The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1857-08-29
COROLINN A Persian Tale.
CHAPTER VI.
CONTINUED


CONTINUED
The utmost care and precaution had been taken to
prevent the least communication between Evsrington
and Corolinn, during the march he being placed in the
front, and she in the rear of the detachment but when
they reached the plain, as the faithful girl passed him to
be placed on the magnificent howdah which was carried
by the largest elephant, she placed her white hand to her
lips, and said, in tones intended to reach him and none
else,
my word is passed; if you die, Corolinn dies with
you.
Fear nothing, my dear girl replied the prisoner,
who, whatever he might have feared, saw the necessity
of keeping up the hopes of Corolinn; fear nothing,
Allah will protect and bless u.s.
After a hurried march over the plain, night overlook
them, and they encamped near the ruins Of Persepolis.
Closely pinioned and secured as Everington was, he was
none the less carefully guarded and his present situa-
ton, added to the prospect before him. did not suffer
hin, to .uSt- The shriIl cry of the hyena and lackall
was heard among the ruins, as they prowled about the
camp of the intruders on their domains; and from some
lone and lofty column, the owl uttered its boding cry,
when the twilight enabled it to venture forth in quest of
its prey. Bats fitted through the gloon, and, to the
feverish imagination Of Everington, they seemed like
the ghosts of those whose crimes had desolated and de-
populated that once glorious place The desolation with
which they were surrounded, agreed but too well with
the state of Everington's feelings. For himself, he
knew there was nothing to hope and if he was to be
torn from his loved one, but little to fear. But for her,
he trembled with horror, when he reflected that the
beautiful and high-souled creature must be sacrificed to
the brutal passions of a tyrant.
Morning came, and with it the march was resumed
and before noon, Eyerington found himself fettered, and
closed within the walls Of Schiras. No sooner had the
party, with the fugitiyes, entered the city, than they
were met by q messenger from the prince. who held a
short conference with the chief, at the close of which,
Everington was taken from the horse, blindfolded, and
then, with a file of men on each side, marched a consid-
cradle distance, when they suddenly halted for a few
moments.
IF I am to die said Everington, who suspected that
preparations for such an event were making, 8 let me
meet death like a man l shall not shrink when it
comes
you will know your destination replied the surly
voice Of his conductor; and as he spoke the harsh and
heavy grating of some massive door on its hinges, told
Everington that they were entering some building,
though what and where it was impossible to ascertain.
When the door closed behind them, the sudden transi.
ton from the hum and hustle of the city, to the total
and death-like silence around them, spoke plainly of the
thickness of the walls with which they were enclosed.
After descending a fight of steps, another door opened,
and from the hollow reverberations of the echoes, it ap.
peared they were traversing some subterranean passage.
Another flight OF steps was succeeded by another space
to be traversed, at the extremity of which the third and
last door opened.
EverlngtOn's hands were now unbound the irons
taken from his feet the door was partly Enclosed and
still blindfolded, he was thrust through it, and the door
instantly closed upon him. He tore the turban with
which he had been blinded from his head, but impene-
trable darkness met his eye and he heard the harsh
him him.
Il am buried alive said Everington aloud, and he
started at the hollow and unearthly sound Of his own
voice he remembered the accounts he had heard Of the
dungeons Of Schiras, where kingly vengeance immured
those victims it did not dare openly to immediate.
He called aloud, but was only answered by echoes
gloomy as the dungeons that gave them birth. The
chilGness and dampness Of the air proved that he was
far under ground; and the only thing that gave him
hope, was, that once he fancied he felt the wHinnowine
of a bats wing, as it fitted around him in the pitchy
darkness, and that, he thought, demonstrated the GER
tainty Of some communication with the upper air. He
moved a few feet and his hand struck against a wall.
Il will at least know the extent of my dungeon said
Everington, as with his hand upon the wall, which was
covered with mould and dampness, he slowly CROPPED his
way along.
The distance he traversed proved that it was of con-
siderable extent; but the examination showed also that
the door by which he had entered was the only place of
ingress or egress to the. dungeon. The floor was of
stone, but covered with a wet, Shiny matter, which con-
WINGED Everington that it was sometimes covered with
water; and he remembered that once a year, at least,
it was said, the dungeons were emptied of their inmates
by the overaowing of the Bendemir.
10 Everlngton it Was a time of almost inconceivable
agony and despair. He was brave, and could have died
the death Of a soldier without a murmur; but to be shut
out from the cheerful light of day-to be buried alive
to die a living death, filed his mind with horror. And
Corolinn, his faithful and beautiful Corolinn, where was
she
God of mercy protect her = he exclaimed, as, filed
with conflicting emotions, he hastily strobe across the
dungeon-'O, protect and bless her
Ills foot struck against something upon the foor-he
stumbled and fell-he turned to examine tit was a
half-wasted skeleton. He moved his hand slowly over
it-therc was a ~frightful Kissing, and a large serpent
crept from beneath the unrotted garments and twined
its long scaly folds around his arm. With a scream he
tore it from him, and springing to his feet, attempted to
fly from the revolving reptile, but struck against the wall
of the prison with such violence that he fell, insensible,
to the pavement. How long he remained in that situa-
ton he knew not, but he was confident that a consider
able time must have elapsed. With the sense Of exist
ence, a recollection of the horrors of his fate came over
him, mingled with a death-like depression of his feel
ings, and = sensation Of weakness that convinced him
his hours of life would be few, unless he was removed
from that place. Placing his hand on the wet floor to
raise himself, it rested on something which struggled
violently to escape and the carbuncled back and swol-
len form showed it to be an o%vergrown toad, which the
heated imagination OF Everington pictured as having
attained that ~frightful size by living on the victims which
there fell a sacrifice to tyranny.
mot YET said he, as he started to his feet, 'am |
willing to become a prey to such loathsome animals !"
How the time passed away he had no means of know.
ing, but a painful sensation of hunger and thirst-a
SickenlHS laIuGueSS WHICH aCGenQeU the laSC movement
a confusion of ideas, and debility of body, demonstrated
that he had breathed a pestilential air, under the in
duence Of which the powers of life could not survive
The inclination to sleep was excessive, but he dared not
indulge it., for his sleeping moments were more dreadful
than his waking ones, and that dread was not wholly
owing to the harassing effect of his Imagination. Once
when he attempted to sleep, he was suddenly aroused by
finding a snake, cold and chilling, endeavoring to force
its way beneath the clothing of his body, and coiling its
folds around his neck. The instant he was motionless,
reptiles Of various kinds began to gather around him,
and he felt as if they had already marked him for their
prey. How gladly would he have welcomed death !!
At last, when hope had fed, when he thought that
his feelings had been rendered callous by the intensity
of suffering, a slight sound in the subterranean regions
Of his dungeon aroused him from his lethargy. Listen
ing with ears which had been rendered acute by misery,
he heard voices, and then footsteps in the passage that
led to his dungeon. Again he heard the numerous bolts
Withdrawn, and at last-joyful sight "a CLEAN of light
darted through the opening door, and greeted eyes which
had so long been deprived Of its exhiiarating influence.
As tho door Onana1 a soldier entered whose cnuntnpauce