Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-12-31

wonder tEHt Ec WIS iibNc'''' y" '''N
not much opportunity for reflection, for, ~ mo
time he hal fairly made out the party, they wer"
upon him.
Halo" the leader cried, he saw our hero,
..hcre we have another" And, he came W,
I he added: And guess we've found a i've "ney
too.-.one that knows something say WI" aTo
ye!'
I This Inst sentence was addressed 10 Maurice.
who quietly answered:
MY name j. Lester. And now, I" Oe iaIr' "hat
is your nance!
"wel!-I guess you'ys heard it before. Men
call no Ryan Wolisang.'
"WoLrGA>G" ,peated Lester, with start.
| "Ics That is my name.
\ Then WoLfGASG was not myth after all. IhrL
IN ysteriUus wrecker whose maine was a source o.
terror t. honest sailors, was Il being u flesh AMI
| blood, like other men. Maurice gazed upon hIn.
with wonder and, AZ he gaz.i he telt that lie looh
ed upon n fe nd incarnate lie had often heard -
| the pirate -wr.cker, and 80 dark and mystic had
been the tales which the North-Sea sailors hna
told that he had been inclined to believe that tho
whole theme was u fabrication. Now, ho"evei,
| he had 10 more doubt, for the man before hiln
! looked as dark and bloody as were any .! ITO
| pictures he had heard drawn Of him upon the ioi
castle.
But our hero was not allowed much time fer re-
/ Election. Molgang piled him with questions, 10
all OF which Lester gave Straightforward answers,
! well KNOWING that evasion would serve no pracu-
cal purpose. and hoping by his irankn,sst TO prop.
/ tiate the mprcess hend in whose uEresITaip,t
power he knew himself to be.
! When the wreckor chief had elected all the II
/ formation ne could, and learned with what ricl
cargo tho vessel Was eshed, and that che bad
SO 900 IN specie OIL board, he smiled griinly, ana
rcmark,d to "t his con.edcrates that she WON.
perhaps be richer prllc even tLal Tue Nhlto
! Fawn had been u few y"ars before. The mention
Of the name Of the i'll -iated ship in which Carro
! Thornton ana her father had been lost, gave Aau-
rice Lester such II shock that he nearly Tell To no
earth. lie grew deadly pale, and has frame qa''-
cred couru!sively.
What's The matter" said Wolfgsng "l"u
don't seom To have much strength leit-Bring hlm
along. boys, pher. we can doctor h!iG.
! The sinister glance which accompanied tins !ast
remark aud the peculiar emphasis LAID uPoh mo
word ''Goctor," struck chill to our aeros heart.
| But he could not give his own safety much Thought
while be was partly forced and partly carried along
after Wolisans, who strobe rapidly Oh for nearly
| half an hour He could think Gully OF the Hhits
| fuun that had been wrecked on that coast, aud OF
| his beloved Carrie who had, porhaps, III company
with those same men, trod tho same path he was
now treading. What had been her tate! Had
she boeu murdered by these Srotches, or reserved
for more deplorabe DOOM These thoughts
filled nm with unutterabe agony.
Wolfgans had drawn near the waters edge:
| and soon coming to the mouth Of n cave he enter
ed it, followed by the three rufians who had charge
of our hero. The bottom OF tho cave sioped up
ward from IT. entrance tor some distance ana hen
became almost level. The captive tor such M-u'
rico Lester now felt himself to boz frequently mt
Ibis feet asains, what he thought, with emu %
| horror, human bones str.wn around tho
cavern, but he could not clearly make them
cut in the aim light. lie also noticed that tue
bottom OF the cave was very wet, N though u ha1
recently been covered with water The wrechei
chieiiain stopped. at lat, near what seemed Ito
eud vi the cave and making slgh 10 Lls follow
vrs, they clappcd manacles Oh the wrists ana an
kles Of Maurice before he had time 10 note their
! intention.
