THE HOUSE BY THE THREE CROSS-ROADS.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 39, 10 August 1870, Page 3

THE HOUSE BY THE THREE CROSS-ROADS.

A TRUE STORY.

The fidelity and watchfulness of man's faithful companion, the dog, is so much commended by good authors, that in the book entitled " Sir Sidney's Uremia" it is advised that those who desire to find a real friend should make a search among dogs and spaniels for him. Authority and

praise sufficient, if there wero no more ; but it is besides confirmed by a world of testimonies. The present legend is a simple but truthful domestic story connected with the dog, who in the language of the poet,— '' Is the first to welcome; the foremost to defend.''

The few dreary hours of a misty December's day were fast verging and darkening into the shrouding and moonless obscurity of nightfall, and the threatening aspect of the sky indicated a coming storm, as two weary and road-stained travellers passed slowly on foot down the steep long hill that crescents part of the village of Geissenheim, on the Rhine. The houseless and desolate appearance of the vine-clad mountains over which

they had journeyed, then lying fallow and dormant beneath the freezing breath of the winter, increased the cheerfulness and comfort of the clustering buildings of Geissenheim; and it was with feelings of delight that our weary wayfarers beheld the inviting-looking village. There was a marked difference between

the two travellers. One was tall, with a dignified aristocratic bearing. At first lance, it was easy to perceive that he be-

longed to the upper ten thousand; his

address and carriage at once betokened that he followed the calling of a soldier. His companion was a mean-looking personage, with a shuffling, hesitating, cringing mode of speech and manner; for the '-est, he was as crafty as a fox and as

is the tiger. I they approached the village, the r said, in a careless tone, " Here I ; I repeat what I have already stated, $ is full time for us to part. Eor society during our journey over the mountains, and the information respecting our route, I thank you; but as to housing myself for the night, and foraging for a supper, I must tell you frankly that I am to.o old a campaigner te be at any loss in

readily finding a billet." ." As you please, sir," returned his companion in a respectful tone. "A gentleman like yourself will have no difficulty in meeting with accommodation ; but as you are a stranger to the neighbourhood, I thought you might like to know of a quiet respectable inn."

" You are wonderfully considerate, and appear to take a great interest in all my movements," observed his companion, with something like sarcasm in his tone ; " and, of course, I ought to be grateful, but I am accustomed to shift for myself. It must he evident enough to you, from my accent, that I am not a native of this country. Nevertheless, I am not ignorant of the ways and manners of your people, which, _to_say the truth, I like indifferently well. For the rest, I can readily dispense with your assistance. "I hope your're not offended at my humble endeavour to be of use to you in a strange land," said the other. " I was kborn and bred in these parts, and there- ■" Peace !" interrupted the soldier. "I H<ed no apology. You are so monstrously ■ertinacious. Do you take me for a simpleor what?" V Far from that, sir. I account you a gentleman, although I have not the pleasured knowing your name and quality." « pa thankful that you are ignorant of that sVrae. We are strangers: let us continue to be so."

« My name is Hantz Mayer," said the other, apparently heedless of his companion's la?t remark. " Anybody will tell you who I am. It's no discredit to any man to say' that he has to work hard for an honest living."

" Out upi>n it!" ejaculated the soldier. "I do not w&nt to know either your name or your calling. "You have too much to say, and are too officious. So let us bring thiS interview to an end. Go thy ways, and I.will go mine." "So be it will, however, admit that is not particularly courteous i " You you with jpxpressions ofVfratifAide, I suppose 1 Upon fciy word, you t are k a strange fellow-—a ■art of way. Well, then,

permit me to say, Herr Mayer, that I am deeply sensible of your kindness and consideration, and that I am also grateful for the same."

