New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-08-15


Scan this all be pleasantly thoughtT. An
awful thought passed through me, which foze
my hearts blood
Pleasantly There he stood, my wild COM
panion, his eyes blazing, fixed pierciugly On me,
his hands elenched, his mouth foaming, every
ainew in his body workedup, He stood, scream
ing, laughing o. Godt was alone with q
maniac
eYou are to go with me"
"Wherei" L4es 81
sThere I have come to carry you to my
home" He pointed with cold snaky smile
down toward the unfathomsble abyss whence
aseended the terrible column OF inky and suf-
locating smoke. ffs
Igazed at him: for there was some element
Of fascination in his CLASSY stare, which forced
me, compelled me, to gaze. There was q cold
smile upon his lips, which were all bloodless.
and disclosed, as they parted, his mouth and
tightly-shut teeth. sq14
There is my home--there; and have come
you will be Gomez"
Still gazed while my heart throbbed with
slow but terrible pulsations. e
He advanced one step towards me.
looked all around. The spell was broken
which enchained my gaze. Hooked all around
at the blue sky above, at the scorched earth,
around, at the horrible chasn beneath. There
was no hope. Oh! could but leap the space
which separated the from the main cliff, Could
but do it -- but could mott There was
no hope
"What do you not answer ," he cried, sud
denly lashed into fury by my silence, and
stamping his foot in frenzy upon the rock. edo
you not answer! Then must carry you with
me %
The maniac sprang toward mel
With all my energies reused into frantic
act with hrnn al III II
contracted, / planted my foot backward, against
q small angular rock which projected above the
loose, sandy soil, and endeavored to meet the
shock With wild scream, which arose thrill
ingly into the air, his eyes all bloodshot, his
mouth foaming, on he came. He struck me
his arms surrounded me in fearful 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 tinid-
ity, but had bestowed upon me the coolness of
one in an ordinary situation. / threw my LETT
| 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 mortal
tongue could ever tell A struggle with ma
MAC TO be on a small surface of a rock,
while three thousand feet beneath lay the abyss
of untold horrorsi At this hour my heart
beats more forcibiy even as / think upon the
time. s
| Thus we stood, breast to breast, face to face,
the mailman and /, he with his arms encircling
me, ! seeking to save myself He pressed me
toward the edge Of the cliff He plunged his
feet deep into the ground; he laughed mock
ingly, and screamed, as he tried to destroy me.
But against that rock my feet were firmly
braced, and held him tightly, and I sought to
hurl him from me- Hurl him from me as we'll
might the hungry tiger be hurled from his prey.
Oh! the agony of that struggle! know not
how long it was, but to me it seemed like many
honrs. The wild eyes of the mailman glared
at mine all 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 fendish, mocking laughter.
| ssOh, Heaven! Oh, horror! Can this, will
this endure for ever s'' cried l, in the agony of
my fear. The maniac howled with derisive
shouts felt that was growing weaker. But
| he was a maniac and would he grow weaker
alsos A thousand thoughts fed through me.
| Suddenly the maniac gave one fearful plunge.
1t was with the strength of a giant that. he
seized me. He raised me from my feet. The
rock, the saving rock, had lost it, / was gone.
| threw my arms high into the air, and my
scream of terror assembled in unison with the
maniac's moeking yell
"Down! downt to the bottomless pit! To
the home of fire and birthstone! To the endless
horrors of burning lakesi'' he screamed, as he
gave bound toward the edge of the cliff
/ Inspired by sudden gift of superhumsn
strength, by a partial possession of even mad
mans power, caught him by the throat, and
even on the very edge, even when in sight of the
abyss, l sprang back; l bore him back; /
brought him to the ground. Falling heavily
upon him, l held his throat still in fierce
grasp, while his own arms were wound tightly
around my neck, and his legs around mine. l
felt the hot breath from his open mouth as my
cheek lay pressed against his face; heard
them crate harshly, and drew my head yio-
lently away, as he sought to seize me with his
sharp teeth. A.
In our frantic struggles on the ground. we
rolled wildly about, and the dust from sulphur
and from pumce-stone ascended around US in
sutfocating clouds. I was half insane. ! was
struggling for life / caught up handful d
j the fine choaking dust, and rubbed it violently
: over his open mouth. 1t went into his nostrili
and lungs. He gave jerk forward in agony
/ Amid the clouds Of dust around, | could not see
where we were. He held me by the hair as b,
/ sprang; moment after, and fearful force wa
straining there Another moment. and arose
while wild and high rose the shrek Of til
maniac, as he fell down-down--into the abys.
| [Knickerbocker for August.