The native Virginian. [volume] (Orange Court House, Va.) 1867-187?, 1868-06-19
MI leaning against the narrowc entrance

| ed in such manner that good push
| would send it forward, eilectually clos
| ing the little doorway. Quick as thought
1 Stripped off my mining jacket, and
hung it on n pointed rock inside the
niche, so as to readily attract the mon-
ster'S attention from without. | had
| hardly time to slip out of the niche and
hide Behind the stone when it approach
ed and entered the den. The coat
caught its eye Instantly. 1t paused with
n curious look, and then with mad
bound it was in the niche, tearing down
the garment, with wrathful growls.
Now was my time. With all my
strength threw myself upon the stone.
| 1t fell forward with tremendous force,
| wedgins itselfi in the narrow entranchi
| to the niche. The monster was Gagged,
but its struggles were terrific. 1t howl
| ed and beat its head madly against the
strong walls; the foam dropped from its
Jaws, and it howled and raved. =
Mingled with its fearful yells 1 could
| for the first time discern the express
sions and accents of human being. ]
| saw the truth at once. The creature
was u man-a maniac How he came
| there or how his person became distort-
ed into shape and appearance so fiend-
| like, could only wonder. A wild,
strange fascination bound my eyes mp
on the spot, but by mighty effort, l
| shut out the sight, and rushed away,
tore down the path among the steep
rocks TO the pit, where / had seea my
companions buried by he'madman. ]
removed the large, fiat stone, which
covered its mouth, and to my great joy
could see Jem and his scompanion. cling
| ing viii hands and feet to the sharp
| iutting sides, where their clothes had
caught i'm their fall. Hr.f .aTa H54
| Below them, the pit was dark and
| foul, and echoed as If it had no bottom.
| The foul air almost stilled me as lean
| ed over and raised them out. The two
men were nearly exhausted by terror
and lack of air. Our mutual exclama-
tions were broken In upon by loud walls
and cries from the pit where the mani
&C had been entmpped. We could not
resist the almost supernatural attrac-
! ton which drew us to the place. | was
struck ut once by the change of de-
| meanor i'm the madmen. He was on his
| knees, his hands clasps beseechingly,
moaning pteously to be liberated. 1t
would be cruel thing to leave him
there, entombed al We, but we dared
not attempt to curb an unfettcred mad
man. lif
| Our resolution was suddenly ended
| by Jem's taking from his pocket stout
cord, and advancing, binding firmly the
| wrists of the maniac, as he voluntarily
extended them through small aper-
| ture in his cell. Them applying our
united force, the large Stone was slow
ly pried away from the doorway, and
the poor creature crept out, Httering
accents of thankfulness, and actually
kissing to us his unfettered hands in
gratitude.
But the moment that he was among
us, change, startling and vivid, came
over him. SprlLging upon his feet, he
threw his giant form majestically back
ward, and holding up his fettcred wrists
with an expression of bitter disdain, he
snapped the cords that would have held
half d ton as If they had been paper
We were now again in his power, and
drew back in terror.
"IIold I" he cried, uttering the first
Ineligible word that had yet fallen
from his lips: "Do You know me?
was Peter Smucker, the murderer; now
am the demon of the mine, made TO
live here by the evil spirit, waiting my
turn for the punishment of my crime
1t Is impossible to describe the fierce
cont Jrtions of his countenance as he ut
tered these words. Then suddenly
lowering his tone, and looking careful
Iv around as if possessed by 4 stealthy
fear Of beirg overheard by some .nyisi-
hlo snv.
uDrt s. NOT tr;eo u.;th h;s or,,ors
,s u. ''iuto n,t NV ,i, - Iii ne oo.oiS
w rroo J'IO aniro5 fa,,,', ,I,n o,a,,s
onle, anu IL ,,o ;,I' u'.iu ,,;n' 'o"i ''o
ah1 III ,', ,oon.a -
, Anu ,ioe 20 so,,o,,, bis footSto'S onJ
ooh'p "1 IbI w., ,'s;,'o ",'r ,,t,,,,st
we, w., 1 "a 49, o, 80 Nh hin, ~
~ tbo pen racoss from ,,,;e,,
saa tI.St o sao,, Mn, anorge he nansei y
second, and then motloning lis to follow,
entered. We went on till our feet were
In the water. and saw we were tread
inc the bed ofa streamlet, which proba-
bly had its source from the lake i'm the
cavern we had lust left. The passage
now became so loT and narrow that we
wore OBLIGED to stoop and almost to
crawl on our knees. / was anxious and
cnrious TO know where this mailman
was LEADING MS. I could form no con-
lecture. The water grew deeper and
ran with moro force. and BEGAN to fear
wo should bc swcnt away. Soon day.
liSht hc@an To annear. and then we
en,ergod from the he'd of the torrent.
which formed the mouth of the gold
,no,,ntain rioht into n ouiet, green val
Law where ito noondav SIM wos shin
mo hrjoht. Never before wa; | so re-
| nave, co MN nIussnI and so litt;e able