The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-06-26

half IN the water, and tried 10 collect my
/ wandering faculties. was hardly enseonosd
/ In this position, when dull CLEAN shimmsred
family on the surface Of the filthy water !
knew Il must come from the trAp-door over
head, and waited in horror Tor what Il might
portend-hklfeKpse,ing TO see the ruthan
masq queradsr descend, knife 10 hand, TO mAke
sure Of his work held my breath, for
knew that the villains were listening, and
that the slightest sound from me would seal
my doom. Then heard rambling noise
al I'VE, and the next moment down came a
shower Of the monster pavlng-stones which
would have crushed the life out Of an OK had
they fallen upon him, Then the trap closed
once more, and again all was darkness,
How long erouehed there, deyoured with
terror and apprehension, cannot ssy. To
me II appeared an age il may not have been
dozen minutes. had come 10 the eonelu
sion that there should die, and rot piece
meal and never be discovered and there
should have died, Il Is my opinion, II new
cause Of apprehension had not reused me-
While was IN the lowest state Of desponden-
ey red gleam shot along the dark water.
from the distance Of some thirty feet up the
stream, | looked, and there through a hole
in the oyerhanging arch, caused by knocking
out a few bricks, appeared the face Of the
Jew, still bleeding from the compliment ] had
administered, and Wild with mingled rage,
pain, and anxiety. The wretch held horse
pistol in one hand, and in the other Lam
tern furnished With bulls eye, which throw
is searching rays TO whatever point he turn
ed H. was sure now that my hour had
come but 10 when the fash was turned ia
my direction, It's full force fell on the inter
vening bultresS, and by lying ltill as ! was
| could remain efeetuNlly concealed.
Through small ereVice watched the face
Of the Jew as he turned his piercing eyes in
every direction, and thought RI nd in il at
length his conviction that had penshed--a
conclusion to which he may have been help
ed by the sight Of my hat cast up in the shal.
lows on one side. la this case. | asked my
self, what would he do7 Would he not de.
seend with his eomrade to find and plumber
my body | had no doubt Of it--aud my
only chance lay in making my escape before
they executed their purpose. The light
which had shown me the Jews face had
shown me also something Of the bearings OF
my prison. / saw that could not proceed
down the stream without getting into deeper
water but that upward the depth waA moth
lng-thu nus riPpiIuB V,vr spUnvs s,.A sa-i
that lay in its course. Therefore, as soon as
the Jew had disappeared, rose cautiously
from my position, and CROPPED my gay through
the rayless gloom against the course Of the
current still retained my weapon, and il
stood me in good stead as held il above my
head, by warning me when to Stoop aud save
my bare scalp from the impending briekwork
When once fairly out OF hearing and sight
!, range Of my pc taecuiors. "A fnci Of which 1
was aware from the angular course follow
ed, my spirits began TO revive within me, and
something like hope once more dawned upon
my mind
TO my great relie!, found as proceeded
that the horrible gloom grew less dense, part
ly, perhaps, because my sight was becoming
hlbituated to ii, but partly also because a
few rays streamed in here and thelo through
some Of the side gullies Of the drain, the ends
of which were separated but by grating
, from the street, but which were all too mar
row 10 admit the passage OF my body. At
first, all cared for was to hasten on and on,
away, and still farther away from the blood.
thirsty Hssassins. Once or twice the main
channel, or what appeared to be such, had
brnnehed off into other channels as large or
nearly so, This gave me some comfort as in
the case Of pursuit my pursuers might select
: the wrong track, and thus miss me. had
hurried onward for some hours, and len the
murderous den some miles behind before my
limbs began TO fail me, and ! found myself
compelled to stop to recruit my strength by
rest. ! sat down by side drain whence n
few rays Of light shone in, and resting my
. head upon my knees, allowed the current to
flow under my legs. - | could hear above my
c head the noise Of the traffic that rolled along
the streets the rattle OF wheels, and the pat,
Y pat of innumerable feet--and the tears now
c for the first time started in my eyes, as i
r wondered whether should ever agaii be re-
stored to the busy world above. This mel
, ancholy temper of mind was, however, put to
e flight by the teeth OF huge rat, which had
j fastened on my ankle with the grip of a vice,
| | had to crush the fellow with my weapon
y before he would let go, and the next minute
r had to do battle with hundreds more, which
e swurmed upon me from all quarters, dashng
a at my face and hands, and falling on my
t neck from the roof, which was too low to per-
! nit me to stand upright must haye
e smashed at least ffty of them before the
troop Withdrew FROM, me to Tvgrir themselves
y ON their dead companions, and allowed me
o 10 pursue my way.
n Il, This assault deferred me from proceeding