Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1878-11-14
gfl'sreHssg,
FROM DEATH TO LIFE.

FROM DEATH TO LIFE.
There were six of us seated before bla-
zing fire, which cast il generous glare in
to the otherwise mlighted room. Outside
Winter storm beloved and beat serious
ly ut the windowpancs. Afar of'wc could
hear the gust roaring among the naked
nils, now plunging shrilly through the
skeleton branches of the trees, and again
whrling overhead with Il weird shouting
that might well have proceeded from the
throats of evil things riding upon the
wind. The ghoStly spirit of the storm
seemed to have penetrated even into our
comfortable circle, for we had got, know
not how, upon that dismal OF NIL subjects
death.
We had cdnvasscd the theme pretty
thoroughly before we discovered that two
Of our number, the professor and the doe
tor, had taken no part in the conversation
They were sitting a little removed from
the rest of us, gazing gloomily into the
lire Their ordinary cheerful expression
Of countenance had given place to SOBER
troubled look, and more than once We mad
detected the exchange of strangely-sig-
niicant glance between them.
As may be readily supposed, we were
not slow to press them for an explanation
of their conduct. But for considerable
time our efforts were fruitless. At length,
after much persuasion, it was the profess
orwhO spoke:
"Gentlemcn, said he egrayely, mo man
cares to gain for himself the reputation of
a liar Or a maniac; Yet that is exactly
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 unimpOrtant
part, will appear absolutely incredible to
persons OF your advanced views.
There was Il touch of sarcasm IN the
worthy professor 5 tone, but in our eager
ness to hear his story we found it conyen-
lent to disregard this.
However, he continued 81 shall risk
it. You choose to disbelievc it, why, |
shall endeayOr to have charity for your ig-
norance and concert Now, doctor, if you
will hand ne the tobacco and one of the
pipes. the ranker and backer the letter
i will proceed
Having fledhis pipe and settled himself
comfortably in his chair he began thus:
ut must be fully ten years ago that the
doctor and myself were engaged upon IA
geological survey Of the northern part of
this State. We had labored diligently
during the Summer and Fall, when toward
the close Of Il cold November day we .hOul-
dered our knapsacks and turned our faces
homeward. Our way led through chain
Of black and rugged hills toward Il frontier
town twenty miles distant, where we
intended to take the railroad. A more
torblddng region it hats never been my
misfortune to see. 1t was perfect chaos,
blackened and warped by primcval fires
and destitute Of the smallest trace of veg
citation. Tall cliffs lowered thousand
feet above our heads, shutting out the
light OF the dull November sky Sluggish
streams filtered between the crevices Of the
rocks and poured rOiselessly into deep and
motlonless tarns. 1t seemed that the
blight OF death had fallen upon the whole
country. Well knowing the peril of at
tempting to proceed through such a region
after nightfall we halted at sunset and.
building FIRE at the foot of crag, dis
ed ourselves TO orest a, we'll u. go might.
Esnlp I'd with the tolls of IN, dpy lbc
!yc.o, was soon asleep, and was n.t long
in following his example.
How long | slumbcred | knew not
zen FOUND myself gu~s., pyyua- nnr-
vously in Tn, darkness around me-. II
seemed 10 NJ That me one had r...red
q wild appealing cry 10 the very partals
Of my ears For SOL moments ( sat.
w0nderng and anxious Then reflected
aat as there could be no human being in
.Ua neighhorhood bo-i1ra 0ur.plvr.. the
md which had l'uumaI mast have been
4o mlek ol 'oma bird q arimal Ee.
lining tine matter thus, ] wB ,a tine
POINT d lllng down dg0.rwlu was g..
t!Stoe " IL. repetition the ,U.. lhr
time there could be no mistake. !" Ii,
long and, 1t appeared to me, full of intol-
cradle anguish, 1t re-cchocd among the
crags with tcartl' ,lrillness. With an
uncomfortable ST., turned and shook
the Doctor to awake him.
BE quiet, he muttered. i am awake
and heard it all.
"'Wh1t can It hn? | a0';al anxiously.
Surely nOthin hGman; No enc lives in
this region for miles aripnd. Perhaps it
is wildcat.
"'No,' he said between his teeth; such
sound can never come from the throat OF
awlluca'. There 1t is again. Listen!'
"The cry was repeated. 1t was a wo-
mans voice, but it expressed such su-
preme misery as ! believe woman never
felt before. II ca'ae ringing up the gorge
with weird and mournful information
that chilled the blood in my heart. By
the doctors quick breath could tell that
he was as much affected as myself. lNei-
ther of us spoke or moved; both waited