Year: 1859

the thicket, and went speeding onward
like the wind.


1t was now, for the first time, that he
perceived the advancing storm; and
aware from its appearance, and the sui
len, heavy booming of its still distant
thunders, that it would be one of no ordi-
nary power, he began to experience no
little anxiety about finding place of
shelter for himself and beast. He had
ridden for hours without seeing any sign
of habitation, and the prospect before
him gave no promise of finding one ere
reaching his destination forthe day, which
was still many long league distant.


Half an hours further hard riding, how
ever, brought him to an old, dilapitated
building, which, from its appearance, had
served some early Spanish settler; and
as night and the storm were now close
upon him, he decided it should serve him
in turn, at least during the continuance of
the tempest. Riding in through what
had once been the main entrance of the
building, he found himself partially shell
tered under a roof constructed by some
passing traveller, who had thrown few
saplings along the ruins, and interlaced
them with thatch of brush and grass.
1t was not yet dark, but the night was
fast setting in, assisted by the advancing
clouds, which had rolled far up toward
the zenith, and long since yelled the sink
ing sun. Almost incessant flashes of
lightning, which descended in livid chains
lit up the deepening gloom, and each was
followed by its own peal ofthunder, which,
with few exceptional crashes, became
one almost even continuous roar.


By this light, and what still remained
of day, the traveller could see about his
place of refuge, which presented no very
cheerful aspect. A few broken stones
and other rubish were piled up here and
there, but in one corner lay litter OF
straw, which, should the night prove too
inclement for his further progress, he
fattered himself would serve as a comfort
able resting-place for his own weary
limbs. Dismounting his horse, he tied
him to one of the saplings overhead, and
removing the fragments from around his
feet, to guard against injury, and looking
carefully to his weapons, he deliberately
sat himself down to await the issue.


The storm broke fercely, the wind
shrleked dismally, the lightnings flashed
necessarily, the thunders crashed contin-
ually, and the rain. pouring down in tor
rents, soon wetted our traveller to the
skin. One, two, three, long, dreary hours
passed, and still the storm ragged so furl-
ously, that at last, reluctantly, our hero
relinquished all hopes of pursuing his
journey further for the night-for even
should the tempest clear away, it was al
ready late, and he knew that the different
streams on his route would be so swollen
as to make the fords dangerous. He
therefore prepared to encamp where he
was; and pushing portion of the straw
together, he threw himself down upon it ;
and wet though it was-and weary, wet
and hungry though he was himself-he
felt some little satisfaction in finding that
his long uncertainty and indecison had al
last come to an end; and with linger.
ing sigh for his poor beast, which could
fare no better than its master, he soon fel
into a dreamless sleep-the thought o.
his late narrow escape not tending to a
deeper impression upon his mind than 8
kind of inward gratitude that his good
fortune or kind Providence had saved
him.


The storm passed on, the rain ceased,
the thunders died away in the distance
and still the traveller slept. At length
just as the faint streak of day had begur
to tinge the East, he reused with a kin(
of start, and, raising himself on his ell
bow, looked curiously about him, with the
air of one who is trying to recall event
Immediately preceding his state of un
consciousness. As he peered about thu
old ruin, by the dim gray light-feeline
cold, wet and hungry-his eye fell upor
his horse, which seemed to be asleep


and remembering how long both haC
tasted, and that their fast must continue
until they should reach a settlement, h.
resolved to resume his journey forthwith


AS he changed his position, however
to spring to his feet, his eye suddenly en-
countered the body of man, lying ii
the straw, not three feet distant. Th


back of the stranger was toward ou


hero, and his face he could not see bu


thinking it some one who, like himself


had been driven in by the storm for