Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-04-25

of the city, the neighing and galloping o
horses, the lively and gay sound Of voices
to the total and death-like silence arounc
them, spoke plainly the thickness of tht
walls with which slcy were enclosed. Az
ter descending flight Of steps, another door
opened, and from the hollow reverberations
Of the echoes, it appeared they were> ira.
versing some subterranean passage: An
other flight of steps was succeeded by an
other space to be traversed, at the extremity
of which the third and last door opened.
: Everington's hands were now unbound
the irons ia Ken from his feet fhessoor IVA.
partly Enclosed, and still hlindfolded, he
was thurst through it, and the door instant.
ly closed upon him. He tore the turban
;,, 1vi1,, ..hich he had been blinded, from his
head, but impenetraDI5 .lAness 49,. iiie' :, nis
eye; and he heard the harsh graiiinlg3s OF tho
keys, as bolt after bolt was turned upon
him.
II am buried alive said Everingtion
aloud, and he started at the hollow and un-
earthly sound of his own voice, when he
remembered the accounts he had heard of
the dungeons of Schras, where kingly
vengeance immured those victims it did
not dare openly to immediate.
He called aloud, but was only answered
by echoes gloomy as the dungeons that
gave them birth. The chillness and damp
ness of the air, proved that he was far un.
der ground; and the only thing that give
him hope, was that once he fancied he felt
the winnowing of bats wing as it fitted
around him in the pitchy darkness, and
then, as he thought, demonstrated the GER
tainty of some communication with the up.
per air. He moved few feet and his
hand struck against wall.
II will at least know the extent Of my
dungeon" said Everington, as with his
hands upon the wall, which was covered
withmold and dampness, he slowly group.
ed his way along.
The distance he traversed proved that il
was of considerable extent; but the exam
ination showed also that the door by which
he had entered was the only place of ingress
or egress to the dungeon. The door was
of stone, bat covered with wet Shiny
matter, which convinced Everington, that
it was sometimes covered with water; and
he remembered that once a year, at least,
it was said the dungeons were emptied OF
their inmates by the Uverhowing Of the river
Bendimir.
To Everington it was time of almos
inconceivable agony and despair; he wa!
brave, and could have died the death of a
soldier without murmur; but to be shu
out from the cheerful light of day-to be
buried alive-to die a living death; filled
his mind with horror And Coralinn, his
faithful and beautiful Coralinn, where was
she?
"God of mercy protect her!7 he exclaimed,
as filled with conflicting emotions, he hasti.
ly strobe across the dungeon 30, protect,
and bless her."
His foot struck against something upon
the hoor-he stumbled and fell = he turned
to examine tit was half wasted skele-
ton. He moved his hand slowly over it
there was frightful Kissing, and large
serpent crept from beneath the untrodden
garments and twined its long scaly folds
around his arm. With scream he tore it
from him, and springing to his feet, at
tempted to fly from the revolving spectacle,
but struck against the wall of the prison
with such violence that he fell, insensible, to
the pavement. How long he remained in
that situation he knew not, but he was con-
fdent that considerable time must have
elapsed. With the sense of existence, re-.
collection of the horrors of his fate came
over him, mingled with a death-like de-
preston of his feelings, and sensation Of
weakness that convinced him his hours OF
life would be few, unless he was removed
from that place. Placing his hand on the
wet floor to raise himself, it rested on some
thing which struggled violently to escape.
and the carbuncled back and swollenform
showed it to be an overgrown toad, which
the heated ina gination of Everington, pc
tured as having attained the frightfnl size by
living on the victims which there fell a sac
rifice to tyranny.
"Not vet,'' said he as he started to hi.
feet, "am l willing TO become prey to suci
loathsome animals.
How time passed away he had no meat,
of knowing, but painful sensation of hun
ger and thirst-a sickening faintness which
attended :the last movements confusion
of ideas and debility Of body, demonstrats
that he had breat,ed pestlential air, un
DER the influence of which the powers o
life could not survive The inclination Il
sleep was excessive, but he dared not in
duge 1t, for his sleeping moments wer'
more dreadful than his waking ones, AM
that dread was not wholly owing 10 the har
RAISING effect of his Imagination. Ono
when he attempted to sleep ne was sudden
ly aroused by finding snake cold an
chilling, endeavoring to force its way be
meath the clothing OF his body, and collin
its folds around his neck. The instant h
was motionless, reptiles of various kino
began to gather around him, and he felt
if they had already marked him for thel
prey. How gladly would he have we
coined death but it seemed to fly from h
embraces.
At last when hope had fled, when b
thought that his feelings had been rendere
.callous by the intensity ofsufferng,a sllg'
sound in the subterranean region o! n
dungeon aroused him from his lethargy.-
Listening with ears which had been rel
dered acute by misery, he heard voices al
then footsteps in the passage that led
-: l,oroon Aooin he haa rd the nilme