The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-06-05

everything was neatly arranged and
fit for use. "They must have got the
bath in order, and then, finding that
a nap" said Osman's companion.
Well, till some one awakes, we had
best change our dress, and make our
selves comfortable, for the meantime,
in the bathing room"
Osman agreed, and the two exchanged
their oUt-of doors dress for the costume
ordinary in an Eastern bath, consisting
OF very toga-like wrappers, and went
into the large vaulted inner room,
which was also lighted up and ready
warmed. Here they lay down on the
raised stone dias against the wall, with
dOme-like roof some twenty or twenty
five feet overhead, and the lamp hang
ing down from it in the centre.
While they thus reclined at ease,
waiting till either a servant or some
other bather like themselves should
enter, Osman, who had now no doubts
| left in his mind as to the real and bodi-
! " identity OF his companion, could not
resist the temptation of recounting to
| him the previous adventure of the
night. So he told how he had been
awakened and beguiled out of doors by
and voice the friend now beside him,
and how they had almost arrived at the
| bath, when the spectre betrayed itself
! for what it really was by the portentous
| feat already described. The other lis
! tened without interrupting the story in
| apparent astonishment, till as the nara
| tor concluded: $50" he subjoined,
Z" it hung the lantern it was carrying on
| the top of the big minaret, did it ? Do
you think he could have managed this ?"
and with these words, he lifted a leg
| and foot, which suddenly heightened
out just as the arm had done before,
and with kick struck the very highest
point of the central vault above them,
shattering to pieces the lamp where it
hung.
Osman Ieapt up terrified, as we'll he
might be, and found himself alone in
pitch darkness, for every light in the
bath had been instantaneously extin-
guished. Howe ever, as he had often
been in the building before, and was
thoroughly well acquainted with it, he
managed, in spite of his trepidation, to
find his way to the door, and rushed
out, in bathing costume as he was, into
the open air, leaving his own clothes,
which he did not venture to search af-
ter, behind him in the entrance-room.
But as he crossed the open space be-
tween the coffee-hc use and the bath, he
looked back, and to his horror, saw the
dim and distant top of the minaret
within the fortress once more lighted
up by the spectral lanterns hanging
there. Chill and trembling, he at last
got back to his own house. There he
found his wife fast asleep; and much
was she surprised when he woke her to
see him so quickly returned, and in such
strange attire. He now made a clean
breast of it, telling her of all that had
happened to him that night from first
TO last, and adding, that when the day
was up he would return to the bath and
fetch his clothes from where he had
left them.
But hardly had he finished his narra-
ton when, to the alarm of both, the same
rap that had twice been heard before
was repeated outside. Osman's wife,
naturally enough, entreated her hus-
band to pay no attention to it. But,
like Tam-o-Shanter in q similar case, he
would not take advice
All, gentle DANES it gaes me greet,
To think how monte counsels sweet,
How monte heightened sage advices,
The husband frae the wife despisesl
''But to our tale" Osman, who was
by no means a coward, and whose met
al was now fairly up, swore that he
would see the matter ont to the end
besides, added he, the dawn must now
be near, and it could hardly be q phan-
tom again this time. So he got up,
went, in bathing apparel as he still was,
to the house-door, and opened it. Sure
enough, there stood his friend, or what
seemed his friend, waiting. What is
N T,otEa1- nth Won - ocI-aI hba
81 that you stare so wildly at me ? and
how came you in such a dress?" MY
own wearing clothes are at the
BATH" replied Osman and forthwith
proceeded to give an account of all that
he had seen that night, and how he had
been twice spectre-tricked, thir king to
himself, eff this time it be aphantom, too,
like the others, [ may as well provoke
it to show its true character at once, be-
fore we go further" But his friend, on
hearing all this, expressed the utmost
astonishment. ''Me I" he said; "whv
I have only this minute left my house,
and was going quietly by myself TO
the bath, when it occurred to me that
might as we'll pass by your door and
take the chance OF calling You up, in
| case you might not be awake already.
You must have been dreaming somehow.
| for your clothes. where You have left
them, lest ANYBODY else may come in
the meanwhile and take fancy to
| them" Once more Osman felt sure
| that the speaker was his own neighbor,
and no other. So, after a little more
| parley. they went together, and soon
stood before the bath. AS before, the
outer door was wide open, and the inte-
rior of the building brightly lighted
no, but neither bath-keeper at the en-
| trance, nor any other living creature.
| Osman went to the corner where he had
first undressed, and there found his
clothes lying, untouched and folded,
exactly as he had left them. His first
impulse was to put them on without de-
lay; but his friend suggested that as
the bath was heated, they might as we'll
make use of it so the two entered the
inner room, there to wait till the ordi-
nary attendants should enter on service.
They sat awhile and talked no one
came. But suddenly a confused noise,
| like that of a crowd, was heard proceed
ing from one of the deep corner recesses
of the hall. Osman looked that way,
but saw nothing then turning his head
back a moment tOwar.s his seeming
friend, perceived that his face was
changed and horrible, and his stature
gigantic.
And no Y from the dark niche whence
the sound had been heard, issued long
! procession of countless figUres-men,
women, children, on foot, on horseback,
armed, unarmed, soldiers, peasants,
townsfOlk, spears, lances, swords, drums
and flies; a mixed multitude, large,
small, grotesque, fearful, hideous. They
filed the entire place; they swarned