Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1858-05-21

| and deli5erating on my case whether to
Kill or release me.
1t was a state Of considerable anxiety
and suspense 10 me, but | was relieved
/ only to make uncertainty certain ; for
when the council broke up, the youngest
of my Burman boys, a lad about sixteen,
approached me, overwhelmed in tears,
aud tod me that the robbers had decided
to behead me at sun1own, the time Of
|. day when all Burmau executions took
place. The knowledge Of my sentence
was almost more than | could bear. Fyr
few minutes | was completely overpow-
cred, cold perspirati0n came over me,
my breathing Was short and interrupted,
my mouth became parched, and my
tongue seemed to cleayc to the roof Of
my mouth. 1t was not so much the fear
Of death, but the character Of my death.
looked upon tie drc.ifnl place in which
was called to die, aud the nature Of the
circumstances BY which l was surrounded,
alone, among band Of fierce robbers,
outlaws, and mur1ereIs their cold blood
ed determination to take my life without
a single cause FOX convcting me; no
friend 20 communicate with, and to tell
the state of my mind, none, perhaps, to
carry the tidings Of my death to Ava, TO
the mission, aud TO my flmiy-for it was
very doubtful then whether any Of the
Burmans who were with me would ever
cscape-the sensations were dreadful, and
| can scarcely bear even low to think up.
on them. However, | recovered in few
minutes from this state Of mental despoH-
dency, and thought-what is this it is
nervousness, it will never DO, 1 must raj
ly. If this is death, must meet it with
Christian frmuess | am still in the
hands Of my heavenly Father, who has
oftentimes preserved me, and why need l
fear what man can do unto ne they can
kill the body, but can not destroy the
soul. l know mus; die, and if this is
the time and the manner which G ID has
appointed for my departure, l DO resign
myself into his Almighty hands, and |
trust, come what may, it Will all be for
his glory. Thus l struggled with my
feelings, and reasoned with myself, until
l gained the mastery, and until entire
comp0sure aud reconciliation to my fate
settled over my senses. | had nothing
now to do but wait the time fixed upon.
which was within two hours, for my exc
cution. But man appoints, and God dis
appoints. watched the feeting moments
as they sped By, and l could not keep
my eyes off my ezccu;ioners, who appear
ed to be engaged in an angry war of words;
they became louder and louder, and |
found, by catching word now and then
OF their conversation, that they were divi-
ded in opinion as to my sentence Of death. .
\ faint hope stole over me that the hand
Of God was about to be extended for my
preservation. and | uttered prayer for
relief. The robbers drew their swords,
looked fierce, and seemed ready to plunge
them into each other, SO yiolen, was their
anger
Ia little while, from some strange cir.
cumstance, they resolved among them .
selves, after having reversed the decision
of my death at sundown, to 20 to a vi. .
lagc few miles above and pluzder its in
habitants. Before nigLifall, to my great
relief there was not single man OF the
bandit on the ground, and their prisoners
were left alone unsecured. No sooner
had they departed than l determined, fee.
BILE and exhausted as | was, to make my
escape, and told my men that as soon as
we could get something to eat. for there
was plenty Of rice left in the boats, we
would take cur boat, get it into the cur
rent Of the river, and in the darkness of
the night make Our escape beyond the
fear Of detection"