Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-12-01

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bar he wrenched from the door-and escaped
with bis formidable weapon into the city. The
whole place was aghast at the news; and We
students at the hospital and dissecting- room
wko were connected with the asylum, had to
nerve ourselves to help capture the escaped
wild beast.
was about to commence using the knife on
subject. There was a storm raging, and with
a low sob the wind swelled through the long
aisle of forest trees. and flashed with the gath
cred force of an ocean wave against the dead
house. simultaneously, hand struck the
light door, and the yell of maniac rang
through ard through my brain.
Above the door, throu Oh the small ventlstor,
the fsce of the mailman and the murderer
peered down at ne.
9.sAh, ha. have caught you at last-here-
and alone. 1 have been waiting for you. You
took me once, did mt you? Ha, ha! Let me
eIs to action. 1 held his eye an instant; but it
was evident he was too wild for that; h Is blood
was w, and il roved with eager ferocity
through the room and over the frail walls.
With the light bound of a leopard, 1 gained the
door, and n ut the double bolt. A CLEAN of rage
darted from his eye; but he laughed; 'Ha hal
yon think that will keep ME out!r
He leaped to the ground. In an instant the
light was out.
"wait," / cried. 81 have a weapon in my
hand keen as a RAZOR. 1t is poisoned by the
dead body have been working on. Burst the
door aud III plung il in your heart. Ii it but
touch you. you are a dead man. You may xii
me. but III XIII YOU also, as certain As
Tie swarthy giant shook the door until its
hinges creaked and groaned beneath his hand
Then, laughing again low to himself, muttered,
"FoDl, III outwit you vet"
And stole eff in the darkness. l heard'him,
for an instant, pressing against the wall of the
building, and 1t swayed and bent inwards with
the weight. Then silence. The din of my
pulses made thunder in my ears, as tried TO
hear his stealing tread, and the sobbing wind
raising with weird, unearthly shrek,
made my efforts fruitless.
A tbnu nd mi hear his mi
laugh. A thousand times felt brawny strength
against the door, and saw his wild face look
down at me through the gloom. but still he did
not come. / tried to think he had abandoned
the design, and skunk off discouraged; but |
knew it was not SOL knew he was crouching
in some corner, on the watch to spring on me
Could I stay there all night? No, certainly
not. An hour more, and Harry Leigh (my
young wife's brother) would come TO seek me
III conscious OF the danger, until bloodhound
at his throat would choke the brave young life
down there for ever.
listened in the intervals of the now fitful
storm to shear II he was breathing near me. L
waited for the next lull. 1t came-that deep
hush that follows the gusty wind. put my soul
in the sense of hearing, but no human shadow
When the storm swelled again drew the
belt and looked into the night; black pail
hung over the earthsand sky. l had as good a
chance to pass him in the Obscurity as he to
catch me. With my knife in my t.eth, and the
massive thigh bone of skeleton to fell him
with, if / must. 1 drew Off my shoes and step
ont into the darkness. A sudden whirl of the
tempest almost took me Off my feet, and brick
dislOdged from of the chimneys, grazed my
head Is its passage and broke in half on the
pavement.
With bated breath. and a step like the tread
of panther seeming his prey, parted me
thick darkness and turned my face toward the
hospital He might be either here--or hid in
the angle of the wall at the door through which
must enter. This seemed most probable: but
there was another door known only to doctors.
l thought 1 would elude him. With infinite
,cautiOn began TO scale the high wall, dreading
horribly lest some sudden break in the sky
might reveal to the wild eyes that watched for
me-but no.
Safely passing the summit threw my leg
over for the descent, and felt nv foot seized.
IL was but the climbing tendril of a wild vine,
skirting the wall. Grasping my knife in 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 | was steering straight. Suddenly my
foot struck bricks. What was this? l tried to
recollect. , here was no pavement round that
pushed on uncertainty, and feeling a weight
in the air, put out my hand TO grope for some
clue to my whereabouts. | was in an alley
banked with stone walls far above my head. |
gave a sudden turn. In an instant / knew |
was in the subterranean passages of the asylum
Turning TO retrace my steps, the OPAQUE densi-
~ of some heavy body crOuched between me
and the outer air. heard its stitied breathing
its stealthy tread approach me. Just heavens!
he had followed me from the very door of the
dead hoase here! struggle for life with
mailman in these narrow, gloomy vaults-tO lie
in the pool of ones own hearts blood in this
undiscovered tomb-and my young wife, Con-
Stance!-was maddening!
For an instant my brain was on fire. Then /
thought .there might be All eXit-Other devious
windings in which / could elude my deadly pur-
suer. Going deity backwards, turned the an
gle in the wall, and then plunged at the utmOsl
speed of a young and active man along the
back passage. Instantly knew was pursued.
Meeting another crossed path struck INTO it
ly followed me. What a race through those
cavernous depths of the mad house! What
tragic pitfalls might Turk at every step? wha
black and stagnant pools lie waiting to eRgulf
me! what deeper depths of icy blackness into
which to fall-and fall for ever!
The passage grew narrower. We were, per-
haps, under the very center of the building,
and farthest from the outer air. had tried to
breathe noiselessy; the effort exhausted me. l
knew nothing of the labyrinths; could only
guess at our position by the distance from the
entrance. had counted the turnings we had
made. 1 thought l could retrace them. My
strength was falling. was the heetest, but he
was most enduring.
terrible venture, but the necessity was immi-
nent. | would try it. Gathering all my force,
darted like an arrow on into the darkness
The suddenness of my increased speed bafiled
him. 1 succeeded in putting fifty yards be-
tween US, gained and turned the next angle;
then, drawing myself against the wall, with
natural tension with the mighty heavlng of my
spent chest crushed into silence by an iron eff
fort of despairing will, awaited for him to pass
me. heard him come rushing on with new
strength through the blackness, reach the an
gle, 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 felt that he was
feeling for mel that he was crouching on the
stones. I saw the red of his eyelids 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. And
the mad rage OF a man at bay surged upward to
my brain. | clasped 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. |
ciasped him to my breast. 1t was Lion! nv
| dog, Lyon.
'SGreat heaven, Keene. what kept you the
| whole night in that dead house? 1t is near day;
| the door has been open this two hours, and
| Derby and King have bean asleep. L was get
| ting 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
tbat?"
"why, he howled like maniac, and clawed