The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-03-28

daughter, Rose, in my arms We
must not fail tonight
These words were hardly uttered
hen his companion clutched him by
the arm.
Look" he cried in a low tone that
was tremulous with terror.
"Wherr?'
"Out on the river The phantom!'
This was what they saw: A hideous
human head seemed to be thrust up
from the dark waters of the river: all
aolow with flames. 1t seemed to flash
from eyes, mouth and nostrils, while a
stream like the shape of a plume
nodded over all. 1t seemed as though
the bideous thing hoated on the sur
face of the water, without aught to
support it, although the startled gazers
could not tell from the distance whether
this was tie case Or not. A canoe
might he under it, hidden from their
sight by the darkness.
Slowly this terrible object glided
down the river, and in few moments
was lost to their view. Both men
seemed to breathe easier when it had
disappeared from their gaze.
"Your game is up tor tonight,
Simon. The Thing knows that we
are here, and so will John Winslow,
before the time comes for us to
strike!'
His companion uttered an oath.
"How do you know that, Jake
Foley? Man or devil, how is he going
to reach Winslow's cabin before we
can? l tell you, he shall be in my
power tonight!'
"Then you mean to 60 on to the
cabin?''
"Ycs! Come, let's be Off We are
losing time here. I'm rot going to be
foiTed in my vengeance now" With
another glance out upon the river in
the direction of the spot whittier the
strange object had disappeared, the
two villains struck out into the dark
ness and silence which filled the forest
about them. John Winslow and Simon
Plastcd had been neighbors in the Old
Dominion, from whence the former had
removed three years before, and built
his cabin on the bank of the Ohio. He
bad now quite a tract cleared about
him, and, unmolestcd by the savases,
had peaceful home, and was on the
road to prosperity.
There was only one thing of late
which lad given HIM and his family
uneasiness. This was the presence in
the country of Simon Plaisted. For
various crimes, to which at last was
added the shedding of innocent blood,
Plaisted had been compelled to flee
from Virginia, and report had it that
he had joined band of renegades that
infested the Ohio River.
Winslow had been instrumental in
ferreting out some of his crimes, and
for this reason he knew we'll that the
villain bore him no good will. When
he appeared one day at the cabin, and
claimed old acquaintanceship: he felt
as though shadow of evil had fallen
athwart his home. He had been re-
ceived coolly; but he came again and
again, and from the admiring glances
he cast upon pretty Rose Winslow,
her father began to fear that the villain
mc,litated harm to her.
He had learned enough to lie sure
that Plaisted belonged to the gang of
river pirates that infested the stream,
and often gave trouble to the voyagers
as they tioated down the river to find
a new home in what was then the West.
At length his presence could be
borne no longer, and Winslow forbade
his coming to the cabin High words
followed, and at length Plasted de-
parted, swearing vengeance on all it's
inmates.
Thus matters stood up to the hour
when, as we have seen, the villain was
about to make his threats good.
AL unaware of the danger that men
aced them, the Winslow family had re-
tired to rest-all save the settler him.
self For some reason which he could
not explain he felt averse to going to
bed, and for long time after the rest
had retired lie sat in the open doorway
gazing out into the gloom which
reigned over the clearing.
He had at last made up his mind that
he had better retire, and was about to
do so, when sound from out the dark
ness fell upon his ears. A hurrying
footstep was approaching the cabin,
and rising to his feet, the settler peered
out into the gloom to catch a glimpse
of his late visitor. His rifle stood just
within the doorv a., and instnctively
his hand reached toward it, for lie had
no means of knowing whether the per-
son approaching was friend or foe.
But he was not long kept in sus-
pense Straight toward the cabin the
unknown came, and as the light flashed
out through the doorway and fell upon
him, the settler exclamed,-
"Why, Ralph Hardy, is that you!
What is up tonight that you are
abroad on the river? Are the rene