The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1880-03-30
FOUR DREAMS.
A Curious Little Story Written Be-
fore He Became Famous: BY
Emile lola.

The evening shades were falling
ever q deserted battlefield; the
victory was won, and four soldiers
camped in a lonely corner were en-
Toying a tardy meal. Seated on the
grass in front of a large fire, before
which few slices of lamb were cook
ing. the red light cast a strange shadow
and the pale flicker revealed
many sleeping their last sleep. The
soldiers were laughing boisterOusly,
scarce noticing the glazed eyes fixed
on them. The day 5 work had been
severe, and the living were resting,
not knowing what the morrow might
bring. Death and night were spread
ing their wings over the blOod-s;ained
earth where terror and silence were
standing side by side.
Their feast ended, Gneuss began to
sing, bis deep voice sounded hoarse as
it fell on the desOlate and mournful
air; the song SO joyous on his lips
echoed but a sob; astonished at the
strange accents, he began singing
with redoubled ardor, when a pierre
ing cry, issuing from the shadows,
disturbed the little group.
Gneuss was silent, and with q
troubled expression said to EIberg
"Go see which corpse is awaken
ing"
Elberg went. armed with a sword
and q lightened torch. His COM
panions could just perceive the outline
of his form as he bent over the dead,
but he soon disappeared.
"Clerlan, said Gneuss, after short
silence, "the wolves are about to-
night, go look for our friend.
And Clerian went, and was in turn
soon lost in the darkness. Gneuss
and Elem, tired of waiting for the
return of the wanderers, rolled them
selves in their cloaks and lay down
by the smoldering embers. Their eyes
were just closing. when the same
dreadful cry rent the air. Elem rose,
walked silently to the spot and was soon
lost in the gloom.
Gneuss sprang to his feet. terrified
at the sight of the black gulf where
the agonized gurgle rang. He threw
a few dried leaves on the buring logs,
hoping that the brightness would dis
sipate his fears. The flame rose,
shedding its light in CHASTITY red cir
Gle on the ground; in this circle the
shrubs looked unreal. and the dead
seemed reused by invisible hands.
Gneuss' terror increased; he shook
the lighted branches and stamped out
the flames. As the thick shadows
fell around him once more he shud-
dered, fearing to be again overtaken
bv the death shout. He could not rest.
He sat down, then rose again to cal!
his companions, but the sound of his
own voice made him shrink and fear
that it he had attracted the attention
of the surrounding corpses.
Suddenly the moon appeared, and
Gneuss trembled to see it shedding its
pale beams over the battlefield. Night
no more concealed its horrors. The
plain, strewn with dead and dying,
seemed to extend under the shroud Of
white light, and this light seemed to
give an nnearthly touch to the scene.
Gneuss. now thoroughly reused, won
dered whether he could ascend the
and extinguished the pale
night torch. In his excitement he
thought the dead must rise and speak
to him now that they could see him
SO plainly. Their: perfect calm was
and, expecting every moment
to be ovcrtaken by some dreadful
catastrophe, he closed his eyes. But
as he was standing there a strange
heat touched his left heel. He
stopped. and saw a thin rivulet of
blood flowing past his feet, leaping
over the stones and causing a gay
murmur. 1t came out of the shade,
in the iEht of the pale
moonbesms, then fled and returned to
the darkness like. a snake, in Its
tortuous windings. Gneuss could
not remove his eyes from the tide of
flowing blood. He saw it swelling
slowly, and visibly getting larger;
The rlvulet became a peaceful stream
that a child could have easily leaped
over; the stream became an ever
torrent, bursting over the
ground and throwing up a red foam
IN all sides; the torrent became an
immense flowing river.
The river was ever carrying away
he dead, but cold SILVER ran over
,im as he saw that it was supplied by
he blood running from their wounds
Gneuss kept moving backward
rom the ever-increasing tide; he
,ould no longe. distinguish the op-
,osite bank, and the valley was
hanged into a lake.
suddenly he was stopped in his
curse a cluster of rocks imped-d
lis flight. He soon felt the waves
Gaping round his knees, and the
cad drifting on. insulting him in
heir course, each one of their wounds
a blood-stained mouth to
coff at his fears. The dreaded sea. |
yer increasingsnow touched his waist. |
lie made fual effort, by clinging to !
he cracks in the rock (; but alas ! the |
Ock gave way, and the tide covered
is shoulders. The moon, pale and
ad. watched this sea where her rays |
'ere not reflected! The light foated
eavenward; this immense sheet of
and clsmorous blood seemed
D be The entrance to some great
byss. The waves ever ascending
,uched and covered with their red
'am the lips of tortured Gneuss.
At dawn Elberg returned; he
oke Gneuss, whom he found sleep
~ NTH h,s head v,;llovaJ On, :, .tnco 4