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Prologue

           Ah!Abouthimthereissomethingtocausebothsomethingweirdsomethingwanting!

           Byheavens!itisthehead!

           Eventheunreasoninganimalcanperceivethis;and,aftergazingamomentwithwilderedeyeswonderingwhatabnormalmonsterthusmocksitscervineintelligenceterror-strickenitcontinuesitsretreat;noragainpauses,tillithasplungedthroughthewatersoftheLeona,andplacedthecurrentofthestreambetweenitselfandtheghastlyintruder.

           Heedlessoftheaffrighteddeereitherofitspresence,orprecipitateflighttheHeadlessHorsemanrideson.

           He,too,isgoinginthedirectionoftheriver.Unlikethestag,hedoesnotseempressedfortime;butadvancesinaslow,tranquilpace:sosilentastoseemceremonious.

           Apparentlyabsorbedinsolemnthought,hegivesfreereintohissteed:permittingtheanimal,atintervals,tosnatchamouthfuloftheherbagegrowingbytheway.Nordoeshe,byvoiceorgesture,urgeitimpatientlyonward,whenthehowl-barkoftheprairie-wolfcausesittoflingitsheadonhigh,andstandsnortinginitstracks.

           Heappearstobeundertheinfluenceofsomeall-absorbingemotion,fromwhichnocommonincidentcanawakehim.Thereisnospeechnotawhispertobetrayitsnature.Thestartledstag,hisownhorse,thewolf,andthemidnightmoon,arethesolewitnessesofhissilentabstraction.

           Hisshouldersshroudedunderaserape,oneedgeofwhich,flirtedupbythewind,displaysaportionofhisfigure:

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