Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1850-12-06

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and before had time TO protest agains
the absurdity Of the precaution, the key
was turned upon me and the bolt barret
As much annoyed as alarmed at thi
summary and forcible confinement,
called to him at the top of my voice Il
return and unfasten the door: but the on
ly answer received was whistle ant
mocking laugh, which gradually diet
upon nv ears as he descended the stair
case.
Returning TO my seat by the fire,
lighttd d my pipe, and endeavored to calm
by its sedalive influence the excited
state of imagination produced by my
hopeless Imprisonment. Whit after
Whit rolled from my lips, but it was ol
no use. 1t was impossible for me, eth.
er by reflection or by any mechanical
process, TO divert my thoughts, and eve-
ry few minutes, as if by fascination be-
yond my control. my eye would steal
round TO the table behind me, and its
ghastly occupants. Every fresh gush
of wind, every new noise in the street
below, ould cause me to start with in
stinctive terror under the fear of some
supernatural apparition. At length,
when all sounds had died away. except
the monotonous pattering of the rain up
on the skylght above, and the throb-
bing of my own heart and arteries, which
| could distinctly hear in the silence a.
round me, mastered my feelings sufli-
ciently to rake the fire, wrap myself in
my cloak, blow out the candle, and
throw myself in front of the hearth to
sleep.
1t was long before | could compose
myself sufficiently even 10 doze; and
when at best But sort of feverish night
mare, in which confusions of vampires,
wher.wolves and Frankensteins revolved
through my brain in utter confusion.
/ had been in this immediate state be-
tween sleep and wakefulness know not
how long, when was suddenly called
to consciousness by severe blow on the
forehead. lnstinctively raising my hand
10 my head, few drops of blood trick
eled down my fingers. Still under the
influence of the horrible visions with
which my imagination had been teem-
ing, ] sprung to my feet perfectly fran
tic with terror. / rushed to the door; il
was locked! there was no other door to
the room!-no other egress Of any kind!
Almost sinking under the intensity o.
my emotion, groped along the wall to
the side of the room opposite the fire
A brilliant flash of lightning, succeeded
almost instantaneously by roar oil
thunder, which broke over the building
as if the elements were being shattered,
passed over the skylight, and ilamina-
ted the room for moment, sufficiently
long for me to observe that there were
but four bodies left upon the table! Had
one of the bodies come TO murder me
for sacrilegious intentions! or had it nev-
er been dead, and was my murder equal
ly inevitable! A host of dreadful con.
lectures overwhelmed me, and an invol-
untary sinking upon my knees, con.
sciousness for few moments was sus.
pended.
When came to myself all was quie
The crisis was over. Beginning to rec.
ollect, thought if the spirit-ghost. re.
animated body or whatever it might be
had had any terrible intentions towards
me, it had ample time to execute them
| began TO feel ashamed of my panic
and to admit the possibility of the agency
of natural causes. My blood began tc
flow little more freely, and gradually
grew sufficiently master of myself te
crawl back to the fire, uncovered the
ashes, and endeavored tolight mycandle
which, after considerable waste o
spermaceti, was enabled to accom-
plish.
The first object that caught my view
was grim corpse stretched on the floor
The legs at one end, and the shoulders
and head at the other, were elevated a
a considerable angle.
The explanation rushed upon my
mind like flash. After | had covered
the fire, the room growing colder. thu
bodies had gradually stiflened. The ia,
bic was an ordinary dissecling table, in
tended for single body. The equilib
rum of the five placed together npon i
was at least Of very doubtful stability
As they had gradually siifTened, the low
er corpse on the side towards the fire
had been gradually pressed upon, ant
Sc. forced out of its place, and in falling
an aim or a leg had struck me on tho
forehead! This explanation was a,
reasonable as it was satisfactory.
Taking hold of the innocent cause o
my terror, dragged it under the table
from which it had been so frighlfully G.
jected: and reinstalling myself in my
chair, again lighted my pipe, and de
termined TO pass the remainder of thu
night without again endeasoring to sleep
Many were the whilfs which | pulfed
from my meerschaum before the gtey
light of morning lifted the "blanket 0
the dark" And | have still the conles
sion 10 make, that more than once stol
a furtive glance to the table, and unde
the table, although the intensity of tn
fright had endured and the simplicit,
of its explanation, prevented me iron
| - Il. n