The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-08-29
1T has! it hasp said the gentleman. .Oh! a
fearful'-and his voice grew low and hollow
q terrible fascinationp = .....,z,. .-ss. -

sYes! am king here. In me you see the
being who causes the lava to pour forth, and
I overwhelm the regions below. Ihave lived for
centuries. The spirits of the deep obey me:
seer -.
BE Ieaped up from the ground. There was
fearful fire in his eye, his nostrils were dila-
ted, his pale face became as white as marble,
and as boodtess, save that on either cheek there
glowed a deep red spot.
.Sesv he shrieked wildly and loudly; Spirits
of the deep arise! Ha!-yonder-see theln!-
they are coming-in clouds-enrobed in thun.
der.garments-seep
leaped up from the ground: l gazed at
He threw off bis hat wildly. and it fell FIR
down in the abyss. He flung off his coat and
threw it away.
'Sigaor,' said /, in hopes that mild tone
might make him calm, 'Signor, the winds obey
you. Let us CO.
'Goa Wherel Is not this my homes Is
not this my palacea Saw you not my servantss
You are my guest!
| win you not sit down and tell me about
your homer said sbuddering.
No! there are secrets that can never be spo.
ken. Can you understand them? Who are
you, mortal, that you dare to askP
walked slowly toward the narrow passage
of land-the bridge. But. he saw me, and
stood upon it. I could not 60.
Can this all be pleasantrya thought l. An
awful thought passed through me, which froze
my hearts blood.
Pleasantly! There he stood, my wild com.
panion. his eyes blazing, fixed piercngly on
me, his hands clenched, his mouth foaming, ev-
cry sinew in his body worked up. He stood,
screaming, laughing. o God! was alone
with maniac!
You are to 60 with me- he cried.
sWhere2'
There. | have come to carry you to my
home.' He pointed with cold, snaky smile
down toward the unfathomabe abyss whence
ascended the terrible column Of inky and sufo-
eating smoke.
gazed at him: for there was some element
of fascination in his CLASSY stare, which forced
me, compelled me to gaze. There was cold
smile upon his lips, which were all bloodless,
and disclosed, as they parted, his mouth and
tightly-shut teeth.
rrhere is my home-there; and have come
to take you with me. Ha! ha! how happy you
will be! Comer
Still gazed; while my heart tbrobbed with
slow but terrible pulsations.
| He advanced one step toward ME.
looked all around. The spell was broken
which enchanted my gaze. looked all around:
at the blue sky above, at the seorched earth
around, at the horrible chasm beneath There
was no hope. OH could but leap the space
which separated me from the main cliff! Could
| but do it-but could mott There was no
hope! .
'What do you not answera' he cried, sud-
denly lashed into fury by my silence, and
stamping his foot in frenzy upon the rock. DO
YOU not auswer2 Then ! must carry you
with mev
The maniac sprang toward me!
With all my energies reused into frantic &C.
ton, with every sinew braced, and every mus
Gle contracted, l placed my foot backward,
against small angular rock which projected
above the loose sandy soil, and endeavored to
meet the shock. With wild vcream, which
arose thrillngly into the air, his eyes all blood
shot, his mouth foaming, on he came. lie
struck me-his armssurrounded me in fear.
ful embrace, his hot breath came burningly
upon my cheek. | stood firm: for despair.
and all the bitterness of death, had given no
place to fear and timidity, but had bestowed
upon me the GOODNESS of one in an ordinary
situation. Ithrew my left arm beneath his,
my right passed over his neck and around
upon his back, thus seeking to press him to
! the earth.
1t was moment of horror such as no NOR
tai tongue could ever.tell. A struggle with
maniac! To be on small surface of rock,
while three thousand feet beneath, lay the
abyss of untold horrors! At this hour, my
heart beats more forcibly even as think upon
the time.
Thus we stood, breast to breast, face to face
! the madman and I-h with his arms encr.
4 culing me i seeking to save myself He pres
| sed me toward the edgeof the cliff. Heplung.
| ed his feet deep into the ground; he laughed
| mockingly, and screamed, as he tried to de-
stroy me. But against that rock my feet were
firmly .braced; and I held him tightly, and I
pushed him, and sought to hurl him from me.
Hurl him from me las well might the hungry
tiger behurled from his prey.
Oh! the agony Of that struggle! / know not
how long it was, but to me it seemed like ma
| ny hours, The wild eyes of the madman
rlared at mine all the time, and ] found it i'm
possible to look away. His fearful face, all
white, all ghastly, was upturned toward me, as
be shouted in his fiendish mocking laughter.
20 Heaven! Obi horror! Can this, will this
endure for ever = cried in the agony Of my
fear. The maniac howled with derisive shouts.
Ifelt that was growing weaker. But he was
madmau; ard would he grow weaker also