The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-10-25

There were six of us seated before blaz
ing efre which cast generous glare into
the otherwise unlighted room. Outside a
winter storm beloved over the chimneys,
and beat seriously at the window panes
Atar off we could hear the gust roaming
among the naked bills, now pungng shrilly
through the skeleton branches of the trees
and again whirling overhead with weird
shouting sound, that might well have pro-
ceeded 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 l
know not how, upon the most dismal of all
subjects-death.
We had canvassed the theme pretty
thoroughly before we discovered that two of
our number, the professor and the doctor,
had taken no part in the conversation. They
were sitting a little removed from the rest of
us, gazing gloomiy into the fire. Their or
dnarily cheerful expression of countenance
had given place to a sober, troubled look,
and more than once we had detected the ex-
change of a strange significant glance be-
tween 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 vas the professor who
spoke
Gentlemen, said he gravely, no man
cares to gain for himself the reputation of a
liar or 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 ad-
vanced views
There was touch of sarcasm in the worthy
professors tone, but in our eagerness to hear
his story we found it convenient to disregard
this.
However, he continued, Il shall risk it,
If you choose to disbelieve it, why | shall
endeavor to have charity for your ignorance
and conceit. Now, doctor, if you will hand
me the tobacco and one of the pipes--the
ranker and the backer the better-I will
proceed.
Having filled his pipe and settled himself
in his chair, he began thus:
1T must be fully ten years ago that the
doctor and myself were engaged upon geo.
logical survey of the Northern part of this
State We had labored diligently during the
summer and fall, when toward the close of a
cold November day, we shouldered our khap-
sacks and turned our faces homeward.
'Our way led through a chain OF black and
rugged hills toward frontier town, twenty
miles distant, where we intended to take the
railroad. A more forbidding region it has
never been my misfortune to see. 1t was a
chaos, blackened and warped by primevsl
fires, and destitute of the smallest trace Of
vegetation, Tall cliffs lowered a 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 noiselessly into deep and notion
less turns. 1t seemed that the blight of death
had fallen upon the whole country.
We'll knowing the peril of attempting to
proceed through such region after night
fall, we halted at sunset, and building fire
at the foOtof a crag disposed ourselves to rest
as well we might. Exhausted with the tolls
of the day, the doctor was soon asleep, and
| was not long in following his example.
I l,I ..
when found myself sitting upright, peering
nervously in the darkness around me. 1t
seemed to me that some one had uttered a
wild appealing cry in the very portals of my
ears. For some moments | sat so wondering
and anxious. Then | reflected that as there
could be no human being in the neighbor'
hood besides ourselves the sound which had
alarmed me must have been the shrek OF
some bird or animal. Explaining the mat
ter thus, | was on the point Of lying down
again, when | was arrested by a repetition OF
the cry. This time there could be no mis-.
take, Wild, long, and, it appeared to me
full of intolerable anguish, it re-echoeG
among the crags with fearful shrillness
| With an uncomfortable start, | turned anc
| shook the doctor to awake him.
"Be quiet, he muttered, Il am awake ano
heard it ALL
"What can it be p | asked, anxiously
Surely, nothing human no one lives in th
region for miles around, Perhaps it is a wilC
cat
"No, he sa id, between his teeth such
sound never came from the throat of wilt
cat There it is again, Listen
The cry was repeated. 1t was a woman
voice, but it expressed such supreme miser
as believe woman never felt before.
came ringing up the gorge with weird an
mournful intonation that chilled the bloo
in my heart. BY the doctors quick breath
ing | could tell that he was as much affecte
as myself Neither of us spoke or moved
both waited for a renewal of the cry, in hop
of arriving at some rational explanation c
it.
Again il came, but now like low tremu
lous sob. l am not superstitiOus mar