The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-08-16

InOu8uI WOul0 eluQe 11m. w II
infinite caution 1 began to scale tb
high wall, dreading horriblyjlest som
sudden break in The sky might revea
me to the wildieyes that watched fo
me-but no. -.s4t -tr-- v=-e sag
Safely passing the summit, tire,
my leg over the descent. and felt; m
foot seized 1t was but the climbin,
tendril of wild vine, skirting til
wall. Grasping my knife in my righ
hand, l crept along the bushes7fer 81
yards, then struck along the lawn fo
the side entrance The darkness per
picked me, but thought was goin
straight Suddenly my foot strucl
bricks What was this / tried t.
recollecr. There was no pavemen
/, round that part of the hospital. -
pushed on uncertainty; and feelin!
at weight in the air, put my hand t,
grope for some clue to my whereabouts
+ was in an alley fanked with ston
walls farabove my head. / gave
sudden turn. In an instant l knew
WAS in the subterranean passage of til,
asylum. Turning to retrace my STEP
the opaque density oil some heavy BODY
crouched between me and the, ,outel
air. l heard its stifed breathing
its stealthy tread approaching me-
just heaven! he had followed me
from the very door of the dead house
herei A struggle for life with a mad
man in these narrow, gloomy vaults
to lie in the pool of ones own hearts
blood undiscovered tomb-and my
young wife-was maddening!-
?, For an instant my brain was on fire.
Then thought there might be an ex
it-other devious windings in which
could elude my deadly pursuer. Go.
ing deity backwards, I turned the an
gle in the wall. and then 1 plunged, at
the utmost speed Of a young and active
man, along the back passage Instant
ly 1 knew l was pursued. Meeting
another crossed path, 1 struck into it
in the opposite direction. The ma
niac instantly followed me. What a
race through these c6vernons depths Of
the mad-house What magic pitfalls
might lurk at every step! = whatfblack
and stagnant pools lie waiting to err
gulf me what deeper depths of icy
blackness into which to fall and fall
forever!
The passage grew narrower We
were, perhaps, in the very center of
the building, and farthest from the
outer air. Ihad tried to breathe nois:
lessly; the effort exhausted me. 1
knew nothing of the labyrinths, and
could only guess at our position by the
distance from the entrance. I had
counted the turnings we had made
thought l could retrace them. My
strength was failing. 1 was feetest,
but he wss most enduring.
Presently he would run me down.
1t was terrible venture, but the ne
cessity was Imminent. | would try it,
Gathering all my force, | darted like
IN arrow on into the darkness. The
OF my increased speed baf-
led him. 1 succeed in putting fifty
Yards between us, gained and turned
he next angle then, drawing myself i:
against the wall, with every nerve and /,
muscle strained into preternatural ten
ION. With. the mighty heavipg of
ny spent chest crushed into silence 10y
IN iron effort of dispairing will, L.
vAitrd tor him to pass me. / heard
i'm come rushing on with new strength
Trough the blackness, reach the angle, y
urn in, striking his massive body
gainst the juIting stones. L heard !,
lin spring like an auimal along the !
rack l felt his hot breath like steam
the fam of his set jaws flung
cross my face-and he stopped. l
cit that he was feeling for me THAT
e was crushing on the stones. / saw
he red of his eyeballs glare up to me
hrcugh the darkness. 1 felt the
ouch of his leg flesh on my hand
ike lightning he raised himself, and
hrowing his vast weight against me
inioned me to the stones. ial,
The mad rage of man at bay
urged upward to my brain. [ clasp
d my knife convulsively, and seized
im by the throat, resolved to die
ard. 1t was hairy-it was shaggy
he hands against my chest had
hick coat of fur. 1 clasped him
, my breast. 1t was Lion-my dog
.ion. l.
Great heaven /; Keene! what kept
ou tine whole night in that cursed
cad house? 1t is near day the door {
as been open this two hours, and !
'urby aud King have been asleep
was getting on my boots to look for
on ?" el. Z
why, in the name of common !
,nse, did you let this dog after me |
'ill' you tell me thatY
why, he howled like maniac, and i.
awed ut the door till 1 thought you 1
ere in some danger, and could not {
eep, him in.p - Z
Danger! Well, we can't talk now
ouse yourself; have had an inter I.
ew with your maniac, and he is prowl- :
g round the grounds after me now.
all up the men. 1 must go after
hillip Immediately -. h
You don't say SOP :
Yes; don't waste second
In five minutes the whole force of Il
e hospital was out in the grounds
e took him in the angle of the great b
'or, crushed behind the jutting wall, n
liting for me! He drew his Iips -
ok over his teeth, in the dumb fe- s
city OF mad brute, as he saw me,
d his eyes settled into dull, lurid
are. impossible to describe, as he G.
ssed out. 'Ia this rs twice-twicel Il
u triumph /; wait till the third Z,
ncp =
Around the blazing crate, in the n
'sing hour of the tempest tossed a
5ht, we shook hands over the glad u u
IS of our reunion; and after the ID
nv was nx,or apd +l,o L.I.F c. sc