The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-02-24


yell of horror, / leaped forward again,
lodged round corner, ran down n
short passage, and again on, past pillars
and piles, when turning round 1 found
| that was alone; and hurrying to about
the center of the narrow passage, be-
tween the high walls, leaned against
the side painting and breathless
Now, If L could but reach the door
while he was Mt the other end, L thought,
81 should be safe;" and 1 kept on
nervously Watching the two ends of the
passage lest should be taken by sur
prise; when, to my horror, saw by the
gas shining upon it q savage head peer
round from the end nearest the way of
escape, watch me for o moment, and
then disappear. 1t was now quite dim
and twilight in oil the passages, and my
first impulse was to dart off in the oppo-
site direction; but little thought told
me that perhaps the wretch did not see
me, and therefore I had better stay
where / was; and so I stood minute
after minute, expecting to see him come
round one end or the other and dash
down upon me.
I knew that about half-past five the
watchman would come round, and then
l would give the alarm; but it wanted
nearly an hour of that time, and how /
was to hold out until then 1 could not
tell, for the very thought unnerved me;
and overcome with fear, I could feel my
knees tremble and seem ready to give
way beneath my weight.
Five minutes. passed-ten minutes
and still no sign. My spirits rose little,
and began to hope that escape was yet
possible, but abated nothing of my
watchfulness. Another five minutes,
and had almost determined trying to
steal down towards the door, where the
reflection from the gaslight made the
end OF the passage quite bright, while
where stood was in q faSt-deepening
shadow. Itook two steps forward noise
lessly, and then stopped stole on again
and stopped with a dead silence all
around, through which could hear the
singing of the gas and the loud "throb,
throb" of my heart. i had somewhat
recovered my breath, and kept Sinking
silently on, every now and then looking
back to see that there was no pursuit.
What I should have liked, and which
would have been in accordance with nv
feelings OF the moment, would have been
to dilsh forward; but I kept down the
desire, and crept slowly on between the
huge wallis of wool bales piled some eight
OF, nine feet, high. So -,
Only another three yards and here I
stopped, trembling in dread lest Wood
might be watching for me; but calling
myself cowardly, stepped on again,
and at last, with the light shining full
upon me, leaned forward to peer eau
tiously round the edge of the bales.
Slowly and quietly, nearer and nearer,
till looked round; and then, with q
horrible fascination upon me, l stopped
still-for, in precisely the same position,
Wood was craning his neck forward to
peep round at me and with eyes look
ing into eyes, and only three or four
inches apart, we stood what seemed
minutes immovable. Move could not,
speak could not, for my throat felt dry
and hot; while my eyes, fixed and star
ing, looking into those glaring, wild
beast-ike orbs, which seemed to hold
me fixed to the earth rs if some horrible
nightmare was upon me. 1 felt that if
closed my eyes but for n moment he
would spring at me; and at last, catching
the wool firmly with one hand, drew
myself slowly back, fixing his eyes the
whole while, and then, as my strength
seemed to come back, L leaped round
and fled down the passage once more,
as e! heard hideous yell, and saw Wood
dash into the entrance.
But there was silence again directly,
and lookingSback as reached the mid
die lcouldssee that I wassnot pursued;
when, fearing that with n madman's
cunning he had gone round to try and
trap me Mt the other end, stopped once
more where. was, mentally praying for
;aid, as 4 strained eyes and ears to catch
sight Of or hear my enemy.
"A quarter OF an hour must have passed
sglthonISa sound meeting my ears, and 1
was hopefully calculating upon aid soon
coming, when slight rustling noise
seemed to have been made close by me.
and 1 started and looked eagerly to,
wards the dark and then towards the
light end of the narrow passage I was
in.
Nothing to be seen; and tho minutes
again passed slowly on, when ali at
once came the most horribly uneartlily
yell l ever heard from Just above my
lead, ana then, overcome with terror as
II shrunk to the floor, / looked ND and
knew that Wood had erawled over the
top OF the wool; and as the thought
flashed through my mind, he bounded
down upon me and had me by the
throat.
I struggled for few moments, and
then lights seemed dancing before my
eyes, blood rushing to my head; and
then, in 0 half-inseIsible state, I have
some recollection of being dragged
along the floor into the gasligbt, and
then pulled and thrust about for few
moments, when there came the regular
thud- -thud of the little pump close by.
and could feel myself moving up-
words. But all seemed 30 calm, and
such desire for sleep was upon me, that
III yaq not fill a faorf,,l oa,,,o Sr