his face; the scarf
muflied closely round his chin. and
only sufficient space allowed for the
purpose of respiration. | was most
deslrous of knowing who he was: in
deed had hp hapD ..fbn NoD with tho