Wild Western Scenes Part 9

"Ugh--talking of the icy trees makes me chilly!" said Joe.

"With life everlasting and unchangeable!" continued Glenn, after a momentary pause from the interruption of his man, which he only noticed by a significant motion of the hand for him to be silent.

"But I wouldn't like the eternal _frost-work_," said Joe.

"Pshaw!" replied Glenn, pursuing his way downwards. When they reached the bottom of the valley, they were yet a hundred paces distant from its junction with the river, which was obscured by the many intervening trees that grew along the frozen rivulet. Here Glenn again paused to contemplate the scene. The hills that rose abruptly on either hand, and the thick intertwining branches above, combined to produce a dusky aspect scarce less dim than twilight. Glenn folded his arms composedly, and looked thoughtfully round, as if indulging the delightful fancies engendered when wandering forth on a summer's pleasant evening. "There seems to be a supernatural influence pervading the air to-day," he said, in a low-tone, "for I sometimes imagine that flitting spirits become partially visible. On the pendent icicles and jewelled twigs, me thinks I sometimes behold for an instant the prismatic rays of elfins' eyes--"

"Don't believe it," said Joe; "or if it is so, they are weeping at the cold, and will soon be frozen up."

"And at each sudden turn," continued Glenn, "they seem to linger an instant in view, and then vanish sportively, as if amused at the expense of impotent mortals."

"I can't hear 'em laugh," said Joe.

"And then," continued Glenn, "although beyond human consciousness, there may be heavenly sounds in the air--the melody of aerial harps and fairy voices--to which our ears may be sealed, when, perchance, our vicinity to their presence may inspire the peculiar sensation I now experience."

"I heard a heap of curious sounds one warm sunshiny morning," said Joe; "but when I asked an old fellow jogging along the same road what they meant, he said the day before had been so cold when the stage-driver went by that his wind froze as it came out of the bugle, and was just then thawing."

"If such beings do exist," continued Glenn, paying no attention to Joe, "it would delight me to commune with them face to face."

"I see a buck's head!" cried Joe, looking down the dell, where the object he mentioned was distinctly observable amid a cl.u.s.ter of spicewood bushes, whence a slight jingling sound proceeded as the animal plucked the nutritious buds bent down by the innumerable icicles.

"Why should not the sylvan G.o.ds"--continued Glenn.

"Hush! I'm going to fire!" said Joe.

"Why should they not resort hither," said Glenn, unmindful of Joe, "where no meaner beings abide?"

Joe fired, and Glenn started in astonishment, as if he had had no intimation of his companion's intention.

"Hang it all! Isn't he going to die, I wonder?" said Joe, after the buck had made one or two plunges in the snow, his sharp hoofs piercing through the crust on the surface, and with much struggling extricated himself and stood trembling, and looked imploringly at his foe.

"What in the world are you about?" exclaimed Glenn, casting a listless glance at the deer, and then staring his companion in the face.

"Whip me if there was any lead in the gun!" said Joe. "I drew the bullets out yesterday, and forgot to put them in again. But no matter--he can't run through the snow--I'll kill him with the b.u.t.t of my musket."

"Move not, at your peril!" said Glenn, authoritatively, when Joe was about to rush on the defenceless buck.

"I do believe you are out of your head!" said Joe, staring Glenn in the face, and glancing at the tempting prize, alternately.

"At such an hour--in such an elysian place as this--no blood shall be spilled. It were profanity to discolor these pearly walks with clotted gore."

"The deuce take the pearls, say I!" said Joe.

"Perhaps," continued Glenn, "a G.o.d may have put on the semblance of a stag to tempt us."

"And hang me, if I wouldn't pretty soon spoil his physiognomy, if you would only say the word!" said Joe, shaking his head sullenly at the buck.

"Come," said Glenn, sternly; and, leading the way, he pa.s.sed within a few feet of the terrified animal without turning his head aside, and directed his steps down the valley towards the river. Joe said nothing when opposite the buck, awed by the impressive tone and mysterious bearing of his master; but he grinned defiance at him, and resolved to embrace the first opportunity to steal out alone, and fully gratify his revenge; for such was the feeling he now harboured against the animal.

When they reached the margin of the river, they wandered along the narrow path that turned to the left, and continued up the stream, with the ice but a few feet distant on one hand, and the precipitous acclivity of rocks on the other. They maintained a brisk pace for about thirty minutes, when the range of cliffs terminating abruptly, they entered a low flat forest.

