The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1881-02-04
A REMARKABLE NARRATIVE.


cares to gain for himself the reputation of
a liar or a maniac. have no doubt that the
experience which am about to relate, and
in which my friend the doctor bore no unim-
portant part, Will appear absolutely incredi-
bic to persons of your advanced views. How
ever" he continued, Il shall risk it, If you
choose to disbelieve it. why shall endeavor
to have charity for your ignorance and con
ceit
cit must be fully ten years ago that the
doctor and myself were engaged upon geo
logical survey Of the northern part of the
State. We had labored diligently during the
summer and fall, when toward the close of
4 cold November day we shOuldered our
knapsacks and turned our faces homeward.
"Our way led through chain of black
and rugged hills toward a frontier town,
twenty miles distant, where we intended to
take the railroad. \ more forbidding re-
gion it has never been my misfortune 30 see
owe halted at sunset and building fire
at the foot of crag, disposed ourselves to
sleep as well as we might. Exhausted with
the tolls of the day, the doctor was soon
asleep, and 1 was not long in following his
example.
Glow long I had slumbered I knew not,
when / found myself sitting upright, peer
ing nervously into the darkness around me-
1t seemed to me that some one had uttered
a wild, appalling cry in the very portals OF
my ears. For some moments 1 sat so, Won
dering and anxious. Then I reflected that
as there could be no human being in the
neighborhood except yourselves, the sound
which had alarmed me must have been the
cI,r
the matter thus, was on the point Of lying
down again, when l was arrested by repe-
tition of the cry. This time there could be
no mistake. Wild, Ions, ard, it appeared to
me, full of intoleTable anguish, it re-echoed
among the cIags with fearful stiffness With
an uncomfortable start, turned and shook
the doctor to awake him.
BE quiet he muttered, 4 am awake
and heard all
"'What can it be- I asked anxsiously.
Surely nothing human no one lives in this
region for miles around. Perhaps its a wild
cat p
no he said, between his teeth, such a
sound never came from the throat of a wild
cat There it is again Listen =
''The cry was repeated. It was vonl-
ans voice, but it expressed such supreme
misery Jas I believe woman never felt be
fore. 1t came ringing up the gorga with
weird and mouTnful intonatiOn that chilled
the blood in my heart. By the doctors
quick breathing could tell that he was as
much affected as myself. Neither of us
spoke or moved both waited for a arenewal
of the cry, in the hope of arriving at some
rational explanation of it.
ulous sob. I am not a superstitious mdu,
gentleman, but ] confess that ] sat there
shlvering with a species Of horror that was
utterly new to ne. What could it be ? Not
a living woman, surely, alone and suffering
. in an inaccessible fastness where we felt Ger
tain nothing human dwelt? And then what
misery was it that gave itself such uucanny
7 expression? Not fear, nor bodily pain. but
something terrible, something nameless to
US. While we were debating these ques-
tions in smOthered tones, the cry came once
again, this time in words we understood.
Help Oh God ! helpr
AT this ineligible appeal to our manhood,
our superstitiOus weakness at once disap-
peared. Sezing a torch from the shoulder
ing fire, we made our way hastily toward
a pile of rocks a few hundred wards distant,
whence the sound seemed to have proceeded
Scrambling up the height we came upon q
strange and mournful scene. Before us
stood a small, wretched looking hut, evident
" constructed by hands unused to such la
Dor, unglaZed and without Z chimney. There
was dull light within, and through the open
door we saw the body of man, apparently
lifeless, lying prone upon the earthen floor
Beside him, with arms flying wildly over hel
head, knelt the figure of a woman, evidentl,
the one whose cries had alarmed us. It need
ed but glance to assure us that some strange
tragedy had taken place, and without a mo
ment's hesitation we entered the hut
''The woman raised her eyes as we ap
preached but gave no further heed to us
Apparently her great sorrow had driven he
distracted. She was a young creature, no
twenty, 1 should judge, and despite the SIGN
of hardship and sorrow visible on her feat
urcs, very beautiful Her form was sligh
and even attenuated, but in its shabby dres
preserved traces Of former refinement.
''IIer companion, "a young man Of abou
her own age, attired in coarse woodman'
suit had evidently succumbed to hardship
or disease, and was either insensibIe or dead
His pinched and ghastly countenance mus
have been once very handsome, but now j
looked old ana worn as that Of a man of six
ty He had apparently fallen in his presen
position, and the girl had been unable t
raise him.
''Afy friend the DOCTOR" continued th,
professor, 'bent over the poor creature, AM
endeavored to arouse her from her lethargy
"'Who are you?' hesasked, 'andswhat ha
happened o
He is dead-dead +" she muttered, hoarse
ly.
Z" Perhaps it is not as bad as that be re
joined. Tell us all about it. We are friends
my dear, and medical men, and maybe abl
to assist you.
"'He died this morning, before my yer,
eyes she moaned, died, oh, my God o
starvation! And l never knew that ne wa
depriving himself for my sake. Oh, my hus
band; why did you not let me die with you q?
And she threw herself across the body, sob
bing as il her poor heart wonld break Their
were tears in the doctors eyes, as he locke,
at me- added the professor, with tremo
in his voice, "and the rascal has alway
sworn that my own were not dry. That
however, is aside from the subject
Though we knew nothing of these tw
poor children-for they were but little NOR
we felt that we mad chanced upon a strange
SAD story of love, pride and suffering, sue
as is rarely told even in this unhappy world
"The doctor stopped down and felt at tn
heart of the PROSTATE man.
"'He is dead he whispered, motionin
me To initiate his exananIe