The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1868-11-12
TIPTON, IOWA, NOVEMBER l2, 1868.

TIP,
| Ipushed on uncertainty, and feeling 4
weight In the air, put out my hands to
grope for some clue to my whereabouts.
I was in an alley-flanked with stone
walls far above my head. Itgave sud.
den turn. In an instant knew was
In the subterranean passages Of the asy.
lum. turned to retrace my steps-the
opaque density Of some heavy body
crouched between me and the outer air.
I heard its stifled breathing-itss stealthy
tread approaching me. My God: he
had followed me from the very door OF
the dead house here! A struggle for life
with madman in these narrow gloomy
vaults-to lie in the pool Of ones own
hearts blood in this undiscovered tomb
and my young wife Constance twas
maddening!
For an instant my brain was on fire.
Then thought there might be an exit
other devious windings In which I
could elude my deadly pursuer. Going
deity backward, turned the angle In
the wall, and then plunged at the ut
most speed of young and active man
along the back passage. Instantly I
knew was pursued. Meeting another
crossed path, struck into it in the op-
posite direction. The maniac instantly
followed me. What a race through
those cavernous depths Of the mad
house! What tragic pitfalls might lurk
at every step?-what black and stagnant
pools lie waiting to engulph mc?-what
deeper depths Of icy blackness into
which to fail-and fall forever.
The passage grew narrower. Wewerc,
perhaps, under the very center of the
building, and farthest from the outer
air. had tried to breathe noiselessly;
the effort exhausted me. knew Moth
ing of the labyrinths; could only guess
at our position by the distance from the
entrance. had counted the turnings
we had made. thought could rctrace
them. My strength was falling. l was
fleetest, but he most enduring.
Presently he would run me down. 1t
was terrible venture, but the necessi-
ty was imminent. I would try it. Gath
ering all my force, darted like IN ar
row on into the darkness. The sudden.
ness Of my increased speed baffled him.
succeeded in putting fifty yards he
tween him. l succeeded in putting fif-
ty yards between Us, gained aud turned
the next angle, then drawing myself
against the wall, with nerve and muscle
strained in the preternatural tension,
with the mighty heaving of my spent
chest crushed into silence by an iron ef-
fort of despairing will, waited for hin,
on with new strength through the
black ness, reach the angle, turn it, strlk-
ing his massive body against the juttiug
stones. heard him spring like an ami
NAL on along the track. l felt his hot
breath like steam-the foam Of his set
Jaws flung across my face-and he stop
ped. felt that he Was. feeling for me =
that he was crouching on the stones. l
saw the red fire of his eye-bails glare up
to me through the darkness. l felt the
touch Of his icy flesh Oh my hand. 1t
was hairy-it was shaggy. The hands
against my chest had thick coat of fur.
l clasped him to my breast. 1t was
Lion-my dog Lion:
"Great heaven, Winter Keene! what
kept you the whole night in that cursed
dead house: 1t is near day; the door has
cen open this two hours, and Derby
and King have been asleep. l was get
ting on my boots to look for you."
"Why in the name Of common sense
did you let this dog out after me? Will
you tell me that?''
"Why, he howled like q maniac, and
cIawed the door till, If l had been suspi-
cious, 1 should have thought you in
some danger, and could not keep him
in"
danger! Well, we can't talk now.
Rouse yourself; l have had an interview
with your maniac, and he is prowling
round the grounds after me now. Call
up the men. must go after Phillips
Immediately"
In five minutes the whole force of the
hospital was out in the grounds. We
took him in the angie Of the great door,
crouched behind ejutting wall ,caitin9
| for me! he Missed out:
'Ha! this is twice-twice you triumph;
wait till the third tilne."
Around the blazing CRATE, in the clos
ing hour Of the tempest-tossed night, we
shook hands over the gladness of our re.
union, and after the story was over, the
horror first, and the laughter after (at
the close Of my adventure) and Derby
a.id King had left, and Harry Leigh
i and I stOOtl Mt the window watching the
young winter day rise over the hills
there was something very like tears
over the bold, bright blue Of his eyes q.
he p.inted to the granite walls Of the
mad house and said:
'.Constance would have gone there
Winter, or died, aud mine would hav'
been q heavy, heavy life, after"
] LAWS OFlOwA.
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY.