East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1864-03-30

twilight, thero was sharp, binding
flash, followed instantly by clap OF
thunder that made the whole castle
tremble. These were all naturalman-
ifestations--fo storm had suddenly
collected, and cloud passed over the
sun--but the effect was a little start
ling, I must confess and both my
friend and / mado quick step back
ward while the guide, with cry for
mercy, fell upon his knoes, and uttered
an Ave Maria.
Now it is fact--let tho philosophy
Of it be what it may-that il, at the
moment, Of calm, answering courage,
the nervous system, by any means, re-
ceives shock sufficient to abate full
confidence and let into the mind a sim
gle doubt, that doubt may become tho
germ of On absolute terror, and cause
the individual to display cowardice
that neither he nor his friends would
have believed possible--as witness the
brave soldier who has risen high by
pure merit, most shamefully disgra-
cling himself in some unfortunate hour
Of trial. In some slight degree this
was tho effect of the sudden storm up
on us-at least / did not second my
friends proposition of going down in
to the vaults and dungeons, and he
did not repeat it. Pr p
The storm, that had collected so
suddenly, soon became one of great
fury-tho wind bowling and shrieking
around the lonely castle, the lightning
flashing, the thunder crashing, and
the rain falling in torrents. Was it
fancy, that, during the lull in the tenn
pest, gave to our ears the strange moi
ses of means, cries of distress, the
clanklng of chains, the creaking of
hinges, the banging OF doors? We
each believed we heard those sounds,
and my friend and exchanged CLAN
ces Of wonder increasing to awe
shraaf sia'in XII back appaXed, threw himself
down in corner, and buried his faco
in his hands.
"What is it ?' said my companion,
in serious tone; and at that moment
vivid flash Of lightning made his
face look ghastly.
"Heaven knowsp' 1 answered /;
ait certainly is not the wind"
The storm ragged for hours-onc Of
the most fearful ever witnessed
and night drew on with scarcely any
abatement in the tempest. The whole
atmosphere. seemed surcharged with
electricity. 1t came down from the
heavens in forked chains, splitting
trees and shivering rocks, and at times
it danced anh crinkled over the breast
plates, morions, lance-heads spurs,
and battlo-aAos that hung around The
walls, producing most singular and
startling eilocts. There was n good
deal of wind among the clouds, that
kept thom rushing toand fro-coming
together again--liko armies charging
and retreating on the field Of battle.
The rain, meantime, came down like
dclugo, pouring thousand streams
down tho mountains sides, and filing
the regular water-courses and valleys
with impossible torrents. With cour-
age, or without--with demons, rob-
bers, or untenantcd hllls--witholt
food or lights--we saw we were shut
in there for the night-tor it was al
most certain death TO attempt to gain
tho plain below in the darkness that
had legun to gather over the scene,
ere we relinquished the hope of the
storm passing onward by daylight.
When our guide perceived the
night coming rapidly on, he started up
in terror, and declared he must escape
from that awful place. We told him
III. result would be denth.
Better death with God and nature,
than with the spirits of the damned "
was his reply.
We used everything but force to de-
tain him. lie would go. He went
Was it fancy again, or did we hear a
wild, hollow laugh as he plunged into
the storm? Three days after, his
swollen and putrid corpse was found
in meadow, where the subsided wat
ers had left it. .tt.e.
In that lonely castle, on that dark
night, without food, without light, and
with the strange noises / have men-
toned, at longer or shorter intervals,
sounding in our ears, it will readily be
perceived our situation was anything
but agreeable. 4,ff
As night was now setting in fast,
and we had no light for the gloomy
hours to follow, we proceeded to ar
range somo old, quaintly-carved chairs,
with cushioned seats, OH which to rest
our weary limbs, and perhaps TO
sleep; and having done this, we
stretched ourselves upon them, in close
proximity to each other
Tho storm now for the first time
seemed to be passing onward = the
lightning was less vivid, and tho thun
der, though still heavy, gradually grew
more distant, while the wind blew less
fierccly, and the rain began to slack
en-, leading us to beliovo that the
worst was over. For the last half
hour, too, with the exception of the
wild laugh at tho departure of the
guide, we had heard nothing of the
strange noises which had caused US so
much wonder, and we began to in
dulge the hope tha', we should have n
peaccsble night of it, anl wo gradual
ly fell into deep. heavy SLEEP,
Twas awakened, cannot tel how,
with sensa ion, rather than n con-
SC BUSINESS, of sonc strange, living
boly being in the apartment. ! rails
cl myself upon my elbow, and looked
around upon the inky darkness, but
could perceive TO objec. whatever; T;
and / was in the act of mentally Chi
ding myself for my foolish fancy,
whol distant flash Of lightning
shono in through tho hirh, narrow