The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1866-09-22

AN'''
Tolfi's prisoner.
When he awolle it was daylight; but
how long he had slept he knew not. 1t
might be early morning or it might be
sultry noon; for he could measure time
by no other note of its progress than
light and darkness. lie had been so
happy in his sleep, amid friends who
loved him, and the sweeter cndcar-
ments of those who loved him as friends
could not, that, in the first moments of
waking, his startled mind seemed to
admit the knowledge of his situation,
as if it had burst upon him for the first
time, fresh in all its appalling horrors.
He gazed round with an air of doubt
and amazement, and took up handful
of the straw on which he lay, as though
he would ask himself what it meant.
But memory, too faithful to her office,
soon unveiled the melancholy past,
while reason, shuddering at the task,
flashed before his eyes the tremendous
future. The contrast overpowercd him.
He remained for some time lamcnting.
like truth, the bright visions that had
vanished, and recoiling from the pres
ent, which clung to him as poisoned
garment.
When he grew more calm, he sur
veyed his gloomy dungeon. Alas! the
stronger light of day only served to con-
firm what the gloomy indistinctness of
the preceding evening had partially
disclosed the utter impossibility of
escape. AS, however, his eyes wan
dered round and round, and from
place to place, he noticed two circum-
stances which excited his surprise and
curiosity. The one, he thought, might
be fancy; but the other was positive.
His pitcher of water and the dish
which contained his food, had been re-
moved from his side while he slept,
and now stood near the door. We're he
even inclined to doubt this, by suppos-
ing he had mistaken the spot where
he saw them over night, he could not; /;
for the pitcher now in his dungeon was
neither of the same form nor color as
the other, while the food was changed
for some other and better quality. lie
had been visited, therefore, during the
night. But how had the person OBJ
taincd entrance? Could he have slept
so soundly that the unlocking and OPEN
ing of those pOnderOu5 portals were cf-
fectcd without waking him? IIewould
have said this was not possible, but that
in doing 50, he must admit Il greater diff
iiculty, an entrance by other means, of
which he was convinced there existed
he should be left to perish from hun
ger; but the secret and mysterious
mode of supplying him with such food
seemed to indicate that he was to have
no opportunity of communicating with
a human being.
The other circumstance which had at
tracted his notice was the disappearance,
as he believed, of one Of the seven graft
ed windows that ran along the top of
his prison. He felt confident that he
had observed and counted them; for he
was rather surprised at their number,
and there was something peculiar in
their form, rs well rs in the manner of
their arrangement, at unequal distances.
1t was so much easier, however, to sup
pose he was mistaken than that Il pOr-
ton of the solid iron, which formed the
walls, could have escaped from its posi-
ton, that he dismissed the thought from
his mind.
Nivenzio partOOk of the food that was
before him without apprehension. 1t
might be poisoned; but if it We're, he
knew he could not escape death, should
such be the design of Tolf; and the
quickest death would be the spcedicst
relief.
The day passed wearily and gloomily,
though not without faint hope that,
by Keeping watch at night, he might
observe when the person came again to
bring him food, which he supposed he
would do in the same way as before.
The mere thought Of being approached
by Il living creature, and the opportuni-
ty it might present Of learning the
doom prepared or preparing for him,
impaired some comfort. Besides, if he
came alone, might he not in furious
onset OverpOWer him? Or he might be
accessible to pity, or the influences of
such munificent rewards as he could be-
stow if once more at liberty, and mas
ter of himself. Say he were armed
The worst that could beiali, if nor bribe
nor prayers nor force prevailed, was Il
faithful blow, which, though dealt in q
damned cause, might work Il desired
end. There was no chance so desperate
but it looked lovely in NiVcnzio's cycs
compared with the idea of being totally
abandoned.
The night came, and VivcnziC
watched. Morning came, and NiVou,
zio was conlounded! lie must hav,
slumbered without having known it
Sleep must have stolen over him wher
exhausted by fatigue; and in that inter
val of fevcri5h repose he had been bac
fled: for there stood his replcni-heC
pitcher of wa,er, and there his day,
, meal Nor was this all. Casting hi
looks toward the windows of his dun
, geon, he counted but five! Here wa
no deception and he was now con
WINGED there had been none the day be
fore. But what did all this portend
2 Into what strange and mysterious der
; had he been cast? lie gazcd till hi
e eyes ached; he could discover nothin,