Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-01-25
landlord of the hotel: the straight black

landlord of the hotel: the straight black
hair struggled over the livid skin and
chung to the dank forehead; the eyes
were liked and CLASSY, and stared horri-
bly,; the jaw had dropped, but the syco-
phantlsh smile was stamped even in.
death upon the hideous mouth. While
l stood gazing like one spell bound, |
saw the corpse gradually ris 'ng to a Sit
ting posture, not as though by any Volt
ton of its own, but with a perfectly
rigid movement, as though impelled by
q machine. All of a moment I felt its
arms coiled around my chest like the
folds of q serpent. l could scarcely
draw q breath; ! struggled to free my
self, though l knew that no strength
could avail against that deadly embrace;
thcn, as though still by some invisible
agency, we began slowly to rise into air;
the room, the bed, every object faded
into darkness, all was a black void. and
we seemed floating away into infinite
space.
l uttered q cry and awoke. knew l
was awake, but the nightmare was on
me Still, for l could feel the pressure
upon my chest and the strange upward
motion as plainly as [ had felt it in nv
sleep. l tried to move, but [ found my
self fixed to the bed, so firmly that l
could not stir hand or foot. Was it
merely the after-effect of my dream, or
was | really being raised to a perpen-
dicular position? 1 could doubt it no
longer. Slowly and smoothly the foot,
or rather the head, of the bed-for it
will be remembered that l had reversed
for my own convenience-dipped, while
the opposite end rose; at the same time
l could feel thick folds gathering
around my feet. The horror of the Sit
uation was greatly heightened by the in
tense darkness and by the awful silence.
When | had been brought to a standing
position, though without my feet touch
ing the ground, the motion ceased.
And did l not cry for help? At first my
bewilderment, my doubt as to whether
was sleeping or waking, held me
t~ongue-tied; and as thought once more
began to circulate through my brain, 1
knew that 1 was caught in some snare,
and that my cry would bring no assist
ance, but perhaps the assassin.
What the agony of that time was
like, only the man who, full of health
and strength, has suddenly been
brought face to face with death, can
realize. l knew that l was doomed,
and each second I expected to hear a
stealthy foot-step creeping toward me
and to feel a murderous grasp upon my
throat. But what need Of these elabor-
ate devicesp Why, if murder were in
tended, was mot dispatched in my sleep?
Minutes elapsed, nothing further hap
pened, and | could hear the pouring
rain without, but no other sound.
Almost the first thought that came to
my waking mind was the story of the
the mysterious death at La
Tour-du-Pin. l understood the. situa-
ton in a moment. l had fallen into a
similar snare OF, rather, I should have
done so had l not reversed the position
of my head. Yet how extraordinary,
how utterly unreal such a coincidence
was! Butfor the physical pain that was
too acute to be imaginary I could not
have believed it was other than a night
mare. continued to endure without a
struggle, on the suppositionthat my life
depended upon the assassins believing
that their murderous plot had succeed.
ed. How long it vas before relief came
l can not judge, but after a lapse Of
what seemed to me hours l felt the bed
gradually moving back to a horizontal
position. Then the pressure slackened
upon my chest and legs, I felt the cords
slide away, and 1 was once more free.
The worst OF the danger was now
over, but not all; truly l had the use of
my arms and legs, and could fight for
my life; but these people would be des-
perate at the idea Of their diabolical
plan being discovered, and the odds in
such q fight would be terribly against
me. must keep cool and not yield to
panic. 1t was still quite dark, yet ]
feared to strike a light, and after crop
ing for my clothes and dressing myself
1 sat down in a chair and waited for
the dawn. Can l ever forget the horror
of that vigil! Surrounded by an i'm
penetrable blackness, e. which brood
ed the phantom Of murder; scarcely
daring to breathe lest I should betray
myself to some stealthy listener; fancy
ing every moment that I could hear
creeping footsteps; that I could feel an
invisible presence; that l could see
shadows moving across the darkness,
and outstretched hands making for my
throat! Would the dawn never break!
1t came at last, van and CHASTITY as the
face of my dream; but never had the
most glorious sunrise been so grateful
to my eyes as was that CLEAN Of cold
gray light that broke at last through
the shroud of darkness that enveloped
me.
advanced on tiptoe to the window
and cautiously peered through the
glass. l could see that it was at least
twenty feet from the ground, andlooked
into a paved yard with high walls. That
way was hopeless. If 1 attempted to
leave the DON I might find the assassin
lurking on the stairs. The safest plan
would be to wait until later; until the
doors of the house were open; until
people were about the streets, andthere
would be a chance of assistance, should
/ need it.
looked at my watch; it was past
seven o'clock. Just then | heard some
one stirring below, a door open and
shut. While l stood listening with my
ear to the keyhole my attention was
attracted by another sound; it came
from beneath the bedsteau. and might