The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-08-20

hung round the sufferers neck, and her
father took an oath that next day he
would disipter ths CORPSE OF Wiccznany
and burn It, Thus the night passed in
an excitement that nothing could allay.
At daybrcak next morning the whole
| village was ont. the men armed with
muskets or hangers, the women bearing
heated irons, and the children sticks
and stones. With cries Of rage against
the dead man. they all thronged 10 the
grave yard IL was with difficulty that
could obtain and retain n position
whence / could witness the ceremony Of
exbumation. IT. was slow, for IA all
strOve To take part ia IT., each iBterlcred
with the other. and not IL few serious
wounds would have been inflicted by
pick or shovel, had not the elders or
dered two men only to complete the
work. At the moment that the shroud
was unrolled, II horrible cry fairly
raised my hair on end II proceeded
from woman by my side.
'It IL n vampirel" she shrieked. "the
worms have not eaten i'll" and her
words were taken up by n hundred
mouths. Twenty musket shots shat
tered the head Of the corps to frag-
ments, while the father and relatives oi
Khava hacked the body savagely With
their long knives. and the women dip
ped linen cloths in the red liquid
that oozed from the wounds to apply To
the sufferers throat. The body VIA
dragged from the grave and firmly tied
TO the trunk OF small tree that had
been cut down and prepared, then
whore a pile Of faggots and straw had
been erected. Fire was set to it, and
the body was tossed into the flames,
while the people, yelling madly, danced
round the pyre. The abominable stencil
from the burning flesh soon compelled
me to take refuge in the house.
The house was crowded with visitors,
the men all putting at their pipes, the,
women all speaking ut once and over
whelming with questions the sick girl,
who sat pale and stupefied, the blood
soaked bandages round her neck form
ing CHASTITY contrast with her white
half naked shoulders. Little by little
the crowd diminished till we were left
alone. Khava grew more and more un-
easy as night came on, and insisted that
some one should watch by her bedside
AS her parents were worn
out with fatigueand excitement offered
my services as nurse and they were ac-
ceDted gratefully.
shall never forget the nights Ispent
by the bedside Of this unfortunate girl. |
The creaking OF IL board, the very muir
MUIR Of the wind made her start and
shudder She could not fall into u doze
without seeing visions OF horror, aud
from time TO time would wakeH with
fearful start and d cry of anguish. She |
had had one horrible cream, aud the |
village gossips had succeeded In CON- |
pletiug the ruin OF her mind by narra-
ing " her all the frigh,fui stories |
about vampires that they could remenl-
ber or invent. Often as she felt her ey es |
closing she would say to Ine, For Gods |
sake do not sleepl Take my rosary in |
one hand and your sabre In the other !
and watch over mel" Nor would she
.leep save with her two hands locked |
about my arm, locked SO tight that the |
grip OF her fingers would |
cave livid marks in my flesh. Nothing
;Ould distract her mind; she was alb
ectly afraid OF death, and believed that
The must certainly perish. In u lew
lays she grew shockingly thin; her lips
we're colOrless and nvid; her great
black eyes seemed even larger aud more