"I do not need any thanks; but at the same time permit me to observe that no man likes to be treated with contempt." " Contempt! The man's dazed !" " Well, perhaps not that; but at any rate you appeared to mistrust me." " Now, look here, my friend ; we have travelled a good many miles together,' observed the soldier; "you have forced your company on me for the greater part of the way—a favor which, to say the truth, I have gladly accepted, seeing that any company is better than none, to make use of an old adage,—and you have wormed out of me the secret that I have concealed about my person all my little stock of wealth."

" You do not for a moment imagine, I hope, that I covet other men's goods?" said his companion, in a deprecatory and injured tone.

"Your pardon—forgive me! Nothing was further from my thoughts," was the quick response. A fountain that may be stepped over is the source of the tide ; and the actions that colour the course of our lives are often dictated by the merest trifle, or the most insignificant circumstance. The soldier came to the sudden conclusion that he had been both ungenerous and unjust in his mode of speech; and to make amends for what he deemed an unworthy suspicion, he at once consented to rest for the night at the hostelry his fellow-traveller had been so strongly recommending. For the better comprehension of the events which are about to follow, the reader should be apprised that the soldier, as we have hitherto called him, was an Englishman, and a person of quality, being none other than the Earl of Crawford, who had just returned from a long campaign in Flanders. By his side trotted a large livercoloured dog, his never-failing companion. " I must tell you, my friend," said the Earl, turning towards his fellow-traveller "that I am jaded and weary, and therefore shall be both grateful and pleased to find some place wherein I may rest my aching limbs. How much further have we to go 1 Methinks, if I am not mistaken, we are leaving the village to our right." "We are," returned the guide. " The house to which I am going to take you stands by itself at the corner of three crossroads. We are within sight of it. If you cast your eyes over this moor, you will be able to discern the ruddy light gleaming from its windows."

In a few minutes after this, the two reached the hostelry, at the entrance of which the Earl's dog sniffed in a most suspicious manner, and then looked anxiously in the face of his master. But a well-served meal, and a few glasses of hot spiced wine, revived the drooping spirits of the weary travellers. The Earl's guide shortly took his leave; and the English nobleman remained in the public room, chatting familiarly with its occupants. He spoke the language of the country with a fluency that was considered fair in those days, and he seemed tolerably well pleased with the company. Being an old soldier, he had been accustomed to mix with all sorts of people, and knew well how to adapt himself to the associates that chance threw in his way. The night waned, the hour grew late, and the Earl retired to rest. He was shown into a spacious bedroom, filled with antique, sombre-looking furniture, and a carved ebony bedstead, with heavy hang, ings, presenting at first glance a funeral aspect. Indeed the appearance of the bedroom struck him as being dark and cheerless to the last degree. He had, however, been accustomed, in the course of his travels, to content himself with any sort of accommodation, and was in no mood to quarrel with that furnished him on this occasion. The man-servant, as he was taking his departure, offered to take charge of his lordship's dog, which, he said, might sleep amongst the straw in the stable. "I desire his company," returned the traveller. "He is always accustomed to sleep under his master's bed ; therefore, be pleasad to let him remain." The man did not make any further allusion to the subject, but quietly withdrew. Earl Crawford thereupon eat himself down in front of a small table, and began to inspect some papers he .carried with him. He continued to read for upwards of half-an-hour, after which he began to undress. "While he was thus engaged, the dog «vinced symptoms of anxiety and dis. content. He was wretched aud fidgety.

Upon his master bidding him lie down, ho gave utterance to a low howl or whine. The Earl was totally at a loss to account, in any satisfactory way, for the hound's strange and uneasy manner. " Something disturbs the brute !" he ejaculated ; and then the thought crossed his mind that perhaps his faithful follower was afflicted with hydrophobia. He drew a pistol from Ids doublet, examined its priming, and then placed the weapon on the table. Feeling more composed, he seated himself again in his chair, and called the dog by name. The animal crept timidly to his side, and licked his hands.

<4 Why, Bruno, boy, what's amiss?" exclaimed the Earl.

The faithful brute laid his head on his master's knee, and looked wistfully up into his face.

