Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1853-11-11

/ Poles-all conspirod to give me the blues.
could not eat although washurgry and as tired
as I was, | could not sleep. I went TO the win
dow to see ifin case of necessity could gain the
street by that way, for feared should loose
myself in the labyrinth of cham bcrs and passage
ways Of the huge building but it was barricaded
by strong iron bars.
But now the whole Starosty seemed to become
alive in moment. I heard voices, the opening
and shutting Of doors, and steps far and rear
What could it all mean An inward voice
warned me and said it is only too true, the sim
pleton, Peter, really betrayed a ho-rid plot to
murder all the Prussians in the night They
are looking f0r you Save yourself! I saw the
blood thirsty villains arranging with each other
the manner ofnly death; the cold sweat stood oz
my forehead; heard them coming nearer and
nearer; they were already in the anti-room that
led TO my Ggartmcnt; they lowered their voices.
and whispered softly; I rushed to the door and
bolted it, and in the same moment some one tried
to openit from the outside. hardly dare breathe
lest I should betrav myself / perceived by the
language Of the whisporers that thcy were Poles
! had unfortunately learned just enough Polish
words 70 know that they Were speaking Of blood,
death, and Prussians. Ny knees ucmbIcd.-
0nccmore they tried TO open the door ofmy room,
but it seemed as if they We're afraid of making
noise. heard thcm slnk away.
Whether the Poles wished 70 take my life CT
only my money: whether they wished TO carry
out their design without raising IN alarm or in
some other way. concluded al all events, to
put out my lights, thai they should not see into
my room from the street, and thus recognize me.
How could I know but that one Of the villains
might sec me and shoot at nc through the win
dow.
The night is no mans friend, therefore man is
born enemy to darkIe s and even children that
have never heard of ghosts and appagitions arc
afraid in the dark Of something they do not know.
Ihad hardly sat down in The darkness to await
the further adventures Of the night when the most
horrible possibilities presented themselves to my
frightened Imagination, An enemy or misfortune
that one sees and knows, is not half horrible
as one TO which one is compelled to give himself
up Jlindly. In yanI tried to divert myself, in
vain threw ,nysclfo on the bed and determined to
seek sleep. I could be easy nowhere. The bed
had a dsagrecable, musty scent about it, andfI
sat up I was terrified from time to lime by kind
of rustling noise as if some living creature were
moving nearne. The figure of the murdered tax
gatherer, with its cold, stiff features. seemed to
be lowering about me always and Iwould finally
have given all was possessed Of have been
in the open ar, or among good, friendly people,
It struck twelve o'clock, the ghostiy hour. I
yearnod at every stroke. To be sure, l blamed
myself for being n superstitous fool and coward,
but ,hat did no help the matter. Finally
could stand it no longer; whether actuatod by
desperation or LoroisIn, know not, but ! sprang
up, grouped throgh tho darkness, reached the
door and unboltcd it. resolved to gain the open air
if 1t should cost me my life. But when the door
was opencd-heavens what a sight reeled
backwards in paroxysm ofterror. Such a had
not expected TO see