The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1859-09-09

which still glared, like the eyes of maniac
with no expression. They froze me with their
cold and icy stare. They had no meaning, ior
the soul had gone. And this made IT still
more horrible than It could have been in life
for the appalling contortlon Of their faces, ex-
pressing fear, horror, despair, and whatever
else The human soul may feel, contrasting
with the cold and CLASSY eyes, made their
vacancy yet more fearful. He upon the .able
seemed more fendish than The others his long
black hair was disheveled, and foated horribly
| down-and his beard and moustache, all
loosened by the water, gave him The grimness
OF demon.-Oh, what woe and torture, what
unutterable agonies appeared in the despairng
glance of those faces-faces twisted into
spasmodic contortions, while the souls that
lighted them were writhing and struggling 70 T
life.
/ needed not the dangerous SEA which, even
when we touched the steamer, had slightly rolled
down ~ these awful depths The swell would
not be very strong, unless it should increase
with ten-iold fury above. But it had been in
creasDg, though had not noticed it, and The
motion ofthe water began 10 be felt IN these
abysses. Suddenly The steamer was shaken
and rocked by the swell.
At this the hdeous forms were shaken and
fell. The heaps Of people rolled asuuder
That demon on the table seemed to make
spring directly towards me. I fed, shrieking
all were after me, thought. Irushed out,
with no purpose but 10 escape. sought TO
throw off my weights and rise.
My weights could not be loosened-I pulled
at them with frantic exertion, bnt could not
loosen them. The iron fasteaings had grown
stiff. One Of them / wrested off in my convul-
s've efforts, but the other still kept me down.
The tube, also was lying down'slill in nv pas
sage-way through the machine rooms. did not
know this until had exhausted my strength,
and almost my hope in vain;elforts to loosen the
weight, and still the horror of that scene in the
cabin rested upon me.
Where was Rimmere The thought flashed
across me. He was not there. He had return-
ed. Two weights lay near, which seemed
thrown off in terrible haste. Yes. Rimmer had
gone. ! looked up; there they lay, the boat
tossing and rolling among the waves.
rushed down into the machine room, TO go
back, SO as to loosen my tube. had gone
through passages carelessly, and this lay there.
for it was unroled from above as l went on. l
went back in haste to extricate myself; could
STAY here no longer, for if all The gold OF Col
cooda was in the vessel, would not stay in
company with the dreadful dead
Back--isar lent wings TO my feet. l hurried
down stairs INTO the lower hold once more, and
Fetracrd my steps through the passages below.
l walked back to the place into which had
first descended. 1t was dark; ; a new feeling of
horror shot through me. looked up. The ap-
erture lvas closed
Heavens was it closed BY mortal hand
Had Rimmer, IN his panic fight, bIindly thrown
down The trap-door, which now remembered
to have seen open when / descended, or had
some fearful being from the cabin---tha, demon
who sprung toward mea
! started back in terror.
But ! could not wait here f; l must go I must
escape from this den ofhorrors. / sprang up
the ladder, and tried 10 raise the door. It re-
sisted my efforts put my helmeted head a
gainst it, and tried 10 raise it the rung of the
ladder broke beneath me, but the door was not
raised my tube came down through it aud KEEP, |
it slIongly expanded b. Close wound wire.
seized bar Of ron and tried ,c pry it up:
1 raised il slightly, bu, there was no way to get
il up further. I looked around, and found some
blocks with these raised the heavy door, 1T
lie by little, placing a block il to keep what
had gained. But The work was slow, and abo-
rious, and had worked long while before l
had raised il four inches.
The sea rolled more and more. The sub
merged vessel felt its power, and rocked
Suddenly it wheeled over, aud lay upon its
side.
ran around to get on the deck above, TO try
and FIT up the door. But when came to the
other outlet, knew it was impossible; for the
tube would not permit me TO 90 so far, and then
I would rather have died thousand deaths than
have ventured again so near he cabin.
returned toihe fallen door | sat down in
despair and waited for death. / saw no hope
OF escape. This, then, was TO be my end.
But the steamer gave sudden lurch, again
acted upon By The power Of the waves. She
!, "A bs,n balanced ,ttton a rnrk in snch way F,
that Slight action of the water was SUFFICIENT to ;
tip her over. q
She cracked, on the ground, and labored aud
then turned upon her side.
l rose clung TO The ladder lpressed the ,