"This surpasses my comprehension," murmured the latter. "It is altogether most unaccountable."

The Earl rose from his seat after- the lapse of a few minutes, finished undressing, and made towards the bed. The dog gave a low, plaintive howl, and then laid hold of the end of his master's night-shirt, and strove by every possible means to prevent him from getting into bed. It was in vain for the Earl to speak angrily to his dog ; for, despite all remonstrances, the latter persisted in pulling at his shirt.

" He would not be so disobedient or persistent unless some powerful motive governed his actions," said the Earl. " He has doubtless witnessed something which, had he the gift of speech, he would gladly communicate; but lacking that, he is constrained to have recourse to a mute appeal. Bruno, boy ! you shall have your way this time. I will not sleep in yon ebony couch." Hastily slipping into his clothes again, the Earl proposed to sit up all night ; and it was well for him that he came to this decision. His first act was to bar the door; then be threw himself into a chair, placed the light in the grate, and patiently awaited the. issue. Tired as he was, sleep was out of the question. Silence reigned supreme within and without. Not a sound met the ears of the watchful nobleman for an hour or more; but at the expiration of that time, he thought he heard footsteps in the passage that led to his sleeping-apartment. Of this he did not feel fully assured, however : it might be imagination. The Earl was as silent as the grave, and drew his breath slowly and noiselessly; and the dog remained quiet, with his eyes intently fixed on the door. Presently a rumbling sound was heard, and the ebony bedstead began to slowly descend, together with so much of the floor as it stood on. Earl Crawford was petrified with amazement—cold drops of perspiration gathered on his temples. He instinctively laid his hand on his pistol, which he grasped convulsively. He would be prepared for the worst, anyhow ; and if any deed of violence was to be enacted, he would sell his life as dearly as possible. His eyes were rivetted on the bedstead, and the opening in the floor; and while thus watching, he distinctly heard half-smothered voices, which appeared to proceed from an apartment beneath the one he occupied. In a few moments after this the bed disappeared ; then the voices below became more audible, and a cold blast of air, as from the tomb, found its way into the bedchamber. The agony of suspense experienced by the English nobleman now became almost insupportable. He rose to his feet, and cast a hasty glance at the floor, expecting to see some midnight intruder suddenly present himself. There was a noise of shuffling feet, and several heavy blows on the door were given, which those on the outside were endeavoring to open. The Earl levelled his pistol, and fired through one of the panels of the door. The noise of some one falling, and a deep groan, told him that his shot had taken effect. " I am armed !" exclaimed Lord Crawford. " Of this I have given proof. If you persist in striving to effect an entrance, it will be at the risk of your lives." No reply was given to this speech ; but those on the outside renewed their efforts to break open the door. The contents of his other pistol went crashing through the other panel, and an impious oath from some one in the passage proved that the weapon had not been discharged in vain. The pistols were reloaded by their owner, who deemed it advisable to reserve them for the final assault, which he momentarily expected. " Cowardly miscreants!" exclaimed the Earl, " I tell ye, midnight robbers and assassins as you doubtless are, that you have to deal with an old soldier, who is prepared to defend himself against any odds." While all this had been taking place, Bruno had never for a moment ceased barking, which added, in no very small degree, to the uproar and confusion. There was no further attempt on the part of those in the passage to effect an entrance, and, much to the surprise of Earl Crawford, there was a sudden cessation of the hostile movements of the attacking party. He stood for several minutes keeping watch and ward over the entrance to the chamber, his pistols ready for use. Ho very soon came to the conclusion that those on the outside had beaten a retreat ; never'„neless, he could not conceal from himseli that he was still in imminent danger, as he had no means of ascertaining

what aggressive movement his enemies would have recourse to. He felt assured tlmt their object had been murderand robbery. For a while, however, their infamous designs had been frustrated. There is an old saying that a stag at bay is a dangerous foe. Even so was it with the Earl, who made up his mind, in the event of an entrance being made by the miscreants, to, first of all, discharge his two pistols, and then retreat into the corner of the room, and protect himself, as best he could, with his sword, in the use of which he was ac knowledgnd to be a proficient. No more blows on the door were given, and there seemed no disposition on the part of the assailants to renew the assault. The Earl drew forth his pocket-book, tore a leaf from the same, and wrote a few lines explaining his position, and begging anyone who might chance to read them to afford him assistance. He then folded up the paper, and placed it inside his hat, which he threw out of the window into the road below.

