Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1883-01-27

| Cne almost lmpercopJlDle entrance TO
the little deep basin that Graded so Sc
curely his swift and sharp-stemmed
craft-a thing that hid herself in the
elements, that haunted the horizons
and mingled with the tints of evening
"a night bird of the waters.
When, therefore, the disguise of the
young revenue officer was torn from
him, the natural vindictiveness Of the
smuggler was augmented by a flaming
wrath because Of being so cunningly
tricked, and he had assigned a terrible
fate to his prisoner with as little mercy
as one would place his foot on a ser
pent's head.
But the man who had hazarded his
life in the discharge of his duty was
not one to give it up without a
struggle. A seemingly ornamental
buckle was on the back of the belt
which girded Corliss' waist but its
edges were sharp as razors. Across
one OF these edges he stretched his
hempen bonds. Strand after strand
snapped in twain, and at last his hands
were freed. Then he tore his arms
loose, dealt couple of powerful blows
which felied his would-be eXecutioners
to the ground, and then fled away in
the darkness.
OF course he was pursued by the
smuggler who acted as guide. but he
cared little for that, as he found it
tolerable easy running. He had ac-
quired, like most men who live much
in the dark, that cat-like perception of
obstacles which is due rather to in
creased sensitiveness of touch than
increased sensitivenesS Of vision. His
feet accommodated themselves to the
inequalities of the ground; his hands
ipstinctively outstretched themselves
toward the overhanging boughs; his
head ducked of its own accord to any
obtrusive sapling which bent to
obstruct his progress. But his pur-
suer was not so fortunate
Thrice did the young revenue officer
laugh mentally at crash and a scram-
bic that told of a fall. AT last, on
reaching a little rise, Corliss doubled
his efforts, trusting to his superior
muscular energy to shake off his pur-
suer. He breasted the rise and paused
to listen. He seemed to be alone.
= He was at the edge of the cliffs of
Cape Zoar. Below MIN lay the sea.
Out of the black emptiness came puffs
of sharp, salt wind. The tops of the
rollers that broke below We're blown
off and whirled away into the night
white patches swallowed up immedi-
ately in the increasing darkness. At
his feet arose frightful shrieking and
whistling, broken at intervals by re-
ports like claps of thunder. What
could it be?
All at once, on the track over which
he had passed, he heard sound that
chilled the blood about his heart-the
bay of dog. The whole smuggler
force was on his track.
The dog, crashing through the un-
derbrush, gave one short, sharp howl,
and ran mute. And Corliss stood for
a moment chained to the spot.
The shrieking which Corliss had
heard but moment ago had ceased,
but every now and then dull but i'm
mense shocks, as of some mighty bird
tapping the cliff with monstrous
wings, reverberated around him, and
shook the ground where he stood. He
looked away from the ocean, and tall,
misty form-white against the all-per-
vading darkness-beckoned and bowed
to him. He saw it distinctly for an
instant, and then, with an awful
shrek, it vanished.
"Oh, heayenp' ejaculatedthe hunted
man. "That bloodhound is almost
upon me-" and he bounded forward.
Again, at his feet, in his face arose
that misty form, breathing chill warn
ing as though to wave him back. The
terror at his heels drove him on. The
column disappeared and in lull of
the wind arose such medley of
shrieks, laughter and exultant wrath,
that Charles Corliss paused in horror.
Too late The ground gave way be-
meath his feet He was falling-fall-
ing Thank heaven A friendly
tree met his frantically clutching
hand.
A groan was cast up to him from
the depths below him--a gIoan that
changed into a roar as of tortured
water being forced upward-and
Charles Corliss knew where he was.
He was down in tunnel-spout,
which had been bored upward through
the cliff by the sea, and a water-spout
was coming.
"Oh, Father Almightyp gasped the
poor fellow, as, with both hands round
the tree, lie clutched his sleeves with
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