The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1885-11-26

shss wss silsDcs- ny pistol vss Pessssd
: Iitsls above The centre Of the figure, snd
assia l cried: Assvss. Of I'll shoot No
snsvsr eaaa ssd pullsd ths trisss
vas sure Of my ain. bst ~ shs osa'ss
seemed 10 bury itsslf harnisssly - me
vail beyond. Lowering ~. seat ssosh'
er bs,l soneshat lover. spd then shird
almost to ~ grossd. 6tih the nsufs
neither moved or spoke Thsrs y ssood'
vhiss. ghassly. and uninjursd by isAd. a.
the third shos Isit my pistol. I Isaped nom
the bed and rushed upon the shsPwy
form. A box Of cartridges lay upes the
table and these thrust into Tho breast
pocket OF my night shirt Cooking my
revolver as ran. tried 10 seiss the IN
sruder with my left hsad. ding myself
with all force upon 1t.
Horrorsl An instant later l vas thrown
down, down. l knew not how az o.
where. The floor seemed 70 havs opened
and svallovsd mo mp. With cfash
came 70 The botAen of The pit sreissd,
and 10 utter darkusss.
Coniussd half uncouscious. ! strugsled
10 ny feet. and oses noss there cane
Arst that moaning cry. and thea the drssd-
ful scream which had reused me from my
sleep.
You know how little superstition there
| is in my nature some cay indeed too lit
tle. for Il is dilicult for me TO believe in
nything not patent TO the senses, but ~
that moment there crept into my soul .
erisly fear Of something not Of this world.
| A shudder ran through my frame. could
feel my eyes dilate and open. 70 their ut
most, and 4 sweat cold ~ ice. mingled
from my brow with ths blood trickling
from my wounds. All was still Is death.
I tried to shout; my throat, day, parched
and contracted, refused its ofiicc. No sound
; came to break that horrid silence. l
strained my eyes into the black obscur'ty
which encompassed them-a darkness
| which could be felt. which pressed upon
/ me. which seemed TO hold me, bresthless'
, in its internal embrace. Nothing. A void
vast as the universe, narrow asa tomb.
8 Nv shuddering feet stood upon some
: thing Damp dark aud cold. ~ II they
!. rested on nest Of serp ents; above. around
silent pail OF uuutterable obscurity. MY
a elbow touched the wall; ! started il ssune
1 by scorpion or as il ghostly hands had
d siezed me from the nameless mystery
which lay around. Ny heart stopped ant
:, then sent the blood whirlipg to the brai'
g in sickening force Was l msd' We
i. this fever born dream9
IL Some dreadful thing, cold, Shiny
Ill was everything 10 this hideous place
Il crawled or wriggled from under and be
side my feet. Spots rad and green bega
II TO dance like demons eyes ip tue distanc
AL formed probably By pressure q -
r. blood upon the brain and nerves.
Il l have twice or thrice sipce then face
al THAT ssensd like probable death wisLo'
ln ush $780, aboat the matter. tat -
.l,tf was visi,Ne. tangible; notA hideor
:, void iks that laced on that Novemo
be nigAt.
al Ay,r tried te aalI ont, aud thus time
!, faint hoArse s,unG, which seemed 70
H. the yocs Of suetber. issuel from my up
=. had struck my bead violently In u
"a rapid descent. but gradually NY senses
-. turned and drove off the nameless drea
30 only to replace it with feeling OF hell
lessness, almost Of despair. The air v
an bitterly cold. cold with vault like en-
mo which stiffened my limbs (Olsd as v
,os 1 only in q single lined garment) to
III bone But, with the return OF thoue
4. came the better feeling Of wish to
,nal least struggle for existence. tried
e,s collect my ideas, to in some manoer 9
- plain how the strange thing could pos
80 bly, hAxe happened. Twas like resson'
ia around > circls
-. Wha. had bees 10 my room' How ca
-. Il threes Wlaat hsd It done to mel .
~. could possibly bass gone through
- HoorY Where bad J gSse7 Through '
nh sgencyi SO bAsk again, ~ who had .
- in nv room? How easne " fhersS ana
III. on through the round sgsin The NOR
. - Thought tue more inexplicalle. bscame
=. whole affair, but at least couai thin
!. shiver in nameless terror.
I 4.
urn. Enew not Where 4 was. but ley
that no sound could make could n
Colt the men. all OF whom were oatss0e
Int fort Even from the ground floor =
was it was quite certain that. especially on
York a night as this, with the waves pea
"A oo.inst the sides Of the inlet, no mer'
san port Of . pistol could be heard at su
like distance.
ap- Where could bei Was this
D. III NJ tbe thieves who bad h'ld the desc
rying fort 20 lougf II vas dark ~ only :
ssing dowless vault can be even q night
rt TO one rsy 10 show as IL the place we're
ur. or xmsll-a cellar or we'll. BY
setul, possible agency could / have been
have hurled 10 the pitt 4 had paced ove
% for whole room aud certainly 'ns,0
I'm. Of opening in the Aoor unless il had
.rred, most carefully masked. Besides
came felt sure th at my fall had been much
sisL . than the distance rom 'ns 'oo"
] an slept 10 to the cellar. ~! o4
Ia ny .ull somewhat clouded by the bio
10. besd had received. and which 'a'
-hsd besa struck Just before my =
~sAsr. before my being violently y
,...I. inward.
,orgb W .unately my pistol vaa ssi'i
fof' a the boz Of cartridges