ORIGINAL TALE THE CHARCOAL BURNER'S STORY.

Tuapeka Times, Volume 42, Issue I, 28 November 1868, Page 5

ORIGINAL TALE THE CHARCOAL BURNER'S STORY.

" "We have all been ainuged at your adventure, gentlemen ; and if a rude tale of bygone days will please you, I shall do my best... " The Okerthal is peaceful enoughnow —^at ? least its human inhabitants are, arid the very kobolds and ber-g-manien are Beldom heard or seen. Two hundred years ago things were in a different condition. The turbulent noble, whom a long series of outrages had placed under the ban of the empire, found as secure a haven from his enemies in the Hartz Mountains as the brave Hermann and his Cherusci had found frqm the Eoman legions. He found little difficulty in rallying round him a body of lanzknechts, at whose head he out on plundering expeditious. At the time I speak of, the most famous of all such outlaw chiefs was IMtz von Leiderlich, whose retreat was this same valley of Okerthal. A scion of a nobje house, he had been outlawed for a series of atrocious crimes, which also gained him bis sobriquet of " Leiderlich," or " Debauchee." As a soldier, he possessed that rare combination of caution and reckless courage which gains a complete ascendancy on the part of the leader over the led. No man had ever been more careless of his own safety, or more careful of his followers than Pritz von Leiderlich. It is not to be wondered, then, that he commanded a body of men blindly devoted to his interests, and willing to carry out his most iniquitous behests. By a series of daring predatory .excursions he had made his name a te.rr.qr, to all the inhabitants of the plain. The mother frightened her child into silence by mention of his dreaded title ; and when the storm raged, and people eat round the hearth, many a fearful tale of bis remorseless cruelty was told, I^or did his audacity confine itself to attacks on mortal foes : armed cap-a-pie, ke had mounted liisvwar steed, and riding to the summit of the Brocken, there defied the Demon of the Hartz to mortal combat. It was some time after this mad action that he encountered on one of his rambles an aged man and his daughter. The old man saluted him respectfully, and said he had come to claim his protection. ' Protection thou shalt have, old man,' was Ms reply, ' were it only for thy fair daughter's sake.' Nor was it wonderful that lie should gaze on tlie woman thrown into his power. Never had mortal possessed before so dazzling and terrible a beauty, and Yon Liederlieh was forced to acknowledge its spell. His wooing was rough but successful, one condition only being attached to the maiden's consent, viz., that the nuptials should be celebrated on t,t© ii s t of May, "'Walpui'gis Night. " * Dearest,' eaid the bride, ' it was the daring wliioh defied the Demon that won my heart. Our marriage shall be celebrated on the night when he has power as an additional insult.' " ' So let it be,' said the outlaw, ' for your sake I would face the whole sabbath of witches on the Usenstone.' " Now was the castle of Qkerthal a scene of preparation and "bustle. Bands o£ marauders wer§ despatched on every side to collect materials for the feast, and many an unfortunate peasant saw his cattle carried away from his burning homestead. The day came, dark and gloomy, as though, it were midwinter, and a dim foreboding of evil seemed to oppress the minds of all. No priestly rite was needed for the * freebooter's marriage. Bridegroom and bride swore constancy and truth on the hilt of a sword amid the shouts and applause of the house-carles and lanzknechts. A feast followed, at which, the health of the newly-married pair was drunk in copious draughts of Rhenish. The cloud disappeared from every brow, and the joyous mirth of the revellers made the old hall re-echo with noisy bursts of glee. Pritz, with his bride, rfetired early from this scene to a private apartment.jrbsiwindi 1 howled round the crossed the thresholaj^^^^^^^^^H lit up with corpse-Kk^^^^^^^^^H landscape. Even Yon Liederlich <PB^^^^^^^^^H and mocking denj^^^^^^^^^^^| to scorn hi's^ter^l^^^^^^^^^^^H bride for cons|^^^^^^^^^^^^H place of her The feature* T^jj^^^^^^^^^^^^| beauty neveV^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ face seemed toT^^^^^^^^^^^^^| white heat, and a devilish .lustre^^^^^^^^^^^f graceful form so ™P^^^^^^^^H his aiinfl, fiendislf^loiial|^^Hßp|P to seize him. liaddes^^PPv^ 01 *' he turned to ftee, but Ike. fataßcrasp waß on him ejjer lie had retreated a step. ' The mo<ltli Be had loaded kisses sougire Ms neck, but not^tn a loving embrace. °JTearing the flesh, the disguised fiend sucked the vital stream, while the storm raged more fiercely, and demoniac formi hovered arotraa. Weakened by the loss ' of blood, the outlaw sunk under hia cruel adversary, and his fall seemed the signal for attack to the diabolic legions. Fire burst out at once from all parts of the castle, and no survivor escaped. to tell the tale. Next day a few shepherd's found the erstwhile impregnable castle, a heap of ruins, and a few awfully mangled ' corpses, r a}ono re? mainecl to SP-ow the, fate of $ts numeiv pus occupant gurs $0 tye ro.clf

■an inscription was found still legible in spite of the lapse of time : ' Thus does the Demon -of the Hartz avenge .himself on the foolhardy.' " Due credit was. given to ,the char-coal-burner for his tale, and a fresh bowl of -punch having been brewed, pur host narrated as follows : — - ■ (To be continued in our next. )