St. Landry democrat., 1878-09-21

his insane 1dea, and ne went on IN s
rapid voice:
~ escaped from the mad>house, but
my enemy has haunted me and fooled me-
ever since. I have tried the operation
dozen times, and just in the moment
of success he has come and triumphed
over me. l have seen him again and
again. To the poor fools that make uF
the world, he is but a name; but have
seen him, spoken to him, heard him
speak. His name is DEATH"
He suddenly drew his left hand from
his pocket, where he had kept it all the
time he had been speaking, and showed
me long, narrow surgical instrument,
which he handed to me.
"Take it," said he. ut is enchanted
| want yon to perform the operation
you have the skill and the phantem has
no power over you. Do this, and we
will share the glory of reward together
took it, almost snatched it, from his
hand. I felt it like an interposition of
providence in my behalf that he should
have surrendered 1t to me. Ny only
hope now lay iu making him imagine |
shared his enthusiasm, and effecting my
escape.
cit must succeed" l answered him ;
| "but there is no time to be lost. I will
60 instantly and seek proper subject.
Will you accompany nee, or remain here
till l return ?"
He turned upon me with foam gather
ing on his lips.
"Judas!" he yelled, "give it back to
me. Your are in league with death to
defraud me. But it shall not be. Ne
ver?"
saw it was no further use trying to
temporize with him, and threw the de-
licate blade upon the floor and crushed
it with my foot.
He sprang upon me with the ferocity
of a famished tiger, grasping me with
his strong, sinewy arms, and burying his
teeth in my shoulder, as, with q force
which seemed powerless as child
against, he bore me to the wall.
Oh, the agony of years that seemed to
be condensed in those few moments as
we struggled together-he with the rage
and blind fury of madness, and I with
the strength and stubbornness of despair
My strength was nearly spent, and I
felt all | could do was to make one final
effort, and then trust to Providence. AS
we came opposite the window I exerted
all my remaining strength, and, with an
old wrestling trick had learned as a
boy, suddenly changed my grip upon
him, and raised him from his feet.
The next instant l had flung him
crashing through the crazy easement.
Fora moment it seemed as if would
faint, but the next the head and
shoulders of the madnian still ..peering
above the window-ledge, brought me to
my senses.
Instead of being dashed to the street
below, he had caught on the spout under
the caves: and by the strength of his
arms was slowly, but surely, raising him
self to the window-ledge.
I did not pause to think, but instinc.
lively seizing q piece of br,ken sash, I
struck him with it on the fingers that
clutched the spout.
The cry that left his lips and the last
look of his face as it disappeared from my
sight, can never forget if I live for
hundred years. Sometimes, when it
comes before me in the silent night, !
fearfulIy say to myself it was murder.
But then, had | not done SO, it would
have been suicide.
I was, i'll with brain fever for weeks,
but recovered at length in time to take
my degree. 1t is all long past now
longer than I would wish it sometimes ;
but am not fond of talking of the story,
and this is the first time | have { yer told |
any one, eyond my personal friends, ofthis
so-called scientific assassin, who was only
a povr mailman, after all, and more to
be piUied than condemned.--T Nashville |
American