The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-12-09

the hour was for conversation, we took
nothing for diversion or refreshmeut ex-
cept wine quart OF claret, iced.
We sat long time, first on the green
bank outside, aud then within the single
little room OF the old hut, pleasantly
d:scoursing upon great variety OF sub.
jec.s. All the latter half of the sum
mer afternoon glided rapidly away; the
fleetiug July twilight crept swiftly upon
us, and deepeued rapidly into the shadow
ing darkness of early, moonless night
fall,
There was small projection from the
back OF the cottage, within which door
opened upon stairway to the cellar. |
sat upon that side of our little circle far
thest from this door, and OF course facing
it While we still talked. aud the sha.
dows grew deeper and deeper. happened
to be looking directly at the cellar door.
As was doing SO, i, deliberately opened,
and an Indian coming forth from it, step
ped forward to one side of the little room,
and hating, gsacd stcadfastly down upon
us, as we sat on our blocks on the floor
He was of magnificent proportions; al
most colossal u stature, broad sholdcred,
deep.cbes:ed straight rs pine-tree, and
OF singularly stately carriage. As he
looked down upon US, gravely and in sill
ence, though we all looked at him, we
seemed to have no power to stir; and l
clearly recolect how warning against
ae;es co eoemnd tn take tangible shape
of oddly characterized distlnctness before
my mind 1t was as if | saw a printed
line worded and lettered thus There will
be PREJUDICE against UNNECESSARY move
ment and | found the unintellgibleness
of this moDition accompanied by terrors
that were vague but profound, at what
might be the consequences Of disobeying
it. But there was something much more
frightful. As the lineaments Of the In.
dams swarthy face became distinct before
me, saw plainly that though all the rest
Of the face wore the appearance ofperfect
health, the eyes were dead, and the flesh
about them was dead and though they
seemed to look at us, there was something
indescribably horrible in their livid
shrunken look, and the fixed uumoving
stare from under their purplish hall.shut
lids.
After standing few moments in utter
silence the Indian turned, silently retraced
his footsteps and bowling his naughty head
disappeared down the stairway. We sa,
q few moments in the same motionless
terrified silence. Then one of my com.
panious, moving as if in a dream and ap.
parently unconscious of the presence Of
any one else, slowly arose, stepped silently
to the door of the cellar and deliberately
went down out of sight. In few mo-
ment more another in like manner arose
and with the same strange appearance Of
Inconsistencies likewise disappeared in
the cellar. After another short pause
the third did the same. sat moment
alone, and found myself slowly rising tc
follow their example, when the door was
flung violently back, and Sam H., who
had gone down last, spraDg back into the
room, shaking and stumbling with terror
his face white and his eyes almost idiotic
in his fright. The sight of this natura
human action broke the spell which had
been holding me. For Gods sake SAM
l cried, recovering my speech for the frs,
time, 'let's get out of this = And we rush.
ed headlong out of the door. AS we pass
ed the outer entrance to the cellar, sum
moned courage to approach it and look
| xr,tk,1 h,,k all lorl. ,.,l
distant portion was shut out of sight by o
partition.
Not daring to explore further, we rar
homewards. AS we went, my companion
informed me that he had descended the
cellar stairs and there saw our two friends
seated at what seemed to be a table, OF
which was something that gimmcred
while behind it stood the Indian, his heat
crushed up among the timbers Of the floor
and as it were preaching to them, with
fluent words and many gestures.
Adrian stopped. lie had told the fan
tastic story with SO much local detail
with such gravity and intensity, that al
the women looked properly frightened.
But is that all p demanded Mrs. Ma
ginn how horrd you look as scared a
any Of us
Adrian shook his head, and with entr,
sincerity said,--
: 1T was Observation-Disclosures it i
because it was so frightfully true tina
you can't holp feeling it. When ! wok
up
There was general cry OF relief; ant
the saucy girl who bad de6ed the scalp
ing knife, at once testified that she ha,
known it was dream all the time.
But wait, persisted Adrian ;-'whe
| woke up. SO perfectly impressed was
with the reality Of it, that l knew tina
Indian was standing at the bedside benin,
me in the dark, looking down at me will
those dead lived eyes, and it was minute
, before | could summon up courage to pul
: off the two poultices had to keep on m
eyes at that time, so that could look,
All said DR.. Veroil, very good yer
well told too those poultices were tn
!, dead eyes, and all the rest ct the drear
crystallized round them
: Yes said Adrian.
, bARGAINSi