Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1869-03-25
most took me off my feet, and a brick, dis

lodged from one of the chimneys, grazed
my head in its passage. and broke in half
on the payment.
With bated breath, and step like the
tread of the panther seeming his prey, |
parted the thick darkness and turned my
face toward the hospital. He might be
either here--at any step along the passage
or hid in the angle Of the wall at the
door through which | must enter. This
seemed most probable but there was an
other door, known only to the doctors.
I 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 I threw my
leg over the descent, and -felt my foot seiz-
ed. It was but the clinging tendril of
wild vine, skirting the wall Grasping
my knife III my right hand, crept along
the bushes for fifty yards, then struck
across the lawn for the side entrance
The darkness perplexed me, but [ thought
I was steering straight. Suddenly my foot
struck bricks What was this? I tried
to recollect. There was no pavement
round that part of the hospital.
[ pushed on uncertainty and feeling
weight in the air, put out my hands to
grope for some clew to my whereabout.-
[ was in an alley-hanked with stone
walls above my head. I gave sudden
turn. In an instant knew I was in the
subteranean passage Of the asylum. [
turned to retract my steps-the Opaque
density of some heavy body erouched be-
tween me and the outer air. I heard its
stiaed breathing-its stealthy tread ap
preaching me. My God he had followed
me from the very door of dead house here
A struggle for life with mad man in these
narrow gloomy Vaults-to lie in the pool
of ones own hearts blood in this undiscoy-
cred 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 winnings in which [ could
elude my dreadly pursuer. Going deity
backward, turned the angle'in the wall,
and then plunged at the uttermost speed
of young, active man along the black
passage. Instantly I knew I was pursued,
Meeting another crossed path I struck in
to it in an opposite direction. The man
lac instantly followed mo. What a race
through those cavernous depths of the
madhouse! What! tragic pitfalls might
Turk at every step? what black and stag
nant pools lie waiting to engulph me =
what deeper depth of icy blackness in
which to fall-and fall forever!
The passage grew narrower. We were
perhaps, under the very centre of the
building, and the farthest from the outer
air. | had tried to breathe noiselessly
the effort exhausted me, | knew nothing Of
the labyrinths; could only guess at our po-
sition by the distance from the entrance.
| had counted the turnings we had made.
I thought I could retraee them. bly,
strength was failing. I was feetest, but
he was most enduring
Presently he would run me down. 1t
was terrible venture, but the necessity
was imminent. l would try it. Gather
ing all my force I darted like an arrow on
into the darkness The suddenness of my
increased speed baffled him. I succeed
ed in putting fifty yards between us, gain
ed and turned the next angle, then
drawing myself against the WALL with
every nerve and muscle strained into pre-
ter-natural tension, with the mighty heave
of my chest crushed into silence by an iron
effort of despairing will, waited for him
to pass me- I heard him come rushing
on with new strength through the black
ness, reach the angle, turn it striking his
massive body against the jutting stones.
| 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. I felt
that he was feeling for me that he was
crouching on the stones, | saw the red
fire of his cyeball glare W to me through
the darkness. felt the touch of his icy
flesh 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 a man at bay surged
upward to my brain. I clasped my knife
conyulsively, and seized him by the throat,
resolved to die nard. 1t 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
4 = 4; 4: i X
"Groat Heaven, Winter Keene! What
kept you the whole night in that cursed
dead house? tits near by; the door has
been open this two hours, and Derbs and
King have been asleep. | was getting on
my boots to look for you
s.Whv in the name of common sense