Page:The American review - a Whig journal of politics, literature, art, and science (1845).djvu/143

 continued addressing our Host in the same excited tone—"Have you no cages for madmen? do you let thorn run wild through the woods with rifle in hand? or does your confounded Texas breed ghosts amongst other curious creatures ?"

"Not that I know of," said the Squire, smilingly interposing, as the fellow stopped to catch his breath, "but you look flurried enough to have seen a ghost. What's happened?" "Yes, what is it?" "Out with it!" "Have you seen the Old Harry?" Such exclamations as this, accompanied by laughter, ran around the table, while Henry drew a long breath, wiped his forehead, and threw himself into a chair. Our curiosity was irresistibly excited, and as Henry commenced the whole company leant forward eagerly.

"If you wont interrupt me I will tell you the whole affair as it occurred."

"No, no; go on."

"You know, when we parted, that Stoner and myself went up the right flank of the timber. Stoner was to take me to my stand and then pass on to his own, some miles further down the stream. He accordingly left me and I have not seen him since. By the way, I observe that he is not here," he exclaimed, looking sharply around the room. "Oh, he'll be here directly," said several, "go on." "I hope so," he replied, in rather an under tone. "Well, I was pretty thoroughly tired of waiting before I heard the dogs, but that music, you know, stirs the blood and one forgets to be tired. In a few moments a fine buck came bounding by, and I fired. He pitched forward on his knees at the shot, but recovered and made off. I knew he must be badly hit, and sprang upon my horse to follow him." "Rather a verdant act, that of yours," interrupted the Squire. "Yes, I found it to be so. After a pursuit of some twenty minutes at full speed, it occurred to me that I might get lost among the motts, and reined up. But it was too late. I was lost already. How I cursed that deer as his white tail disappeared in the distance between two bushes. I had common-sense enough left not to go very far in any one direction, but kept widening my circles about the place where I halted, in the hope of meeting with the traces of some one of the party; at last, to my great relief, I came upon an old disused wagon trail, which, though the winding way it held promised to lead to nowhere in particular, yet went to shew that I could not be very far from some habitation. I was following it through a high, tangled thicket which rose close on either hand; and stooping over my horse's neck was looking closely at the ground, to discover the track of some of you, when the violent shying of my horse made me raise my eyes—and by Heaven, it was enough to have ' stampeded ' a regiment of dragoons. Just before me on the right, with one foot advanced, as if it had paused in the act of stepping across the road, stood a tall, ghastly, skeleton-like figure, dressed in skins with the hair out—a confounded long beard—and such eyes! It is impossible to imagine them. They did'nt move at all in the shaggy, hollow sockets, more than if they were frozen in them; and the glare that streamed out from them was so still and freezing! It startled my nerves so strangely, that I come near dropping my gun, though he was just swinging a long rifle down to the level, bearing on me. "Why did'nt you shoot?" "Ay! why did'nt I? I did not think of self-defence, but of those eyes. The rifle was suspended, but they continued fairly to cling upon my features till I conceived I could feel the ice-spots curdle beneath my skin as they crept slowly along each lineament. The fact is, I caught myself shuddering—it was so ghostly! After regarding me in this way about ten seconds, he seemed to be satisfied; the rifle was slowly thrown back on the shoulder, and with an impatient twitch at his long grisly beard with his bony fingers, and a single stride which carried him across the road, he plunged into the bushes without a word. I started in vexation at my stupidity and shouted. He did not turn his head. I was now enraged, and spurred my horse into the thicket after him as far as we could penetrate, but lost sight of him in a moment. I felt as if I had seen the devil sure enough, and actually went back to where he stood to see if he had left any tracks behind." Every body drew a long breath. "I warrant you found 'em cloven!" said one.—"Did'nt you smell sul—." "Never mind what I smelt—I found a very long moccasined track, or I should have been convinced that I had seen something supernatural. I think he must be some maniac wild man." "He's a strange animal anyhow." "Singular affair," was buzzed around the table. "Hear me out!" said Henry. "After this incident I continued to follow the devious windings of this