Weekly Trinity journal., 1878-11-16
FROM DEATH TO LIFE.

into the otherwise unlighted room. Oat-
side Winter storm beloved over the
chimneys, and beat seriously at the win
dow panes. Atar off we could near the
gust roaring among the naked hills, row
plunging shrilly through the skeleton
branches Of the trees, and again whirl-
ing over head with weird shouting
sound, that might we'll have proceeded
from the throats of evil things riding
upon the wind. The ghostly spirit oE the
storm seemed to have penetrated even
into our comfortable circle, for we had
got, l know not how, upon the most dis
NAL Of all subjectS-death.
We had canvassed the theme pretty
thoroughly before we discovered that two
of our number, the professor and the doc
tor, had taken no part in the conversa-
ton. They were sitting little removed
from the rest Of us, gazing gloomiiy into
the fire. Their ordinarily cheerful ex-
preston of countenance had given place
to sober, troubled look, and more than
once we had detected the exchange of n
strangely significant glance between
them.
As may be readily supposed, we were
not slow to press them for an explanation
Of their conduct. But for a considerable
time our efforts were fruitless. AT length
after much persuasion, it was the proles-
sor who spoke:
"Gentiemen," said he, gravely, mo
man cares to gain for himself the reputa-
tion of liar or maniac. Yet that is ex-
actly what you are pressing both of us to
do. | have no doubt that the experience
which am about to relate, and in which
my friend the doctor bore no important
part, will appear absolutely incredible to
persons Of your advanced views"
There was touch of sarcasm in the
worthy professors tone, but in our eager
ness to hear his story we found it conven.
lent to disregard this.
However," he continued, 81 shall
risk it. If you choose to disbelieve it,
why | shall endeavor to have charity for
your ignorance and conceit Now, doc
tor, it you will hand me the tobacco and
1ne of the ppes-the ranKer and blacker
the better--I will proceed"
Having allied his pipe ard settled him
self comfortably in his chair, he began
thus
at must be fully ten years ago that
the doctor and myself were engaged upon
a geological survey of the northern part
of this State. We had labored diligently
during the Summer and Fall, when to-
ward the close Of a cold November day
we shouIdered our knapsacks and turned
our faces homeward.
"Our way led through chain of black
and rugged hills toward a frontier town
20 miles distant, where we intended tc
take the railroad. A more forbidding re-
gion it has never been my misfortune tc
see. 1t was a perfect chaos, backeneC
and warped by prlmeval fires and dest
tute Of the smallest trace of vegetation
Tall cliffs lowered thousand feet abov,
our heads, shutting out the light of dul
November sky. Sluggish streams filtered
between the crevices of the rocks anC
poured noiseIessly into the deep and mo
tionless turns. 1t seemed that the bligh
Of death had fallen upon tho whole coun-
try.
"Well knowing the peril Of attempting
to proceed through such region after
nightMll we halted at sunset, and build.
ing fire at tho foot OF crag, disposed
ourselves to rest as we'll we might. Ex-
hausted with the tolls of tho day the doc
tor was soon asleep and was not long in
following his example.
"How long | siumbered l know not
when L found myself sitting lpright,
peering nervously in the darkness around
me. 1t seemed TO me that some one had
uttered wild, appealing cry in the very
portals of my ears. For some moments
| sat so, wondering and anxious. Then
| reflected I'll at as there could be no hu-
man being in the neighborhood besides
ourselves, the sound which had alarme
me must have been the shrek Of some
bird or animal. Explaining the matter
thus, was on the point of lying down
again, when | was arrested by a repetition
of tho cry. This time there could be no
mistake. Wild, long, and it re-echoed
among the crsgs with fearful shrillness
With an uncomfortable start ! turned
and shook the doctor to awake him.
"'Be quiet, he muttered, Il am awake
and heard il ALL"
"'What can it be7' asked anxiously
Surely, nothing human no one lives in
this region for miles around. Perhaps ii
is a wildcat
"'No,' he said, between his teeth,
such a sound never came from the throat
of wild cat. There it is again. Lis-
ten =
"The cry was repeated. 1t was wo-
mans voice, but it expressed such SUI
preme misery as / believe woman never
felt before. 1t came ringing up the gorge
with a weird and mournful intonaton
that chilled the blood in my heart. BY
the DOCTORS quick breath could tell that
he was as much effected as myself. Meth
er Of us spoke or moved both waited
for renewal Of the cry, in the hope OF
arriving at some rational explanation OF
it.
"Agsin it came ; but now like q low,
tremulous sob. / am not superstitiSus
man, gentlemen, but confess that | sat
there shivering with a specio Of horror
that was utterly new to me. What could
L..