Columbia gazette. [volume] (Columbia, Tuolumne County, Calif.) 1852-1855, 1854-10-14

tone might make him calm-"Signor
the winds obey you. Let us 60"
"Gos Where. Is this not my
home Is not this my palace Saw
you not my servants. You are my
guest!"
Will you not sit down and tell mt
about your home :" said 1, shuddering
No! these are secrets that car
never be spoken. Can you understand
them Who are you, mortal, that
you dare to ask 20
I walked slowly toward the narrow
passage of land-the bridge. But he
saw me, and stood upon it. l could
not 60.
"Can this be pleasantly ?" thought I
An awful thought passed through me,
which froze my hearts blood.
Pleasantly! There he stood, my
wild companion, his eyes blazing, fixed
piercingly on me, his hands clenchcd,
his mouth foaming, every sinew in his
body worked up. He stood, screaming,
laughing. o God! Twas alone with
a maniac!
"You are to 60 with me, p" he cried.
"Where 2"
"There. l have come to carry you
to my home" He pointed with cold
snaky smile down toward the unfathom-
able abyas whence assembled the terrible
column Of inky and suffice ating smoke.
I gazed at him for there was some
element of fascination in his CLASSY stare,
which forced me, compelled me, gaze
There was cold smile upon his lips,
which were all bloodless, and disclosed
as they parted, his mouth and tightly
shut teeth.
There is my home-there and I
have come to take you with me. Ha
ma! How happy you will be! Come! y
Still I gazed, while my heart throb-
bed with slow but terrible pulsations.
He advanced one step towards me.
The spell was broken which unclaimed
my gaze I looked all around: at the
blue sky above, at the scorching earth
around, and at the horrible chasm be-
meath. There was no hope. Oh!
could I but leap the space which separ-
ated mo from the main cliff! Could I
but do it-but could not. There was
no hope.
"What do you not answer )" he
cried, dashed to fury by my silence, and
stamping his foot in frenzy upon the
rock. I" Do you not answer Then
I must carry you with mel"
The maniac sprang toward me
With all my energies reused into fran
tic action, with every sinew braced and
muscle contracted, I planted my foot
backward against small angular rock
which projected above the loose sandy
soil, and endeavored to meet the shock
With Wild scream, which arose thrill
lingly into the air, his eyes all bloodshot,
his mouth foaming, on he came. He
struck me-his arms surrounded nae in
a fearful embrace-his het breath came
burningly upon my cheek. I stood firm:
for despair and all the bitterness Of death
had given no place to fear and timidity,
but had bestowed upon nae the coolness
Of one in an ordinary situation. l threw
my left arm beneath his, my right pass
ed over his neck and around upon his
back, thus seeking to press him to the
earth.
It was a moment Of horror such as no
mortal tongue could ever tell. A strug-
gle with q maniac To be on small
surface of rock, while three thousand
feet below lay the abyss Of untold hor-
rors ! At this hour my heart beats more
forcibly even as | think upon the time.
Thus we stood, breast to breast, face
to face, the mailman and The with
his arms encircling me; | seeking to
save myself. He pressed me toward the
edge Of tho cliff He plunged his feet