The sound of firearms being discharged, and the barking of Bruno, had aroused se-

veral individuals from their slumbers ; so that by the time the Earl's hat fell into the road a group of persons were in sight, who witnessed its descent In less than a quarter of an hour, the house by the three cross-roads was surrounded by a posse of people, amongst whom were two officers of justice. Repeated knocks on the door were given, but no notice was taken of the vociferous demands, on the part of those outside, for admittance. Ultimately, after some time had been expended in the vain endeavour to arouse the occupants of the hostelry, the officers forced an entrance to the premises, which were found tenantless, with the exception of the Earl. The landlord, his servants, and his companions in crime, had deemed it advisable to fly. A rigid search was instituted, and a horrible discovery was made. The remains of several bodies were found in a vault beneath the basement of the inn, and gave unmistakable proof that several murders had been committed.

It appeared that unsuspecting travellers, while in a deep sleep, had, by an infamous mechanical contrivance, been lowered into the room beneath, and while in an unconscious state, had been there and then ruthlessly murdered ; and the assassins, having possessed themselves of the property of their victim, disposed of the body by placing it in a pit which had been previously dug for its reception in the vault beneath. The house was for a long time in charge of the municipal authorities; and a large reward was offered to any person or persons who would give such information as would lead to the capture of the landlord or his accomplices in crime. Por a long time, however, the guilty parties contrived to elude justice. It had been the intention of Earl Crawford to proceed on his journey after one night's halt at the house by the three cross-roads; but the circumstances attending his visit to that abode of crime necessarily caused him to stay at Gessenheim for many days. The burgomaster, upon hearing his name and quality, insisted upon his lordship becoming his guest while he remained in the neighbourhood. As a natural consequence, Bruno became the lion of the day. People flocked from all parts to catch sight of the sagacious animal whose wondrous instincts had been the occasion of a discovery at which the village folk grew pale with fright. It was incontestably proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the infamous practice of entrapping and murdering unsuspecting travellers must have been carried on for many years. Some of the human remains found in the vault beneath the bedroom temporarily occupied by the Earl, were literally skeletons. These were never recognised or claimed, and were deposited in the village churchyard. Two bodies, however, were identified—one of them was that of a Spaniard, and the other a Hungarian. Two days after the flight of the landlord and his accomplices, some peasant found near Gessenheim, in a shed which was used to store away grain, the body of a man, beneath some straw very much stained with blood, which had evidently proceeded from a wound in the chest. It was identified as the remains of Hantz Mayer, Earl Crawford's travelling companion, who, after having been mortally wounded by one of the shots through the door, had crept into the shed and died, it is supposed from loss of blood, as no vital organ had been injured. The landlord was never brought to the bar of justice ; but he was kept in such a constant state of fright from the knowledge that the officers of justice were on his track, that he committed suicide in an hotel at Frankfort-on-the-Maine. Two of his accomplices were, however, captured, put upon their trial, and suffered the extreme penalty of the law. The house by the cross-roads was in such bad odour that no one had the temerity to become its occupant ; tmd for years it was tenantless, and sunk into decay. Ultimately, the son of its proprietor caused it to be demolished. The land was ploughed up and cultivated, and it would be difficult at this day to point out the exact spot upon which it stood. Reubens executed a fine portrait of the dog Bruno, which Earl Crawford brought with him on his return to his native country. i