Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-11-14

] ShR ttx-
! ThaI'pot o.7g acted upon this resolution ere
! nrre.ives - some distance before me,
li,lt. which fro n Its seeming to be stationary
/ I JUDGED 10 proo eed from the habitstion o
! some human b sing.
| Ny horse, too. seems, to be awa-e OF Gu
near approach TO the abs lie Of humsnI,N' .
be voluntarily increased h. speed rs we ap
prosched nearer the spot, on W. 'ch L kept my
| eyes fixed under painful sensa,. on Of min
/ gied hope and anxiety.
Il few minutes more brought mo "a he or.
! Jact aimed at, which, to my infinite io,. [
( ,ound to be a small public house, and tho
/ lSht which had served 20 conduct me th;ther
proceeded from the windows.
bailooed as loud as L was able. and mr.,
sently roUgh-looking countryman anpesrea
! ~ the door. Inquired if L could have sAel-
! am, having received an answer in the affirm
! "LiFe, dlsmoun'ed with great difficulty. AMI
| alter waiting till the latter was DroreTlv NUT
| up IN shed which served for a stable. with
the assistance Of mine host managed 10 walk
| or rather roll, into the house; where. round a
I1I5e nIazlng hre, were seated the hostess, n
| servant glri, and two men, who. from their
! appearance, and two packs which 4 observed
| iyiIg upon the floor, judged TO be pedIars.
hillbS been dlsencHmbered of nv frozen
habliments, and placed before the FIRE tho
females chafed my hands and legs; and after
1 hai swallowed little mailed ale which the
lahGI4oy strongly recommended as most suited
% my condition, was conducted 10 A misera-
Die upper r0oGi, where a bed without curtains.
ana altogether CT the meanest description, had
| bcen hastily prepared for me. / was not how
ever IN n condition to quarrel with nv ac-
coininodatlons and therefore. resolving t.
maze the best of the matter, closed the rick
ely door, placed dllapidated chair (the only
one the room ccntained) against it. threw nv
self upon my hard bed, and was presently
asleep
had not lain long before [ was reused bv
:Ac sound OF footsteps advancing up the creak-
ing staircase towards my apartment. lis
tened the noise approached nearer AMI near
or; 1t ceased; an attempt was made 70 open
shs Hoof, bu' thiS the chair L had placed
against il prevented.
started up and listened with breathless
anxiety. The darkness in which nv room
was shroudei Increased my terror cold
sweat bcdcwed my fOrehead-the blood rushed
back to my heart, the pulsations of which be-
came audloie-a dreadful faintness came over
lne-my frame was almost paralyzed with
horror, and / sunk back upon NV inflow
overcome with the painful intensity Of con-
hieun5 emotions. Again L raised myself nm
ard listened. L could now distinctly hear
voices engaged in n whispering conversation,
which, however, presently ceased, and heard
the sound of footsteps descending the staircase
ana once more all was dark. deep, dreadful
silence L had now 4 moment for reflection
Oh, how horrid was that moment thought
CT the lonely situation of the house ia which /
was ltgsj, and L doubted not il was a rem
devious for robbers and murderers that the
landlord aod the two men l had mistaken for
pedlars were part of the gang, and il was
their intention to add me TO the number of
their victims
Appalling as was my situation on the noun
tam, exeruciating as were the sufferinxs L
there endured, would gladly have br9yed
ooth again TO have been released from thar
den of horrors. 80 ! spd
While lay thus 10 u under me. In an in
'eihhtt Il 1eaped from it, and ere L could turn
round it had disappeared through trap door,
which Immediately again closed. summon
ing, by frantic effort, my last expiring eper-
qies. | rushed 10 the window in the hope of
oaiis avn e" effect my escape; but to my
u-ter disinay, found il secured by a strong
iron grating. which Knocked ell my puny at
tempts to remove it. Again heard footsteps
approaching my apartment; the door was
forced open slowly and stealthiIy, without
any light, some one entered, and, cautiously
passing MS hand along The wall, came grad1-
ally round the room towards the SPOT where
stood. L moved on rs well es | was able in
the opposite direction. and endeavored To
eude Lis search Every step that he adj
Vanced Increased ny terror; my legs bent
under me and refuse to perform their Office.
Already De Wac 30 near me that L could hear
h:u arcathe-his hand touc he'd me-he grasped
ny sh9ulder-I made a sudden leap. and.
falling upon the trap door, il sank with me,
an; vas prccipitated with my head upon a
hard, cold, damp pavement. A loud peal of
laughter instantly broko upon my ear; L got
upon my feet, and, looking round. perceiyed
by the light Of a lamp which was burning upon
a low bench, that was in a spacious vault.
the floor of which was nearly covered with
human limbs, and beside me lay the headless
trunk OF a man who appeared TO have been
but recently inundated as the blood still
nOwci freely from his maGgled remains
L had scarcely time 20 look on the appalling
spectacle, ere door in one corner of the vault
was opened, and the landlord and his two as
sociates, each armed with cutlass entered.
Without uttering a word, they Immediately
seized Inc, forced a gag into my mouth tied
legs and arms with ccrd, and threw me
across the bench.
My neck was then barred, one Of the rufisps
knelt upon my body, another held back nv
head, while the third raised his cutlass to in
Aict the fatal blow
Already had hisraised arm begun to descend.
the glare If his polished weapon flushed upon
my eyes; felt IL cleaving the air as il came
nearcr-when, suddenly, piercing shrek
echoed through the arched dur geon-Ihe muir
dereTs started from their purpose, Quilted
their hold Of my body, and L rollsd upon the
floor. lmmedl ttely the vault wEs filled with
soldiers, but they wore too late to secure the
aSsassins, who, on the first sound of danger
had made their escape by some secret outlet.
The OBJ ect Of their search, however, Law
before them in the msngled csrcas.Ihsre be-
fire mentioned, which was recognised as be-
ing the body of their cOmrade who il appeared
had deserted from his regiment, and been
tracked thither
The shrek which alarmed the murderers
and saved my life, proceeded from the land
lady, who in attempting TO prevent the en-
trance of the soldiers into the vault, had been
slightly wounded by bayonet
Having been released from my bonds, was.
along with the woman, conveyed to s.
where We underwent an examination before a
bench of magistrates.
As, however, there was no evidence sufTi-
gently strong to duplicate the woman in the
crimes of her husband and his associated sho
was after a few days' confinement alloval 20