Year: 1864

nipi dlspOsed OF large herd of cattle
aud Il had got 10 be evening before found
ilnrself on my way home. My heart was
hght, and my feelings we're buoyant, for 7
had made q good trade, and was returning
to my family with snccess as my report of
the day. imagined myself at NV iour.
ney end man feels proud when he can
enter his own household az one who has
proved himself its right arm and support.
for he has given evidence to the world. and
especially to her whose good opinion is
przcd above all others, that he is able 10
provide for the one to whom he has prom
lsed home. felt thus as ! rode along
with the single picture in my mind Of meet
ing my family. dreamed Of no evil.


was passing a grove which lined the
right-hand side Of the road, when a man
emerged from among the trees aud called
out Tor Inc TO stop moment | acceded,
and he came limping up to the ehaise cart,
supporting himself with stick. newly cut,
probably from one Of the trees close by.
Can give poor lame fcller a ride for
a short distance, | 'sposc, can YEP" said
the man. as he approached and looked up
into my face with an expression Of pain de-
plcted on his countenance Certainly my
good fellow, said J. in the best of humor
possible. John Rawley never denied
favor to any stranger yet, much less man
in your situation. Whoa Hold still,
Charlie! The horse is uneasy; don't be
alarmed. Give Us your hand. There YOU
are! and | helped the lame manto the seat
just as the unersy horse pricked up his ears


and started on


| will simply mention that this horse of
mine was in the habit. before | purchased
him; Of swerying suddenly from the track,
! or either stopping short i'll the road or star
! ting ahead with accelerated speed, when
any strange object presented itself at the


side of the highway. Since he had come


INTO my hands, however. corrected him Of


this bad habit by getting out Of the chaiSe


cart and leading him directly up to the OBJ


lect OF his dread or more often keeping


my seat and holding the reins, with that


steady firmness which rarely. if ever, fails
to convey to the horse corresponding con-


fidence in its matter had also cured him
Of starting when people stepped into the We


hicle. On this occasion, when the lame
man was helped in he showed the first
symptoms of impatience under these
circumstances than he had shown for over
month. paid no particular attention to it.
however, except to keep the animal still
while aided the stranger to his seat, | be-
ing in the bestof humor and feeling no mood
to notice with severity, the shortcomings
Of the dumb companion of my days success
and my evening anticipation.


We rode on in silence, after | had with
the characteristic sensitiveness of a connois-
scur in the horse flesh, excused the impa-
thence of my beast, until we reached


wood through which the road was cut


But when we entered this. the lame man
burst out into such volubility that / could
| with difficulty answer his questions and keen
/ tnn q an . hn I.rl-
we penetrated fnrther inlo the wood. the
! Volubllty OF my companion increased. and


his voice grew louder and showed less sign


OF the pam which, on account of his leg.


was first expressed in his speech. | did not


notice then, but it came to mind afterwards.


that the country dialect was often lost in his


questions and remarks, at which times he


talked more like a man from some town.
This continued until we emerged from the
wood, when heard "A stifed curse from the
I hips OF the lame stranger, which finished for
time his loquacity.


Now curse Is important to the one who
accidentally hears it, just in proportion
to the attending circumstances If | had
kept my eyes strait ahead in the road when
my companion uttered this curse [ would
have laid it to his lame leg, which he told
me, was wounded by falling stone while
he was clambering overa high wall but as
fortune would have it, |, though in no obser-
Want mood, took particular attention of the
savageness Of the oath, coming as it did, |
from a man who had shown up TO this time, I
the best of temper. | looked towards him. (
That glance told me that the oath was not
on account of the lame leg. You may be- .
leye me, dear reader, when L say, | was
startled, and when furthermore say, that
| did not feel so certain of reaching my
home that night, with my money in my
pocket, as | had pleasantly anticir ated up to
this moment


If it struck me that the voice was chang |
ed IN this curse, what could / say of the /
look? ? There was new expression on the |
countenance Of the lame man; an express |
sion as new as magic itself could have made /
it, and one that by no means pleased me- -
He had been looking at me, and turned his .
face from me as glanced at him. but / saw
his glance, and / saw his hand taken from
an object which appeared the butt of ps-
t0l, but concerning which | was uncertain,
as it dropped quickly back into his side
breast pocket.


1t was rapidly growing dark, even on the
open plain, though there was light enough
remaining to observe the marks of my COM
panion, which had not taken the trouble
to notice before As he sat in the vehicle
his head slightly oyertopped mine, and was
covered by an old fur cap. The hair was
long and laxy, the face was also long, and
had the appearance of having been stretch
ed downwards, it was lined with a straggle
beard, the upper lip having an ornament Of
hristes OF two or three weeks growth
The light brows were shaggy; and the eyes,
as | could see them in the dim light small
and gray. The mouth was large; the nose
long, thin, and of bold, but of nondescript
outline.


He had represented himself as laborer
who was going over to Walks farm which
lay off from cross-road where he was to
get out, and which we should reach by ri
ding through a second piece of woodland.
At this farm he said he was to get work;
and his general appearance would have led
one to believe what he said, unless some
circumstances had suggested TO
the mind suspicion of his voracity. The
of the curse, and movement
of the hand at the breast after his remarka ;
bic volubility. were sufficient to awaken sus- ;
picion in my mind that the lame man was
not all he represented.


As we rode on, | thought of the dark {
woods we had left, and wondered if my
now addressing me at intervals {
in his twauging voice, had possibly intend i
ed highway robbery, and the victim of |
it why he had not taken advantage of the {
gloom of the place to accomplish his object, (
or make the effort, 1t was while | wonder /
ed thus that | recalled the heretofore unno- {
ticed slips of town dialect, when he talked I