Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1909-09-09

was Ia momentary axpaothtion Of
overtahing the party Ia advnnce,
and made sure OF doing 80 when he
should reach the iisherinap's hut
upon the river beach. towards which
II was bis purpose 10 direct his
way. Occasionally. farm house
opened upon his view ACROSS dis
tant feld; but he was ia Wi|line TO
lose the time which 1i&fesslon
from his road to visit II would have
required. only for she sake al assur-
Ing himself Of his road. With which
he believed himself 70 bQ H0iiiclent-
" acquainted. At length. kight be-
gan to fall around him, and bis path
TO become sadly perpIaxdd. AT
times, he could scarce male out It's
traces In the Obscurity Of tide wood;
at times, II broke upon lis view
with fresh dlstinctness, ~ d traver-
sed o region OF white sand Ind thus
served only TO lure Kiln forward
With more alacrity, 10 ihd hope or
soon reaching the margin OF the
river, from whence, even la the
dark, he knew be could { find his
way back--at least, as iAr as the
house of st. Inigo's. where be could
get shelter for the night Now and
then, his hopes were dashed by
finding himself involved Yin those
thickets Of alder and bay which de-
note the presence Of marsh, and
he was obliged 10 thread his diff
cult track around the head OF some
inlet from the river II grew %
last TO be dark night. add, TO add
TO his discomfort, She raEh began TO
fall. The Secretary dismohnaed
from his horse aud slop.f with sup
pressed breath, eniiaaSofing 70
catch tho sound of dlESynt waves,
hoping TO end himself near enough
10 the river 70 obtain ibis guide to
his footsteps; but aIi was silent, ex-
cept the patterinR oi rain upon the
dry leaves Of the forest, ind the Inn
patient paving Of Bis hofssupon the
sod. He shouted aloud for bis lost
companions, but bis voice echoed,
without q Response, through the
lonesome wood. tested with
thee, " he muttered 10 himself, In
ocular tone, referring 10 the maid
en- who was ever uppormost Ii his
thoughts, II iested With thee, but
Q few hours ago. upon my keeping
q vigil OF Holland Mass In the woods.
Dear Blanche, thhught nothing
farther away than th01 Jest should
be true; but here ny evil destiny
hath brought me-, for punishment,
TO make Ii real. Wtli. ! can endure
Heart OF grace. - win confront IL
nanfullyi ! would ! could butraise
ahFe. can last ,ysinil and
think nothing Of y lift were not
that my limbs are chilled and my
joints growing stiff With cold. ;,
He now CROPPED around 10 gather
some dry wood, hoping by the aid
Of his pistol, TO kindle blaze BY
which be might warm himself and
prepare to spend the night 10 more
comfort than on his horse. he la
bored In vain, for everything he
could Icy bis hand on was saturated
with moisture. Atlength, be mount.
cd again into his saddle, determined
TO ride onward until he should
chance to find some place Of shelter,
He had now not only lost his path,
but also oil perception or his course:
the darkness confused him, and he
therefore plodded on alta slow pace,
unconscious 10 what quarter Of the
compass his footsteps tended, aud
iscouraged with the thought that
every moment, perhaps, carried him
still further from tho homo be was
anxious to seek.
For while his spirits sustained
him without dropping. A man in
such @ situation sometimes finds mo-
tives of cheeffulness In the very
desperation OF his circumstances.
Under some such impulse our wan
derer, as he piled bis uneasy Jour
Dey through the dark, broke forth
In song, and In succession poured
out nearly the full treasures OF his
musical memory; but wearying Of
this at last, his note changed to
whispered signs OF self-reproof for
the folly Of venturing alone into such
q wilderness at such an hour. His
mind then ran upon the images
which the creed Of that day sup
piled TO the imagination OF our pro
genitors- 'theswart fairy "blue,
meagre hag." thespiritoi the wood,
the wizard and the spectre; then
came dreams Of bandIttl andoutlaws.
prowling savages. and thoughts Of
some accidental coming alone upon
the den OF the murderers, whose re-
cent doinRs had occasioned his pres
emit ride. With these fancies sway
Ing bis mind, be grew apprehensiye,
and distrustful at everys step. There
are moments when thegtoutest heart
will quail before the conjurations Of
the imagination: and II Is no dis
paragement Of the bravery Of the
Secretary tc say, that, on this night.
be sometimes felt q shuddeF creep
ing over him ct the hctIons OF bis
own excited fancy. The rustic Of
loaves. or the short snap Of o rottsn
bough, az the fox prowled along his
stealthy path, more than once caus.
cd him TO put his hand upon his
sword and to ride cautiously for
ward, as II In certain expectation Of
q foe and not until be had thrice
challenged the imaginary conner, did
be relax bis grasp Of his weapon.
Ia this state Of mind, for full four
hours after dark, did be wander, UNI
certain Of bis way, through wood
and over plain, mid brush and brier,
over fen and field. Az length bis
ear could plainly distinguish the
beat Of waves upon q strand, and IL
mAa wi1h a iou lill l.hnal1rl. ~ failing