The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-04-10
look a tgIf il does not please you.

Evidently he was angry; and Sir
Thomas, who had gone to the window
and was looking out, quickly turned
around and, taking me by the hand, said
in the kindest of tones:
g. Let your tutor, Frantz, keep his
crab-fsh; we love the trees better-the
green grass. Let us 60 and take walk
90 Yes cried the Doctor, and return
for supper at six o'clock Then raising
his voice You are not offended, Com
modore?'
1.-The Commodore turned around and
smiled gayly; then we mounted his car
rage which awaited him as usual at the
gate Sir Thomas wished TO drive him
self; so, dismissing his servant, he seat
ed me beside him upon the same seat,
and we started for Rothalps. As the
carriage moved slowly along the sandy
road strange melancholy seized upon
my soul. Sir Thomas also was grave.
He perceived my sadness and said:
80 You do not love those horrible fish
any more than I, Frantz. But thank
Heaven, there are none Of them in this
country. The one which your tutor has
in his case came from Guiana. It lives
in large marshy forests. which are con-
stantly filed with hot vapors, with burn
ing exhalations; this temperature is
necessary for lis life Its web, or rather
its vast sweep-net, wholly envelopes a
thiclet 1t catches birds as orr spiders
catch flies. But chase from you mind
these disgusting images, and dirk cup
of my good Burgundy
Then raising the top Of the second
seat he took from the straw 4 sort Of
rourd, from which he turned into
leather cup full bumper. When I had
drank my courage returned and / was
ready to laugh at my former fear. The
carriage, drawn by small horse OF the
Ardennes, slender and nervous, crept
along the sandy road, which lay before
Us almost perpendicular. Millions Of
insects buzzed in the bushes At our
right, not hundred steps from us, the
dark edge Of the forests of Rothalps ex-
tended, lighted by occasional patches tf
bright-colored trees and shrubs. At our
left fell the waters of Spinbronn, and the
higher we mounted the more distinctly
could we see the silver foam, which, as
it dropped into the abyss, was painted a
deep azure. The noise OF the falling
waters resembled the noise of the stri-
king of cymbals.
a was fascinated by this spectacle.
Sir Thomas, leaning forward in his seat
his knees on a level with his chin, aban-
doned himself to his habitual reveries,
while the horse, slowly picking his way
along and laying his head upon his
chest to serve as counterpoise to the
carriage, suspended us in measure in
mid air. Soon we attained less dan
gerous summit. The view was magnif-
icent; the immense perspective dazzled
our eyes. Turning our heads, we saw,
not far off, the cavern of Spinbronn. The
brushwood overhanging it was of vivid
green, and the water, which before fall
ing upon the plateau below flowed over
bed of sand and fiat pebbles, was so
limpid that we might have believed ii to
be glass if misty vapors had not covered
its surface.
"The horse stopped a moment to
breathe. Sir Thomas, arousing himself,
looked for some moments upon the SUR
rounding country. -; =
."' All is quiet said he. Then, after
an instant of silence If you were not
here, Frantz, think 1 should like to
bathe in the BASIN
but, Commodore, why do you not
do it? I should enjoy ramble about
here. see some fowers-I will gather
a boquet for my cousin. In an hour I
will return
"' Very well, Frantz, that is a good
idea Doctor pretends that drink toe
much Burgundy-this mineral water
will counteract its effects. This little
bathing place pleases me-
"Then jumping to the ground and
fastening his horse to the trunk of q
birch tree, he waved his hands as if tc
say to me, you may CO.
"I saw him seat himself upon the
moss and draw off his boots. As I with.
drew, he turned and cried:
"' Ir an hour, Frantz.'
These were his last words.
can hour after l returned to the place
The horse, the carriage, and the clothe,
of Sir Thomas alone net my gaze. The
sun had gone down. Darknes was gath
under the leafage; not the hum of an in
sect in the shrubs. The silence of deatl
brooded over the solitude The still
ness frightened me. mounted the rocl
which overlooked the caven; searched
right and left. No one! 1 called. N
response! The sound of my voice, re
peated by the echo, made me tremble
The night fell slowly. An indefnabl
anguish oppressed me. Suddenly tn
: story of the young girl who had disap
peared returned to my mind, and / hast
ened to descend; but arriving before tn
t cavern I arrested myself, seized with al
inexplicable terror. Glancing into tn
a dark shadow l could just discover tw
red, immovable points; then immens
e lines of something which were movin
: in a strange manner in this darkness
>, the depths of which no human eye ha
: yet penetrated. Fright gave to m
: sight, to all my senses, wonderful sui
= tilIty. For some seconds l heard yer
h distinctly a grasshopper uttering h
n complaint in the edge of the wood,
dog barking at some distance off in tn
t valley. Then my heart, an instar
!! stifed by emotion, began horribl
beating. Crying out, 1 fed, leavin
/ horse and carriage. In less than twel
ty minutes, leaping over rocks, bushe
le and underbrush, l reached the door
4 I IL i