Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-08-05
The nassare rrew narrower. We were, [

The passage grew narrower. We were
perhaps, in the very center Of the build
ing, and farthest from the outer air. ]
had tried to breathe enoiselessly; the effort
exhausted me. knew nothing Of the
labyrinths, and could 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. / was
heetest, but he was most enduring
Presently he would run me down. 1t
was a terrible venture, but the necessity
was imminent. Iwould tryit Gather
ing all my force, / darted like an arrow
on into the darkness. The suddenness
of my increased speed bafiled 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 preternatural tension, with the
mighty heaving of my spent chest
crushed into silence by an iron effort OF
despairing will, / waited for him to pass
me. | heard him come rushing on with
new strength, through the blackness,
reach the angle, turn in, striking his
massive body against the jutting stones.
/ heard him spring like an animal along
the track. l 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
of his eyeballs glare up 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.
The mad rage of man at bay-surged
upward to my brain. | Iclasped my knife
convulsively, and seized him by the
throat, resolved to die hard. 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, Keene what kept you
the whole night in that cursed dead
house? 1t is near day; the door has
been open this two hours, and Derby and
King have been asleep. | was getting
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 that2'
why, he hewled like a maniac, and
clawed at the door till | thought you were
in some danger, and / could not keep
him in. sr
"Dangerl Well, we can't talk now.
Rouse yourself; j have had an interview
with your maniac, and he is prowling
round the grounds after me now. Call
up the men. | must 90 after Philip i'm
mediately."
You don't say so2"
Yes; don't waste second
In five minutes the whole force Of the
hospital was out in the grounds. We
took him in the angle of the great door,
crouched behind the jutting wall, wait
ing for me He drew his lips back over
his teeth, in the dumb ferocity of mad
brute, as he saw me, and his eyes settled
into dull, lurid glare, impossible to de-
scribe, as he Missed out; Hal this is
twice-twice you triumph; wait till the
third timel
Around the blazing CRATE, in the clos
ing hour of the tempest tossed night,
we shook hands over Che gladness of our
reunion; and after the story was over,
and the horror first, and the laughter
after lat the close of my adventure) and
Derby and King had left, and Harry
Leigh and / stood at the window watch
ing the young winter day rise over the
hills, there was something very like tears
over the bold, bright blue of his eyes as
he pointed to the granite walls of thC
madhouse, and said, Constance would
have gone there, Keene, or died, anC
mine would have been heavy, heavy
life after