Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1866-04-06
!, NO II. PARIS, MAINE FRIDAY, APRIL 6. 1866

49, A~AAA ATN-A -
lean uP against the vail. which seemed 10
cause my feet 70 siip under me. I felt no
coli. Tor the preparation dropped from me.
A. l trantically turned back and tried 20
retraoe NY steps. ssiling myself by run
mag hand against the wau where every
nov AID then u entered the mouth of a
suaal dram. when. 50 sure as did. there
vas a scufile and rush. and more than oaoe
touched the cold slippery BODY Of rat
a touch hat made me start back As though
Shot
On ~ent. and on, and stil no scAaold.
and 40 gieam II gaslghs. Thought after
thought gave fresh horror 10 my situation.
a. nov felt certain that in my frantic
haste lad taken soalc wrong turn. or en-
tered branch Of the main place; and at
last. completely bewiidercd rushed head.
long on, stumbling and falling twice over.
50 that | was half chokcd ia the biack
water. But Il had is good effect; for IL
pat stop % my Wild struggles. which
must soon have ended IN my falling insen-
sibie into What was certain dcsth. Tie "a
ter cooled my head. ard now. feeling CON-
plc;ciy Loss. knowinr that mus, have been
nearly iwo hours in thc sewer. made I'd
my miud 20 follow the stream % is mouth
in The Thames. where. IL tie tide Va down.
! could get from the mad on 70 the wharf
or bank
- oncc more I struggled on. foIo4inr
The stream slowly for wLat seemed fsr
hours. tiii a. last. raising my hand. found
could Dot touch ihe roof, and bv that
knc~ va in a larger sewer. and therefore
not very far from the mouth. Bat here
there ~as a new terror creeping up me. 50
o. speak. from my waist the water nov
reached my chest. and soon after my arm
pits; when stopped. not daring 90 trust
myself % swiu. perhaps a mile. uhcn sels
that weak could not lave gone a hundred
yards.
! know in my di.appoiniment l gave
howl Ike a viii beast. and turned again 70
have a hard fght % breast the rushing va
ter, Whi~h nearly took me of my legs.
Bat the fear Of death lent me help. AMI 1
got on and on acain all I felt myseH m a
turning which ! soon knew was a smaller
seWer. and FROM thence reached another.
where ] had 20 stooP; but the water vas
sha..ower. not above ny knees. and Al last
much less deep than that.
Here kneit down 10 rest. and the posi-
iion brought something else from nv heart:
and. after a While stin STOPPING. went on.
al. Laving passed dozens upon dozens Of
dfaias, ! determined 70 creep up one. ard
IdiI
fFaPs you wont think IL strange. al
dream and groan in bed sometimes. when
] tell you ~hai followed.
c-asied ~. and on. aud on. in hopes
thai .he place ] ~as IN would lead uader
ouc % the sircet-sraiings. and kept star
ing ahead in tLe hopes u catching a CLEAN
OF ught tin Al last the place seemed 50 tirht
that dared 60 no further. for tear Of being
hNei ia- 50 I began 70 90 back very SLOW.
w.. and then. feeling is rather hard work.
stopped for a rest.
j. wasquife dry here but. s-uHinr on in
front kept hearing the rats bad driven
before me and now that stopped and va
quite siiil. bali dozen q them made rush
o. get past me. and The It;ie frht which
foiloEed even now gives me thc horrors.
10 hardly room % move bat killed one
by s1ueezinr bin. when The others backed
oH. bot not tiii ny face vas bitten and run
uing with blood.
Sc ari. ha'f dead. Z tired 10 back out. Tor
the place seemed 90 stife me and pushed
myseh bach luic way. anI then uas
stopped. ior the skIrt. of my ja-ket fncd
ap vhat iittie space bal been left. anI 7
fcii thai was -cdscd in. stuck flst.
Nov cane che horrors again worse ,hsn
ever. The boz blood seemed to ru.h into
my eyes, icit haf suH1catcI and to al
Cd uly suhcrInrs. rae that ieit nsef. as Be-
vcre. renned up. iasteaei upon my Ep.
Dc sas .ts ia.- BITE. horcver. Tor. haif mad
ns ! uas then. my teeth had cl1s-.l ra mo-
msnf upon the vicious beast. AMI it uas
dead.
j made one more Struggle. but could not
rovc. } sas so completely used up and
facn hinfci
It NEST have been some fine before I
rimr . my.ef. buf WIN did. tbs frst
.'uni Z hriri vts a regular tramp. tramp.
at some ono saisIug over my bead. ani
..en gave a long yel f1r he'r. vbcu. %
nY great ioy. thc step hafcd. and shout-
Cd again. and CHE sscefc.t souni ever
teafd ln my hie cane back. 10 wasavoico