"Now, Captain Lester" said Wotgang, you
must remain IN this place for short season. lo.
are perfectly suJe heys.--Silence Say not IA wore.
Ii YOU attempt to leave this spot, you will be slam
the moment you set foot outside the cave
Thus speaking, the chieftain and his followers
silently but rapidly withdrew, leaving Maurice
nearly Supplied with asOnishment. As they pass
cd from the muuth OF the cave, their feet were wtt
by the rising waves. The fide pus fat co"i"J ~"
After snort time, the captive tucked about hini
! with eyes somewhat accustomed Il, tue Gini lght.
AMI became satisfied that what ho hsd supposed
! to DO human bones really such. There Wero
many OF them. And moving among them wero
| huge rats, seeking tor prey. The top oi the cav
i
! head and in one place he discovered small aper-
ture, through which faint light struggled, and
on going underneath it, he thought he smelt tho
! odor of vegetation and flowers.
On turning from the contemplation Of this ateT-
ture. towards the mouth Of the cave. Captain Les
ter observed, with alarm, that he water was creep
1 ing up the sloping bottom. What II it should hi
! the cavern? All! now ho could account for tho
presence there "f human bones. They were IA,
! sad memorials Of other hapless prisoners who had
| been left in the cave TO perrin by drowninJ'
| Slowly but surely the waters crept along. Tho
| ycrmin hsd before them TO the elevated spot on
which Maurice s,ood. Slowly following, the n
Coming water al length reached his feet
I At the era OF the cave, within few feet oi tho
wall. and underneath the aperture before spoken
of, was IA large piece of rock, some -four feet nigh,
| that might have fallen from above. To thi. Maui
rico hnstened rs quickly rs his munacles would
| permit. After some exertion he succeeded IN
climbing the top Of IT, and stood erect, his head
within lew inches Of the root Of the cavern.
| But he was not allowed to occupy this retreat
alone. A. The water began to circle round lts
base, the rats also sought refuge on it in great
numbers and in vain did Maurice try to disodge
them with his lnanaced feet
| Soon (as il seemed To the captve) the water
came ripping over the top Of the rock. lie ieit
| its moisture upon his feet. And still il rose
slowly but relentsy it rose higher-hishsr; aud
il rose, the rats climbed up his limbs tor safety
! II was in vain that he brushed them oil with iis
| fcttcred hands. They instantly returned. They
ciambered up his back-to bis shouldors-oyer the
back Of hs neck--to the crown Of his head; theF
! clammy bodies striking chill 10 his very heart.
And still higher the water rose, and more thick
| ly the foul ycrmin clustered upon the devoted cap
| tivc's shoulders and head, their only places Of
safety Driven frantic last by the horrors Of his
situation. ho about to plunge into the surging
| tide and seek watery grave, when his attention
was arrested by the tread OF rapid footsteps near
I the aperture above his head, and the sound of q
/ harsh masculine voice almost instantly followed
| by noise n of u struggle, and piercing shrek
which thrilled Maurice Lester TO the very soul.
| He could not be mistaken il was CARRIES toic..
| Again lie heard il, but in tones Of entreaty-
/ oh, IL her voice. She rot dead! She lived
| and him! Gathering all his strength 10
/ shouted, Carrie. CuFris! CARRIE"
| dead silence followed, broken only by the fear
4 ful murmurs Of the still rising waters, and the
splash Of the rats as they fell from the wretchsd
cuptiyes head and shoulders, only to return again.
in their fierce struggles for perch Of safety from
! the advancing tide, which had now nearly reached
our hero's shoulders.
The above is all Of this story that will be pub
lshed in columns We give this as sample.
The continuation Of il from where II leaves off hers
can be found only in the New York Ledger the
CREST family paper, TO which the most popular
writers III the country contribute and which IL for
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try whore papers sold. Remember and ask
for the New York Ledger Of January Ia, and in il