Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1860-01-05

the stalwart leader and his three rufianly COM
panions and, considering all the circumstances,
| it is no wonder that he was startled. However,
| he had not much opportunity for reflection, for,
by the time he had fairly made out the party,
| they were upon him.
''Hallo p the leader cried, as he saw our hero,
IS here we have another. And, as he came up,
he added: "And guess we've found a live one,
| too one that knows nothing. Say, who are
ye"
| This last sentence was addressed to Maurice,
| who quickly answered:
''My name is Lester. And now. to he fair,
what is your nameF'
Welt guess you've heard it before. Men
call nae Ryan Wolfgang.
| WoLFGANG y repeated Lester, with a start.
Yes. That is my name"
| Then WoLFGANG was not myth after all That
mysterious wrecker whose name was a source of
terror to honest Sailors was being of flesh and
blood, like other men. Maurice gazed upon him
with wonder and as he gazed, he felt that he
looked upon fend incarnate. He had often
heard OF the piratewrecker, and SO dark and
mystic had been the tales which the North Sea
sailors had told, that he been inclined to believe
the whole theme fabrication. Now, how
ever, he had no more doubt, for the man before
him looked as dark and bloody as were any eff
the pictures he had heurd drawn of him upon
the forecastle.
But our hero was not allowed much time for
reflection. Wolfgang piled him with questions,
to all of which Lester gave straightforward an
swers well knowing that evasion would serve
no practical purpose, and hoping by his frank
ness to propitiate the merciless fend in whose
unrestraned power he knew himself to be
When the wrecker chief had elected all the
information he could and learned with what a
rich cargo the vessel was freighted, and that she
had $40, 600 in specie on board, he smiled grim
ly and remarked to one of his confederates that
| she would oprhapS ba n rinha
the White Farm mad been few years before. The
mention of the name OF the il-fated ship in
which Carrie Thornton and her father had been
lost, gave Maurice Lester such a shock that he
nearly fell to the earth. Ne grew deadly pale
and his frame quivered convulsively.
What's the matter p said Wolfgang. "You
don't seem to have much strength left Bring
him along, boys, where doctor him -
| The sinister glance which accompanied this
last remark, and the peculiar emphasis laid upon
the word - DOCTOR, - struck chill to our hero S
heart But he could not give his own safety
much thought, while he was partly forced and
partly carried along after Woltgang, who strobe
rapidly on for nearly an hour. He could think
only of the While faun that had been wrecked cn
the coast, and of lis beloved Carrie, who had,
perhaps, in company with those same men, trod
the same path he was now treadng WHAT had
been her fate Had she been murdered by these
wretches, OR reserved for some more deplorablc
doom? These thoughts filed him with unutter-
able agony.
Wolfgang had now drawn near the waters edge;
and soon coming to the mouth of a cave he en-
tered it, followed by three ruffians who had charge
of our hero. The bottom of the cave sloped up
ward from its entrance for some distance and then
became almost level. The captive for such Maui
rice Lester now felt himself to beg frequently hit
his feet against what he thought with a chill of
horror, were human bones strewn around the cav
ern, but he could not clearly make them out in
the dim light. He also noticed that the bottom
of the cave was very wet, as though it had re-
Gently been covered with water. The wrccker
chieftain stopped, at last, near what seemed the
end of the cave, and making sign to his follow
ers, they clapped manacles on the wrists and an
kles of Maurice before he had time to note their
intention.
"Now, Captain LESTER said Wolfgans "You
are perfectly safe here.-Siience Say not word
If you attempt to leave this spot, you will be
slain the moment you set foot outside the cave
Thus speaking, the chieftain and his followers
silently but rapidly withdrew, leaving Maurice
nearly stupefed with establishment. AS they pass
ed from the mouth of the cave, their feet were
IN.
After short time, the captive looked about
| him with eyes somewhat accustomed to tie dim
light, and became satisfied that what he had sup
posed to be human bones were really such There
were many of them. And moving among them
|
cavern, in some places, was but few feet above
his head and in one place he discovered small
aperture through which faint light struggled,
and on going underneath it, he thought he umelt
the odor of vegetation and flowers.
On turning flom the contemplation of this ap-
erturc, towards the mouth of the cave, Captain
Lester observed with alarm, that the water was
creeping up the sloping bottom. What lift should
fill the cavern? All now lie could account for
the presence tierc of those human bones They
were the sad memorials of other hapcss prisoners
who had been left in that cave to perish by d,own-
ing!
Slowly but surely the waters crept along. The
vernln fled before them to the elevated SPOT on
which Maurice Stood Slowly following the in
coming water at length reached his feet!
At the end OF the cave, within a few feet of the
wall, and underneath the aperture before spoken
Of was large piece OF rock. some four feet high,
that might have fallen from above 10 this
Maurice FASTENED as quickly as his manacles
would permit After some eXertion he succeeded
in climbing to the top of it, and stood erect his
head within few inches of the roof of the cavern
But he was not allowed to occupy this retreat
alone, AS the water began to circle round its
base the rats also sought refuge on it in great
numbers, and in vain did Maurice try to dslodge
them with his manaced feet.
Soon (as it seemed to the captive) the waters
came ripping over the top of the rock He felt
its moisture upon his feet. And still it rose
SLOWLY OUT releutleSSly IL rose nSher-hlgher; and
it rose, the rats cmed up his limbs for safety.
1t was in vain that he brushed them off with his
fettered hands. They instantly returned. They
c!ambered up his back-to his shoulders over
the back of his neck-to the crown of his head :
their clammy bodies striking chill to his very
heart.
And still higher the waters rose, and more
thickly the foul vermin clustered upon the devc.
ted captives shoulders and head, as their only
places of uafety. Driven frantic at last by the
horrors of his situation, he was about to plunge
into the surging tide and seek watery grave
when his attention was arrested by the tread Of
rapid footsteps near the aperture above his head
and the sound of harsh masculine voice, almost
instantly followed by noise as of struggle, and
a piercing shrek which thrilled Maurice Lester
to the very soul. lie could not be mistaken; it
was CARRIES voice. Again he heard it, but now
in tones of entreaty. Oh, it ,cas her voice. She
was not dead! She lived and was near him
Gathering all his strength he shouted. " Carrie
Carrie! CARRIE
A dead silence followed, broken only by the
fearful murmurs of the still rising waters and the
splash of the rats as they fell from the wretched
captive's head and shoulders, only to return again
in their fierce struggles for perch of safety from
the advancing tide, which had now nearly reach
ed our hero's shoulders.
The above is all of this story that will be pub
lished in our columns. We give this as sam
pie. The continuation of it from where it leaves