The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-09-03
NEAR UNTO DEATH.


Ssr York Times.
There we're SIX VI Us seated before
4 blazing fire which cast . generous
glare into the otherwise unlighted
rom. Outside u winter storm below
FL over the chimneys. and heat
At the window.pane Altar
I'll We could hear the gusts rarins
among the naked hills, nov p!ungiug
shrilly through the skeleton branches
Ut the trees. and again whirling over
head with q wsird shouting sound.
that might veil have proceeded from
the threats Of evil things riding upon
the wind. The shostly spirit OF the
storm seemed To have penetrated even
into our comfortable circle. t,r We had
got. ! know n"t how, upon that most
dismal It all subjects. death.
We had c,snvassed the theme pretty
thoroughly befure We discovered that
tw" cf our number. the professor and
the d.cto-, hal taken IND part in the
conversation. They we're sitting .
little removed from the res; III ne.
gazing gloomilv into the fire. Their
ordinary cheerful expression If counte-
nance hal given place to a spber,
troubled look. anil more than once we
had detected the exchange Of q
strangely significant glance between
them.
As may lie readily >uplUse,, Ne
we're not slow % press them for an
explanation 1T their conduct. But
f,r u considerable time our efforts
were frnitless. NJ length. after much
persuasion il was the professor who
spike.
Gentlemen. said be gravely. I'D man
cares to gain far himself the reputation
IT q liar or o maniac. Yet that il
exactly what yoc are pressing Us both
tn III. | have M doubt that the
experience which I am alDut to relate.
and in which nv friend the d,eior
bore no unimpOrtant part. will ap.~ar
absolutely incredible I" persons Ut
yOuI aOSSuCeO VbcWA
There was touch Of SARCASM in the
worthy professors tone. but in our
eagerness to hear his story We found It
convenient u disregard this.
However. he continued. / shall risk
il. II YOU choose tn disbelieve it,
Why l shall en.leavor to have charity
for your ignorance aud conceit. Now
doctor. If you will hand me the t"bac-
Gu. and one Of those Pipes-the rxnker
and blscker the better-l will proceed
Having filled his pipe aud settled
himself comfortably iu hts chair he
began thus:
1t must be fully ten YEAR. ago that
the .loctor AMI myself were engaged
upon geological survey of the north
ern part Of this state. We had laboretl
diligently during the summer and fall.
when toward. the Close If y cold
November dav. we sh"ukiered our
knapsack> and turned our faces home
! ward.
Dur wav lei through n chain ri
black aud rugged hiil> toward 4
{. frontier town, twenty miles distant.
where we intended ." take the rail-
road. \ nore fnrbil.iing region il
has never been my misfortune 10 zee.
II was perfect chars. blackened and
wrapped bv primeval fires and destitute
III the smallest trac. It vegetation.
Tall cliff: t"were,l Il thousand feet
shove our head. shutting out the ligh,
of the dull November .ky. sluggish
streams filtered between the cr-vices
Of the rocks, and poured noi-ele-sly
into deep and moiionless tarns. II
seemed shat the blight Of death had
falleo upon sh. whole country.
Well knowing the peril Of attempt
ing to pr~.erd through such = region
after nishtfail. we hal'.-i at sunset,
ansi buildin. y fir NJ the fpol III q
cray. di-p'-e,l ourselves I" rest ~ veil
wc might. Exhausted with the tolls
of the day. the d,srtor was ann
asleep. and | Was not long in follow.
ing III eXamp~-
How long I hid slumber-d I know
not. when I found myself sitting up
right, peering nervovsiy into the dark.
nes- arN,nd M. 1t seemed tn ME
that some one had Witere.i Wild xp-
Penling cry in tine very portals 1T my
ears. For some moments [ sat 50
wondering and anxious, Then | re
tlez.issi that as there c,'uli BE- 10 hu-
man being in the neighborhoul besides
ourselves. the sound which hail alarm
Ell me must have been the shrek Of
some night bird VI animal. Explain
ing the matter thus, was IN the point
Of living down again. when | was ar
rested by a repetition Of the cry. This
time there could be M mistake. Wild,
long-.lrawn. and il appeared to me full
If intolerable snguish, it reschoed
among the crags with fearful shrill-
nc.s. With an uncomfortable start |
turned and shDnk the doctor In awake
him.
BE quiet" he muttere.l, IL am
awake and heard it all"
'.What can It be-" I asked anxious
". "Snrely nothing: M one lives in
this region for miles around. Perhaps
il i. Wild cat"
"No," he said between his teeth.
"Such sound never came from the
thruai IT wih cat. There II Is again.
LISTEN"
The cry MAS repeated. Il was =
woman,s v.ice. but it expressed such
misery ~ believed woman
never felt before. Il came ringing up
the gorge with weire,i aud mOurofaI
that CHILLED the blood in
my heart, By the doctor's quick
breathing ] could tell that be was as
strongly affected ~ myself. Neither
Of Us spike or moved both waited
for u renewal Of the cry in the hope Of
arriving at SOme rAfiOnal eyDlanation