Year: 1869

The magistrate mused and stroked bis
beard, as he walked slowly back to The
house.


Show me your spring, he said.


II was done, and he examined the mar,
gin carefully, but saw nothing to excite
suspicion.


Again the magistrate stroked his beard
and stood looking at the spring as if in
deep thought, while the villagers laughed
and jested among themselves at the idea
of man being hid in a spring scarcely
big enough to hold his head, and glances.
rather friendly than otherwise were ex-
changed with the tavern keepers,


Give me that pole,' suddenly ordered
the magistrate, pointing o one some cigh-
teen or twenty feet long, lying little way
of. II was done, and he passed the pole
down into spring till scarce any part Of it
remained above the water, and then moved
the pole from side TO side in such way
as to show that the spring wideped rs
you went deeper, and that the cavity was
formed somewhat like a bottle with \
small neck and mouth.


James, said the magistrate TO his
nephew, take the lads horse, 90 10 my
house and ask my wife for the long lord
line with drag hook attached, and bring il
here.


lhe young man sprang on the horse
and gallopped of. The magistrate stood
stroking his beard and looking from under
his brows at the tssern-keeper


"a COOL, ready william h' muttercd 10
himself.


Very soon the magistrates nephew re,
turned with the lead line, md the ma.
slstrate dropped the plummet into the
spring. Down, down it went over hun.
dred feet, until only some ,heee or four
feet remained out. The villagers looked
surprised and the tavern.keepcrs seemed
Ill at ease, except their leader who was
calm and cool as ever Several cats
were made before anything was brought
up, though the hook repeatedly caught
but broke away. At length a piece of
cloth with button on il, corroled and
rJttcd by the water was brought up, which
seemed IN be part Of a gcnllcmnns coat.
Then piece OF n elk dress, and the next
cast brought up the body Of woman
with the torn silk dress upon il. The
body had evidently been long in Tho
water, and was enormously swollen and
far gone in decomposition, From ono
side the seal with long hair atill attached
had clipped of,' and hung down leaving
the skull bare; and on the same side the
swollen check had left the bones and hung
down on the shoulder, showing the grln-
ming teeth, and on the other side the eve
was out Of the socket and hanging on the
check.


A shuddcring, shivering"Abl' burs,
simultaneously from the villagers, as with
blaDched faces and starting eyes they
gazed on the horrible spectacle. The ma.
gistrate stroked his beard md glanced
coolly on the body.


Secure the prisoners was the promp
and stern command. II was done, AMI
the dragging continued Presently a lcs
and thigh came up torn from the body, and
the flesh fallen from tho thigh through
rottenness, leaving the bone bare. Ano-
ther cast and tho body of blood hound,
quite fresh and recently dead, came up
and then the body Of man which seemed
to have been but few hours in the water, !
and which was at once recognized by the
boy, George as the body OF his master.
After this though the dragging was con,
tinucd long time, nothing except n few
bones from bodies very far gone in puirc-
faction were gotten up, and the Shaslly
remains were buried in common grave.


The tavern-keepers were condemned
and hung at the next assizcs, confessins
to the murder Of over Np,ty.fVe person,
all of whom had been hidden in the
spring.


The bloodhound had followed the lad,
track till it came TO the blood where the
boy had fallen over the pile oi rocks, and |
there it lay down and no threats or blows
could induce it follow the track any far
ther, Fearing discovery they had killed !
the dog and sunk it in the spring.


The chief of the band, it was stated,
knew Of other murders, but he steadily |
refused TO confess anything. There wa.
enough to hang him. he said coolly,
what need of more, and maintained an
obstinate silence TO the last.


From that day to this no one ever
drinks of the diamond waters Of tho |
Murder Hole,