The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1854-09-08

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en- which enchanted my gaze. s i looked all
around at the blue sky above, at the, scorch-
ed earth around, at the horrible chasm be-
Meath. There was no hope. Oh could
but leap the space which separated me from
the main cliff Could / but do, it--but /
could notl There was no hopei ~
What do you not answer y he cried, sud-
denly lashed into fury by my silence, and
stamping bis footsin frenzy upon the rock.
do you not answers Then / must carfS
you with me!' a.s =
The maniac sprang toward me IL
With all my energies reused into frantic
action, with every sinew braced, and every
muscle contracted, / placed my foot back
ward, against small angular rock which
projected above the sandy soil, and endeav-
.ored to meet the shock. With wild scream
which projected above the loose sandy soil.
and endeayored to meet the shock. With q
wild scream, which arose thrilling into the
air, his eyes all blood-shot, his mouth foam
ing, on he came. He struck me-his arms
surrounded me in fearful embrace, his hot
breath came burning upon my cheek. Istood
firm: for despair, and all the bitterness Of
death, had given no place to fear and tim
ldlty, but had bestowed upon me the cool
ness OF one in an ordinary situation. threw
my left arm beneath his, my right 1 passed
over his neck and around upon his back. thus
seeking to press him to the earth. .a''
1T was moment of horror such as no
mortal tongue could ever tell. A struggle
with maniacl To be on small surface
OF rock, while three thousand feet beneath.
lay the abyss of untold horrors At tins
hour, my heart beats more forcibly even as
u think upon the time. --,.
thus stood, breast to breast, face to face
the madman and I-he with his arms en-
circling me; l seeking to save myself He
pressed me toward the edge of the cliff. He
plunged his feet deep into the ground; he
tried to destroy me. But against that rock
my feet were firmly braced and l held him
tightly, and I pushed him, sought to hurl
him from me. Hurl him from me l--as we'll
might the hungry tiger be hurled from his
prey. W. .'a.lssssF -r.lsE >
Oh! the agony Of that struggle! know
not how long itwas, but to me il seemed like
many hours. The wild eyes Of the madman
glared at mine oil the time, and found it
impossible to look away. His fearful face,
all white, all ghastly, was upturned toward
me, as he shouted in his fiendish mockinp
laughter. .... sJE "a
% HEAvENl Oh! horror! Can this, will
this endure for everr cried / in the agony
OF my fear. The maniac howled with deri-
sive shouts. l felt that I was GROWING
weaker. But.he was madman and would
he grow weaker alsof A thousand thoughts
fled through me.
Suddenly the maniac gave one fearful
plunge. II was with the strength of giant
that he seized me- He raised me from NV
feet. The rock, the saving rock--I had lost
it; / was gone. / threw my arms high into
the AIR, and my scream of terror assembled
in unison with the maniac's mocking yell.
Down down! to the bottomless pit
To the homo of fire and birthstone To the
endless horror of burning lakes ? he scream.
ed, as he gave bound toward the edge OF
the cliff. ..... 49,. =.
Inspired by sudden gift of superhuman
strength, by apartial possession ofeven mad
mans power caught him by the throat,
and even on the very edge, even when in sight
OF the abyss, sprang back, I bore him back;
1t brought him to the ground. Falling heay.
lily upon him, / held his throat still in a
fierce grasp while his own arms were wound
tightly around my neck, and his open mouth
as my cheek lay pressed against his face;
heard them CRATE harshly, and drew my
head violently away, as he sought to seize
me with his sharp teeth. >i...
In our frantic struggles on the ground, we
rolled wildly about and the dust from
sulphur and from pumice-stone ascended
around us in suffocating clouds. Twas half
insane. / was struggling for life. / caught
up q handful of the fine choking dust. and
rubbed it violently over his open mouth. Ii
went into his nostrils and lungs. lie gave a
jerk forward in agony. Amid the clouds OF
dust around, l could not see where we were.
He held me by the hair as he sprang mo-
ment after, and fearful force was stra;ning
there, holding my head down with irrcsisti-
BILE force. Another moment, and 1 arose
while wild aad high arose the, shriek of the
maniac, as he fell-down down--into The
abyss. -
An exchange tells story of a miserable
drunken set who staggered into Sunday
School, and for few minutes listened very
attentiyely 10 the questions propounded tt
the scholars, but being anxious to show his
knowledge d the sscriptur," he stood up
leaning on the front Of the pew with both
hands. = Parson B-----.'' said he sask M,