The mountain Democrat., 1865-09-02
Thrilling Gkstch.

the last.
We left the room with turnkey be.
hind Us, End walked on till we found our.
selves opposite the prison. The jailor
opened it, went in, and lighted = lantern.
We followed.
We went dOTH zen steps, passed row
OF dungeons, then down ten more, but did
not stop. We went down Eve more and
then stopped at one marked No. II. He
gave, . silent signal it seemed in this
abode Of the dead as il be had lost the
power Of speech. There was At this time
= frost of at least twenty degrees outside.
Al the depth where We found ourself, it
was qIiAgled with damp which penetra.
ted to the bone; my marrow was frozen
and yet wiped the perspiratiOn from my
| brow.
The door opened, We went down six
damp anu slippery steps and found our.
selves in dungeon of six square feet I
fancied by the light of the lantern that I
saw q human form moving in it. The
Governor remained on the last step and
sA'd to the prisoner:
Rise and dress yourself
had curiosity to know to whom this
order was addressed
Turn on the light, said | to the jailor.
then saw q thin and pallid old man
rise up. He had evidently been immured
in this dungeon in the same clothes he
had on wh, n arrested, but they had fallen
of him piccrmral, and he was only dress.
ell in ragged peiSSe.
Through the rags his naked, ,bony, shiv-
ering body could be seen. Perhaps this
body had brvn covered with splendid gar.
InentS; perhaps the ribbons of the most
noble orders had once crossed his painting
chest. At present he was only q living
skeleton, that had lost rank, dignity. even
name. and was called No. II. He rose,
and wrapped himself in the fragments OF
hIs ragged pelisSr, without uttering a
complaint; his body was bowed down,
conquered by prison damp, it might br
hunger. His eye was naughty, almost
nenacing.
at is goOd!' said the Governor. -
Come
He was the first to 20 out.
The prisoner threw parting glance on
his cell, his stone bench, his water jug,
and rotten straw.
He uttered sigh, yet it was impossible
that he could regret any thing Of this. -
He followed the Governor and passed be
| re ME.
| shall never forget the glance he turned
upon the in passing, and the reprOach thai
VAS concentrated in it.
so young it seemed to say, and al
ready Obeying tyranny
| turned away; that glance had pierced
my heart like dagger. He passed the
floor Of the dungeon. How long was i
since he entered it? Perhaps he did no
know himself
lie must have ceased for long tim,
c"unting days and nights. On reaching
the Governor door we found two Sledget
waiting. The prisoner was ordered into
the one that brought us, and we followed
him, the Governor by his side, in front.
The other sledge was occupied by four
soldiers.
Where were we golngI knew not.
What were We going TO doH was equal,
ly ignorant. had only to see-the &C
ton itself did not concern me.
We started.
Through my position, the old man :
knees were between mine. | felt them
tremble. The Governor was wrapped in
his furs.
! was buttoned up in my military frock,
and yet the cold reached US. The prison.
-r WAS almost naked, but the Governor
had offered him no covering For 4 mo.
m"ut thought Of taking of my coat and
Offering it to him. The Governor guessed
my intention.
Soon we reached the Neva az g'in, and
our sledge tonk the direction Of ConStradt.
The wind came of the Baltic and blew
furiOuSl y; the Sleet cut our faces. and,
though our eyes had become accustomed
to the darkness, we could not see ten yards
before u.s.
At last we stopped in the midst Of q
furious storm. We must have been about
league and half from ST. Petersburg.
The Governor got off the sledgr and went
up to the other. The soldiers had already
got of, holding the tools they had been
ordered to bring.
Cut hole in the ice, the Governor
said to them.
could not refrain cry Of terror. l
began to comprehend.
'Ah!' the oldANan uttered, with an ac-
cent resembling the laugh Of a skeleton,
then the Empress does still remember
NE =
OF what Empress was he speakingI-
Three had passed away in succeSSiOn.-
Annie. Elizabeth and Cathsr:ne. 1t was
evident he still believed he vas living un.
der one of them, and he did lot know
even the name Of the man who ordered
his death.
What was the obscuriiy of the night
compared with that Of the tonby
The four soldiers then set to work.
They broke the ice with their hammers,
cut it with their axes, and raised the
blocks with the lever. All vt once they
started hack The ice was broken; the
water Was rising. -
Come down. the Governor said to the
old man. The order was useless, for he
had alreauv done so. Knevlng on the
ice he was praying fervenlly.
The Governor gave an Ordee in low
tone 10 the soldiers, then he came back to
my side; for had not left the Sledge. In
u minute the prisoner rose.
i am ready he said.
The four soldiers rushed upon him.
turn, d my eyes away, but though !
did not see, heard the noise Of body
hurled into the abyss. In spite Of myself
| turned around. The old man had dis
appeared.
forgot that | had no right to give or
ders. hut shouted to the driver, Away
away!
'Srop!' cried the Governor. The Sledge
which had already moved forward, stop