Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1857-01-30
OLD SERIES. VOL. 81, NO. 10.

tion' OF just such mala lies as the one with
which their helpless victim was then aalie,.
ed.
Z" Is 1t expected that should 90 alons9"
! inquired, in a tone that trsmblcd in spi,o
fine, while my knees almost knueLlsd To.
se'hor, aud | felt as II my very lip, were
white.
q" Wen, no." rcpl~l Benson. nv mos.
dreaded tormenter cit would b. hardly
fair to send you alone for ono individual
could hardly succeed in getting the body
from the grave quick enough; aud you,
mere youth Withou, experience, would 10
sure to fall together 80. We will go with
you, some tl,rcc or four Of Us, and help you
n dig up the corr.q but then you must
take I, on your.back, bring itup to your
room here, aud spend the nigh, alqnc with
IT,"
IL was some rrlief - mo to End was to
have company during the first par, of nv
awful undertaking; bu, slill lrlt far FROM
agreeable. | assure you and CHANGING TO
look into q mirror, as time drew near for
setting ont, fairly started at bcholdins tho
CHASTITY obrct reflected herein"
"Comc boys" said Benson, who was al,
ways, by general eonrn., the leader Of
whatever frolic, eIpcdilon, or Undertaking
hc.wa' to have. a hand in " Come. boys,
It is time 10 be on the move. 4 glorious
night fOrus'" hO Adlc,, throwing Up tho
window, and letting in ferco gus, Of wind
and rain "the d-l himself would hardly
venture out in such storm"
" ne lii dark lantern, then threw on hIs
long heavy cloak, took up q spade, and led
thc way down starr. and the rc,t Of vs.,
three besides my timiI ,clr, threw on our
cloak' also, took each a spade aud followed
him"
." We took a round about course, to avoid
being seen by any ci,i,ru tha, mi sht chance
To be stirring, and il soEething less than
halfa hour We reached the cemotry. scaled
the wall without diEcllty, and stcal,hy
searched f,r ihc grave, I'LL ws found H., in
tc pitchy darkacs.-,he wind aud rain
sweeping p,'t a., with dismal howl, aud
means, that u me-, trembling with terror.
seemed to b. the un'arihly Nailing, Of tho
spirits Of the damned.
" Here We ar" Whispered Benson 10 mo,
a' At length W. stopped NJ Ia mound, Of fresh
earth, over which one Of the party had STUN.
blcd. "Come, EEL round, Morris, aud
strike In your spade, and lo, US sce Il YOU
will make a good hand at cIhumins dead
body a. you will some day at kiillnsa living
one with rhy,ic."
~ did a, directed, trembling ia every
limb bat tho .nr.t spade fuil threw up, I
started hack, with yell of horror, thar, on
any other bat bowling stormy night,
would have betrayed US IL appeared 10
mo ns II I had thrust my spade into buried
lake of frc-for the FIR, dir, was m acow
With ligin. Goals and rs | had anciel tho
moaning oC the storm, the wailng Of tor
mentcd spirits, ! now fincici had uncoy.
erel portion of the bot,omless pic it.elf
"Fo,l" his.el Benson, grl'pins nv
arm with thc griPe Of a vice, as | stood
leaning upon my spade Tor support, my
very teeth chattcrrd with terror, another
yell like that and I'll make a uhjcct Of you
Are YOU not ashamed Of yourself, to bo
scared out Of your wits, II you ever bad any.
by li,tlc pho.phercseent clr,h' Don't
you know that it is oI,cn found in grave
yaris?"
lis explanation re-as'urOl M. though
| was too weak, from my lato fright, To bn
Of any assistance to the party, who al fll
t, work with will, secretly laughing az
me, AMI soon reached the cothn. splitting
the lil with hatchet, which had been
brought or the purposs, they quickly lifted
out the corpse and then Benson and another
Of the party taking hold Of It, one at tho
head and the other At the feet, they hnrrrcl
away. bidding me follow, and leaving tho
others to fll up the grave, that itmisht no,
bi suspected that the body had b,cn eE.
huncd.
Having got the corrU safely over tho
wall, or ilcccmctcry, Benson now c4lledup-
on the u perform my par; Of the horrible
business.
Here, you Quakins ,imPlcton," he sad,
% | want You to take ths on your back AMI
make the best Of your Way u the room, aud
remain alone with it all night. n You Do
this brNcly, we claim ynu a' one Of US 70.
morrow aud the first man that darcs to
say word asliu,, your courage after that
,hall max, foe in lne. But hark you IL
YOU make any blunder on the way, and
loose our prire, it will be better for You TO
ouit this place before s,t my eyes on You
again. DO YOU understand me?'
"Y.yc-yc.yc-," stammcrcl, with chat
teT,Es teeth.
ar, You rsady7"
"l.ye.ye-yes," gaspcd.
well, come here, where are you7"
IAN this time 1t wa, 10 dark that could
no, sec anything but FAINT line Of white,
which knew TO be the shroud Of the corpse;
but fcl, carefully round ill | got hold Of
Benson, who told me u take Of my cloak:
and then rearing the cold dead body up
against my back. be began fixing lts cold
arms about my neck, bidding me TO ako
hold Of them, and draw them well over, and