Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1863-10-23

Serous-
81 informed the host that was very
, tired and hungry, and wished good sup
: per and a good bed, and he assured me
: should be provided with the best he had
= He went out of the room, as he said tc
give the necessary directions and get d
light. He was gone some ten minutes
and returned with candle in his hand
which he placed on the bar. had taken
a seat during his absence, and being q
j little back in the shade, now had a
4 chance to serutinize his features closely
without being perceived in the act.''
! II did not like the appearance of his
countenance. His, face was long and an
gular, with black eyes and bushy brows,
and whole was Geld, forbidding and sin
! ister." ..z-,-.
..He remarked that the night was very
/ warm and sultry, and that it was likely
to be showerY, and then inquired if had
] come far that day and from which direc-
tion. informed him of my tedious walk
over the by-road, and unguardedly added
that | did not. think my days experience
would induce me to travel through that
region again in a hurry. He asked where
l was from, if l had seen many persons,
| shat day, was an entries tranger in that
part of the country, and SO forth and so
onto all of which I gave correct an
swers.' .--....-.-.- -. ....-.-.. .....
.'sThus we conversed till little bell
announced supper, when he ushe-ed me
into good sized dining and did
the honors of the table, trying to make
himself very agreeable. That there was
somebody else in the house l had good
reason to believe for l heard steps and
the rafting of dishes in an adjoining
room-but the landlord himself was the
only person [ saw during the evening, if
except glance at disappearing female
dress as he was in the act of lightning
me to my room. s.#. E-s @
'fMy bedroom was small, but looked
clean and neat, and contained an inviting
bed, curtains of chintz at the single |
window, chest of drawers, looking glass |
a wash-stand, with pii cher and bowl, a |
couple of chairs and was really quite as
well furnished as many an apartment in
hotels of far greater pretensions. With J
all this [ was pleased, of course; and,
judging by the appearance that there |
was nothing wrong about an inn so pro- 1
perly conducted. l bolted my door, rails |
ed the window far little fresh air, |
looked and discovered the night was very
still and intensely dark, Undressed. blew
out my light, jumped into bed, and al
most Immediately fell asleep. 7
, I was awakened by crash of thunder,
that was rolling over and shaking the
house to its foundation at the moment
my sense returned to me; and being Ta-
= Fho, I /
bering to have heard that the electric
fluid would follow a current of air and also
that had left my window
open. / sprang up hastily to close it. As
1 did so my head barely touched some
soft substance above me; but the fact
produced no impression upon my excited
mind at the moment. [ reached the
and for an instant stood and
looked out to get view of the approch-
ing storm; but, as before, could not see
anything at all--all was as black as the
OF a pit-and as before, too, the
air was perfectly still-so much SO that
fancied felt a sitting sensation. l
was the more surprised at this that I
thought / heard the roar of the wind and
the falling of rain; and certainly there I
came another clap of thunder, whose pre-
3eding flash of lightning 1 had not per-
ceived.
. Awed by the mystery + hastely let
]own the sash and returned to the bed
IN a state of some -trepidation; but as
put out my hand to feel my way in; it
came in contract with mattress nearly
IS high. as my neck from the floor
Now really terrified by a sense of some
l., Il 1, IL,
he room was haunted, l clutched the
nattres convulsively, and felt over and
lnder it, and found it was seperate from
he bed 1on which had been sleeping,
lndwas slowly 6escendingl
. Gracious GodI how shall attempt to
describe that moment of horror, when II .
irst got comprehension of the whole {
liabolical ploti plot to murder me in my .
sleep! was walled up in a room prepar- Ii
ID for the purpose of numbering the un- s
traveller, and was only saved
rom the awful fate by the report of Heav
IN sthunder. The window of course was !
only blind to deceive, placed inside OF :
plank wall, which accounted for my see ;
ng nothing from it and getting no cur q
,ent of air when the sash was raised, :
md the mattress | had hold of was ar !
-anged to be lowered by pulleys and held I
lown by weights upon the sleeping trav- I
,ler till the life should be smothered ont =
If him. All this now comprehended as
~ a sudden flash of thought, and as l
stood trembling and almost paralyzed,
here came a quick rattling as of cords 3
md pulleys, and the upper bed dropped :
Iown with force that denoted the very =
leavy weight upon it. +
i But though left out from under it, alive n
IS it were, by miracle, what was now t
O do to preserve my life? As yet all f
lark and no one had appeared; but now
leard voices speaking in low, hushed
ones, and knew that soon the truth Y
would be discovered, and in all probabil- a
ty my life attempted in some other way. eI
What was to do? had no weapon but s
n ordinary clasp-knife, and what would N
his avail against two or mere? Still l Sc
vas determined not to yield my life al
amely; and as in all probability every ia
venue of escape was barred against me, E
resolved to crawl under the bed and If
AXE my chance there mechanically, b.
FhiIe considering, l had felt for my d,
lothes and drawn on my pantaloons; and &C
ow cautiously trying the door, and find W
1g it, as / had expected fastened on the Of
utside, stealthily glided under the bed, sa
nd placed myself far back close against a,
he wall. had barely gained this position, ic
rhen a light shone into the room from n,
bove; and look ing up between the Led n
nd wall, saw an opening in the ceiling, N
bout five feet by eight, through which n
l,n ho1 /