Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1860-03-30
| told him no.
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replied that it was, and he continued,
They make il cold-the grave worms
do. They make it cold and Shiny as they
crawl over it, Did you ever feel the
grave-worms on your flesh :? F."
I shuddered with disgust as l told him
No"
You didn't eh? Lucky dog, lucky
dog, But you're not dead yet; wait
awhile, and you'll feel them, just as do,
pretty soon"
And he whirled the carving-knife
round and round his head and then brought
it down with a sudden swoop till he graz
ed my throat.
With groan of agony, not for the
slight scratch but the horror of mind un-
der which l was, I reeoiled from the gilt
terng blade. shuddering as if | would
have sunk down through the bed-down,
down through the foor. How | wished
in my soul that | could have done So
down anywhere out OF that horrible pres
cncc, With loud laugh the maniac OBJ
served my terror, and then he said,
Frightened, ch frightened | won't
Kill YOU for half an hour yet. I'm going
to experiment upon you. | think I'll
/ bleed you to death, just to try how long
it will take you to die, eh what do you
think of it2"
What did I think Of it? Ny Cod! l
thought nothing, only that would sooi
be dead, or as mad as my companion, II
some deivcraucc was not soon opened
up. never prayed much-God for
i've me but Just then, | breathed some
thing. scarcely knew what, for aid, for
deliverance. know that dared not at
tempt to escape. My first movement
would have been the signal for my death
blow; and if | called aloud, | might not
awaken any one in the house, but merely
| nfurate the madman to such an extent
that h. might Immediately butcher me
What under heaven to do I knew not -
and if the maniac, in his desire to tex
pertinent" should open vein, | must in
cvitablv bleed to death. Meantime he
was waiting for an answer to his question,
which he repeated, rather angrily,-
What did think Of his proposal to
bleed me to death -
i | was about answering something des
perate, aud giving myself up for lost,
when 4 bright idea flashed across my
troubled brain. Oh, how devouty |
thanked heaven that l had read the "Ara-
bian Nights" in my boyhood There was
my idea, which, as yet, only heaven knew
whether it would be successful or not; |
would tell him stories, and beguile his
+ fIncy till morning, and then. surely, |
would have some means OF escape. an
swered his question by another.
"Suppose tell you story about bleed
ing to death-or rather about man who
supposed he was being bled to death, and
died from the fright ?'
Died from frshn eh? Let Us hear it. ="
Very gladly began, making it long,
ana adding as much as Ipossibly could to
the original, which was something | rec
elected long ago to have heard about
some one who wished to experiment, y
and had a man binitolded, his arm band
aged, and gently prickcd, but not sniff
ciently to brin. blood, and then heard the
regular drop, drop, of blood, or what
he supposed to be his own blool, though
IN reality only water, till he died from the
mere supposition that he was beng bled
to death. forget tac story now, but IT i
familiar to every one, When concluded,
| suggested to the maniac that he should
try this model experimenting, AMI see how
long would take to be frightened to death.
Yes, yes" hcanswered, with sly,
cunning laugh; very good, very good, "
and secin, through the device, with the
cunning OF madness h, laughed again a
,aid-"Yery good, sir, very good. AMI
son Won d take till morning to die, and
meanwhile want 4 companion in the
.hurch yard, yonl,r; down among the
sraye-worms. Come, bare your arm, and
: let me 10 Is -ail. I'll bleed You. |
lntenled to have taken your head of first,
but I've c,gansal my mini, because |
wouldn't Ike 10 have hcadles5 compan-
ton. Brc your arm"
God? what was | to 10 : felt my
brain ,eythc and whirl, as though |, too.
were going mad With desperate effort
10 be calm, said;
Suppose toll you another story
ir,t2"
" Oh, no, YOU can tell while You bleed.
But | shall want 10 watch the blood
fow, too" | said, with an effort to refrain
from ,hulderiug.
True, true, ne SAID. "Wcll, let, hear
your story-quick, begin"
| waited for no further urging, | was
too glad TO ind hi II in the humor, to lis
ten, so began and related every story |
could think ot-as soon as one was done
beginning with another and in this man
ner nearly two hours passed As | was
about to begin another story, he stopped
nc pcremptorily-
" Nomore no more | won't listen
I've listened too long already, and I've no
time to bleed YOU, either! | may take
your head off as first intended disagree
able as it is To have hcadless compan-
ion.
Around aui around his head again went
the clttering knife, coming down in dl-
rect line with my throat; aud then as
the edge, sharp as razor, touched my
skin, forgot the prudent consideration
that had hitherto kept me silent, and gave
vent to my horror and terror IN cry so
loud and long, 50 shrill and ear-piercmg'
that the maniac started back in alright,
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