Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1855-02-02

Ger or difbculiy there, however, were pla.
ces. where il vas considerably deeper On
the occasion in question, il was more danger.
Gus than I had ever known It. There was no
bridge constructed acrossii at this place, and
people were obliged to &c, through it as well
as they could. Nearer and nea,er We sp.
preached. The night was 50 dark lha, il,
was quite impossible to discern anything. !
could feel the beaiiurs of my heart against,
nv breast, a cold clammy sweat settled upon
nv brow. and my mouth became 90 dry that
hnciod was choking. Tho momeu, Eas
At hand that was to pa, my resolution to tho
test. A few yards Only separated US from
the spo, that was to terminate my journey,
and. perhaps. the mortal career Of my incom.
preheusiblc companion. The light Of the
lamp, threw dull, lutJ CLEAN upon the
surface Of the water. !, rushed furously
past, surrinr and boiling as J., leapci over
tho rocks lha, here aud there inlcrsccled is
channel. Without, moments hesitation, |
urged the marc forward. aud in minute NC
were In the midst II ,hs stream. was a
case Of life or dcarh' The water came down
like 4 inucu,--ils tide was irresistible
There was no, . moment to be lost. My own
lie wa, A. N,kc. With the instructive feel.
ing Of selfprcservaiion, drove the animal
swiftly through the dense body Of water, and
10 few scconir We hnd gained the opposite
bank II the rivsr We were safe, but tho
opportunity of ridiIng myself Of my compan.
ion was rendered, by the emergency of the
casc, unavailable.
know mo-, how i, was, but ! suddenly be.
came arlualsi by a new iurs',c Wretch
though he was, he hld sn,ru,,sj hi safety,
HI, life, into nv hands. There was, PER-.
hnr,. sill .omc rood IN the man hy ena.
bling him 10 escape. | might b. the n,iru.
men, Of his eternal salvation. H. bal done
me mo- injury, and a, some period of his ne
Jc nigh, have rrrdcrci good office, to 9th.
rrs pi,ied hs situation, and determined
10 render him whl, assistance could lap.
piled the whip 10 the mare ln q moment
,bc seemed To be- endowed with supernatural
energy and ,wi,ness, though he was a mur-
dcrcr-ihough be was hencslouh 10 BE- dry.
an from society as au uliclsl-hg should uu,
De- deserted in h.s present emergency. %
vc sped hcjgcg. trees, homes. uer passed
iu rapid succession. Nothing impuded our
way. We bad a task 10 perform, duiy 10
fulfil; dangers aud difficulties Del before us.
\ human he depended upon our oNou.ors,
aul cysry nerve required in be- strained iuT .,s
preservation. Oa, on wc hurried Nv en-
u,s-,ssm asslmyd ,tr sPyhuucr oi mld-
ness ! shouted io the mare iill was hoalsr,
and broke the whip in several places. Al.
though We comparatively Gcw over the
ground. ] hnc.ed We lid NOT GO hs, enough.
Wv noiy Sas 10 constant motion. a. though
d, would give on impetus TO our movements.
Wv companion appeared conscious Of NV Id-
,sr,oa,, and. ror the fret time. c,incoI au
interest in onr rrorrc'. II- drew out hIs
handkerchief, and used IL .0crs,anly rs an
incentive to svihnre. Onward we hcj.
We were an iciua,ed by lhe '1me motive.
This concentration of energy gave force and
vitality 80 our actions.
The night had hitherto been calm, bu, The
rain now began In descend IN torrents, AMI at
interval. We heard d.slan, prlIs of thaudcr.
Still We progressed; we wer' not to he blf.
hsd, not to he deferred Ne would vet defy
pursuit. Large tracts Of country were pas
sd over with amllinr rapdily. Objects that
at one moment were At q great distance, 10
another were reached, and 10 the next, len
Tar behind.
Thu, We sped iorward--lhus we seemed
TO annihlIils space alioc-,hsr We were go.
dowet with supcrhuman enerr,es-hurr.cd
an by an impulse, inyolunlar, and lrreslsu-
Die. Nv companion became violent, and ap-
pearri to think We did not travel qulrk enough
lie to,c once or twice from bis seat, and at
tempted to take the remnant Of the whip from
my hand, bu' resisted, arI prevailed upon
him to bs quiet
How long We were occupied in this mad
and daring flight llcannot even conjecture.
We reached, at length, our destination: but;
alas We had no sooner done 80, than the IN
valuable animal tha, had conveyed us ihi,hor
fell dead
Nv companion and ! aliphtod. | walked
up where the poor asmal ay, and was busy
deplOrng her fate, when heard a struggle
at short distance. turned quickly round,
and beheid the mysterious being with whom
| had ridden 50 fats! journey, in the custody
oftwo poworiul.lookihg men.
"lial ha! I though, he would make for
this place. said one oi them.
"lle still has hankering after his moth
er's grave. When he got away before, he
nabbei him here"
Tho mystery was soon cleared up. The
gentleman had escaped from lunaiic a'ylum
and was both deaf and dumb. The death ol
bis mo,her, few years before, had caused
the mental alteration.
The horrors Of that nigh, are impressed as
vi'idly upon my memory as though ihoyhad
jus, occurred. The expenses Of the journey
were all delrayed, and was presented with
a handsOms graiuiiy. | never ceased how.
ever to regret the loss Of the Gvorite mare