Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1856-11-05

ana Steallnlly sedEcneu loI th0
grave, till we found it, in the pitchy }
wind and rain sweeping
past us with dismal howls and moans,
that to me, trembling with terror, seem
ed to be the unearthly wailings of the
spirits of the damned.
Here we are," whispered Benson to
me, as we at length stopped at mound
Of fresh earth, over which one Of the
party stumbled. .Come, feel round,
Morris, and strike in your spade, and Let
US see if we will make good hand at
exhuming a dead body as you will some
day at killing living one with qhysic.
81 did as directed, trembling in every
limb; but the first spade full | threw up,
1 started back" with yell of horror,
that, on any other but bowling, stormy
night would have betrayed US. 1t ap-
peared 10 me as if l had thrust my spade
into buried lake of fre-for the first
dirt was all aglow like living Goals; and
as 1 had fancied the moaning of the
storm, the wailings Of tormented spirits,
l now fancied l had uncovered small
portion of the Bottomless Pit itself.
"Fool !" hissed Benson, grasping my
arm with the gripe of vice, as l stood
leaning on my spade for support, my
very teeth chattering with terror "an-
other yell like that, and I'll make sub
ject of you Are you not ashamed of
yourself, to be scared out of your wits,
if you ever had any, by little phos'
phorescent earth Don't you know that
it is often found in graveyards ?"
His explanation treasured me,
though l was too weak, from my late
fright, to be of any assistance TO the par
ty, who all fell TO with will, secretly
laughing at me, and soon reached the
coffin. Splitting the lid with hatchet,
which had been brought for the purpose,
they quickly lifted out the corpse, and
then Benson and another of the party
taking hold of it, one at the head and
the other at the feet, they hurried 1t
away, bidding ME follow, and leaving
the others to fill up the grave, that it
might not be suspected that the body
had been exhumed.
"Having got the corpse safely over
the walls of the cemetery, Benson now
called upon me to perform M part Of
tie horrible business.
Here you quaking simpleton," he
said, ' want you TO take this on your
back, and make the best of your way to
your room, and remain alone with it all
night. If you dc this bravely, We will
claim you as one of US tomorrow and
the first man that dares to say word
against your courage after that, shall
find foe in me. But hark you if you
make any blunder on the way, and lose
our prize, it will be better for you to quit
this place before 1 set my eyes on you
again. Do you understand me?''
"Y-ye-ye-yes !" l stammered, with
chaltering teeth.
care you ready 90
"Y-ye-ye-yes," gasped.
"Well, come here, where are you %
"All this time it was so dark that /
could not see any thing but faint line OF
white, which l knew to be the shroud OF
the corpse; but 1 felt carefully round till
l got hold of Benson, who told me to
take off my cloak; and then rearing the
cold dead body up against my back, lie
began fixing its cold arms about my
neck--bidding NE take hold OF them,
and draw them well over, and keep them
concealed, and be sure and not let go OF
them. on any consideration whatever, as
1 valued my life.
"Ah the torturing horror expert
enced, as 1 mechanically followed his
directions Tongue could not describe
it'll
cat length, having adjusted the corpse
so that might bear it off with compare
tive ease, he threw my long black cloak
over it and over my arms, and fastened
it with cord about my neck, and then
inquired:
Now Morris. do you think you can
find the way to your room 90
81 o-do- don't know" l gasped,
feeling as if L should sink to the earth al
the first step.
We'll, you cannot lose your way il
you go straight ahead" he replied
Keep in the middle of the road and il
will take you to the College Green, and
then you are all right. Come, push cn,
before your burden grows too heavy
the distance is only good half mile !''
81 set forward, with trenbling nerves,
expecting to sink to the ground at every
step; but gradually my terror, instead o.
weakening, gave me strength; and was
soon on the run-splashing through mud
and wster-with the storm bowling abou
me to fury, and the cold corpse, as fan
cied, clinging to me like hideous vam
pire.
"How reached my room. did no
know-but probably by sort Of instinct
for only remember of my brain being
in a wild fever;sh whirl, with ghostly
phantoms all about me, as one some
| times sees them in dyspeptic dream.