Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-10-19
NO. 267 MAIN STREET OPPOSITE COURT SQUARE MEMPHIS TENN


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tempest almost took me off my feet, and
a brick, dislodged from one Of the CHM
neys, grazed my head in its passage, and
broke inshalf on the pavement
With bated breath, and a step like the
tread of panther seeming his prey, !
parted the thick darkness, and turned
my face toward the hospital. BE might
be either here-at any step along the
passage-or hid iu the angle Of the wall
at the door through which | must enter.
This seemed most probable; but there
was another door known only to the doc
tors. mr.,
Thought I would elude him. With
infinite caution / began to scale the high
wall, dreading horribly lest some sudden
break in the sky might reveal me to the
wild eyes that watched for me-but no.
Safely passing the summit threw my
leg over the descent, and-felt my foot
seized. 1t was but the clingiDg tendril OF
wild vine, skirting the wall. Grasping
nv knife in my right hand, | crept
along the bushes for fifty yards across the
lawn for the side entrance. The dark
ness perplexed me, but thought l was
steering straight. Suddenly my foot
struck bricks. What was this2 l tried
to recolIect. There was no pavement
around that part of the hospital.
pushed uncertainty, and feeling a
weight in the air, put out my hands to
get some clew to my whereabouts. l was
| in an alley-aanked with stone walls
above my head. / gave sudden turn.
| In an instant / knew | was in the sub
terraneap passages of the asylum. l
turned to retrace my steps--the opaque
density of some heavy body crouched
between me and the outer air l heard
| its stihed breathing-its stealthy tread
approaching me. My God he had fol-
lowed me from the very door Of the
deadhouse here. A struggle for life with
| a mad man 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 tire.
Then thought there might be an exit
other devious wiudings in which | could
elude my deadly pursuer. Going deity
| backward, I turned the angle in the wall,
and then plunged at the utmost speed OF
a Young and active man along the back
passage. Instantly / knew l was pur-
| sued. Meeting another crossed path
struck into it in an opposite direction.
| The maniac instantly followed me, What
race through those cavernous depths oi
the mad-house What tragic pitfalls
might lurk at every step; what black and
stagnant pools lie waiting to engulf me !;
what deeper depth of icy blackness into
which to fall-and fall forever.
The passage grew narrower. We were,
perhaps, under the very center of the
building, and farthest from the outer air.
| had tried to breathe noiselessly; the
effort exhausted me. / knew nothing OF
the lsbyrinths- only guess at our
position by the distance from the en-
trance. | had counted the turnings we
had made. / thought / could retrace
them. My strength was failing l was
feetest but he was most enduring.
Presently he would run me down. 1t
was a terrible ventuae, but the necessity
was imminent. / would try it. Gather
ing all my force / darted like an arrow
on into the darkness. The suddenness
of nv increased speed bsffied him. l
succeeded in putting fifty yards between
us. gained and turned the next angle,
then drawing myself against the wal,
! with every nerve and muscle strained
into preternatural tension, with the
mighty heave of my chest crushed into
silence by an iron effort OF despairing
will. I waited for him to pass me. l
heard him come rushing on with new
strength through the blackness, reach
the angle, turn it, striking his massive
body against the jutting stones. L heard
him spring like an animal on along the
track. felt his hot breath like steam
the foam of his set jaws flung across my
face-and he stopped. ! felt that he was
feeling for mel-that he was crouching
on the stones. saw the red fire OF his
eyeballs glare up to me through the
darkness. l felt the touch OF his ICY
Aesh on my hand Like lightning he
raised himself, and throwing his vast
weight against me, pinioned me to the
stones. All the mad rage of man at
bay surged upward TO my brain. l
cIssped my knife convulsively, and
seized him by the throat, resolved to die
hard. II was hairy-it was shaggy.
The hands against my chest had a thick
coat of fur. / 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-house7 1t is near by; the door has
been open this two hours, and Derby and
King have been asleep. Twas getting on
NV boots to look for you"
why in the name Of common sense
did YOU let this dog out after mer Wall
you tell me thatf
"Why, be howled like q maniac, and
elawed The docs till. il / had been sus-
picious, / should have thought you in
some danger, and could not keep him
in"
"Dsngerl Well, we can't talk now.
Rouse yourself; hsv. had an intervieW
With your maniac, and be Is proving
round the grounds alter me nov. Call
ID the men. ] must 90 after Phillips
Immediately"
my God yoa don't say 80
Yes; don't waste a second
In Eve minutes the whole force OF the
hospital vas out 10 the grounds. We
/ L =. = - fka nrnnf Arrr