"_Now_, what do you say to my firing?" exclaimed Joe, staring at an enormous wolf, a short distance on the left, that seemed to be tearing the flesh from the carca.s.s of a deer.

"You must not fire," replied Glenn, viewing the scene with no interest.

"Why not? If the deer's a sylvan G.o.d, the wolfs sure to be a black devil, and it's a duty to take the G.o.d's part," said Joe.

"No!" replied Glenn, still striding on.

"Where are you going to, I should like to know? I hope you haven't any idea of going closer to the haunted island!" said Joe, following reluctantly.

"What haunted island?" asked Glenn.

"Why that one right ahead of us!" replied Joe, pointing to a small island a few hundred paces distant.

"Who says it is haunted?" demanded Glenn.

"Why, everybody in the country _knows_ it's haunted. Didn't you hear Miss Mary telling all about it?"

"What did she tell about it?"

"That several years ago a man flew up the river riding on a black cloud of smoke, and after scaring all the Indians and everybody else away, took up his abode in yonder island. Not a soul, from that day to this, has ever been nearer to it than we are now. But strange sights have been seen there. Once a great big swan, as large as our house, was seen to come out of the willows and leap into the water. After seeing it paddle about an hour or two in every direction, an old beaver trapper and deer hunter took it into his head that it was nothing more than a water-fowl of some large species; and resolving to have a crack at it anyhow, he crept behind the rocks at the end of the cliff, and blazed away when it swam past the next time. Mercy on us!

when he fired, they say the thing turned his head towards him, and came at him in a straight line, and as fast as lightning, blowing sparks of fire out of its nostrils, while the poor man stood stock still, spell-bound, until it seized upon him, and he has never been heard of since."

"Nothing more?" asked Glenn, lightly, and smiling.

"Good gracious! what more would you want? But there _was_ more; for the very next day, when the people were looking at the island from a distance, and wondering what had been the fate of old Odell, another large bird came out. But this was like an eagle, and instead of going into the water, it flew up into the air, and kept going higher and higher, until it was no bigger than a sparrow, and soon vanished altogether! I declare we are too near the island now, Mr. Glenn; let us go back; we have gone far enough!" said Joe, beseechingly, his own tale having roused all the terrors which his nature was capable of harboring.

Glenn seemed to pay no attention to what his companion was saying, but strode onward directly towards the island.

"Mr. Glenn!" continued Joe, stepping ahead, and facing him by turning round. "Oh, sir! you don't certainly intend to venture any closer to that fatal spot?"

"Pshaw!" replied Glenn, pushing him aside, and continuing on. When they were opposite the island, Joe, whose alarm had almost deprived him of the power of motion, was now struck with horror as he beheld his master pause, and then descend to the ice, and walk deliberately to the haunted ground! When Glenn reached the bank, he turned to his pale and shivering companion, and motioned him to follow.

"Oh, Heaven! we'll never be seen any more!" cried Joe, between his chattering teeth.

"Come on, Joe! I'll take care of you," said Glenn, encouragingly, as his man hesitated in doubt when midway on the ice.

"The holy saints preserve me!" said Joe, gliding over, quaking with fear, and clinging to Glenn's hand.

They walked up a gentle ascent from the water's edge, whence Glenn expected to see nothing more than a surface of snow, and the dense growth of young timber incident to such a place. But what was his surprise, on beholding, in the midst of the island, and obscured from view to the surrounding country by an almost impenetrable grove of young willows, a round chimney-top rising over a high circular granite wall! Nothing daunted, he continued his steps directly towards the mysterious dwelling, notwithstanding the protestations and prayers of Joe. When they drew near, a thin slightly coloured vapor could be distinguished ascending from the chimney, indicating that the tenement was certainly inhabited. When they reached the wall, they pursued their way round it until they found a small iron gate.

"Rap there, Joe," said Glenn. Joe only turned his head, and looked at him in silence.

"Knock," continued Glenn.

"Oh!" exclaimed Joe, falling on his knees. "If ever you were prevailed on not to do any thing you were doing, let me this one time persuade you to leave this place."

"Knock!" repeated Glenn, emphatically. Joe struck the gate several blows with his knuckles, but so gently that he could not hear them himself. Glenn seemed to grow angry, and seizing his man's musket, was in the act of applying the end of it violently, when the gate flew open at one spring, and a h.o.a.ry porter stood bowing and beckoning before him.