The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1870-01-05

h"nl, crept along the bushes for
Gfty yards, then struck across the lawn
for the side entrance. Tho darkness
pcrpleSed nc, but l thought was
steering straight. Suddenly my foot
struck bricks. What was this? I
tried to rccollect. There was no
pavement round that part of tho hos
pitol.
! pushed on uncertainty, and feel
ing weight 10 the air, put out my
hands to gropc for some clew to my
whereabouts. | was 10 an ally
ilankcd with stone walls far above my
head. 1t gave sudden turn. In an
instant | kncy | was in the subterra-
mean passages of the asylum. l turn
ed to retrace my stcps-thc Opaque
density of some heavy body crouched
between me and tho outer air. I
heard its stihed breathing its stcalthy
tread approaching me. My God he
ha! followed me from tho very door
o' the dead house here A struggle
ror life with n madman in these mar
row, gloomy vaults to lie in the pool
Of ONES own hearts blood in this un-
discovered tomb--and my young wife
Constance twas maddcning
For an instant my brain wos on fire.
Then thought there might bo an cx.
it-othcr devious windings in which
could cludc my deadly pnrsncr. Co
ing dcftly backward, / turned the
angle in the wall, and then plunged
at the utmost speed Of young and
active man along the black passage.
! Instantly | knew was pursued
Meeting another crossed path, struck
into 1t in the opposite direction. The
maniac instinct followed me. What
Il race through those cavernous depths
Of tie mad house! What tragic pit
falls might lurk at every step l-what
black and stagnant pools lie waiting to
cngnlph me what deeper depths Of
inky blackness into which to fall-and
fall forever.
! The passage grew narrower. We
were perhaps, under the very centre
of the building, and farthcst from
the outer air. had tried to breathe
noiselcssly; the effort exhausted me
knew nothing of the labyrinths ;
could only guess at our position by
The distance from the entrance. I
} had counted the turnings We had
) made. / thought | could retracc
} them. My strength was failing.
, was iiectest, bnt the was most endur-
ing
, Presently he would run me down.
It was terrible venture, but the ne
ccssity, was imminent. / would try
| it, Gathering all my force, dartcd
like an arrow on into the darkness.
The suddenncss of my increased speed
bo'llcd him. | succeeded in putting
fifty yards between us, gained and
turned the next angle, then drawing
myself against the wall, with every
nerve and muscle strained into pre-
ternatural tension, with the mighty
hcaving Of my spent chest crushed in
TO silence by nm iron effort of despair.
ing will, ] waited Sor him to pass me i.
| heard him come rushing on with
new strength through the blackness,
reach tho angle, turn it striking his
massive body against tho jutting
stones. ! heard Rim spring like nm
animal on a!ors the track. l felt his
hot breath like tho stcam-the foam
of bis SGT jaws flung across my face-
and he stopped. l felt that he was
| feeling for me that he was crouching
on the stones. I saw the red fire Of
his cycballs glare up to mo through
the darkness. l folt the touch of his
icy flesh OH my hand. Like light.
ming he raised himself, and throwing
his vast weight against me, pinioned
nc to the stones. All tho mad rage
of man at bay surgod upward to my
brain. | clasped my knife convul-
sivcly, and seized him by the throat,
resolved to die hard. It was hairy
it was shaggy. The hands against my
chest had thick coat of fur. I
claspod him to my breast. 1t was
Li0n-,"y dog Lion.
Great Heaven, Winter Kecne (!
what kept you the whole night in that
cursed dead house : 1t is near day {;
tho door has boon open this two hours,
and Derby aud King have becn asleep.
| was gctting on my boots to look for
| you
'Why in the name Of common sense
did you let this dog after me? will
you tell me that7'
! 'Why, he howlcd like a maniac,
aud clawcd the door til! if | had boon
suspicious should have thought you
in somc danger, and could not kcep
him in.'
Danger Well, wo oau't talk
now. Rouse yourself; I have had an
interview with your maniac, md he is
prowling round the grounds after me
now. Call up the mon. I must 70
after Philips immediately
My God you don't say so7'
\ cs don't waste asecond.'
In tive ninuteo Tho ,,holo foroa sc