Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1886-08-05

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He lee 80 Of me. with wild veil, ant
went capering and dancing over tn,
roof. &
i Flash after flash came, succeeded b,
heavy peals of thunder, and then th,
rain began to descend. After takins
few turns mp and down the roof
Welsh ran up to me. seized my arm
and dragged me along in his mad
dance.
This VIII be glorious r he shriek,
ed; "the devils viii be swept away By
the food. and then they won't haun,
Us any more. Faster faster. We
must sweer along like the laurri.
cane =
He forced me rapidly up and down
the roof, cruelty grasping my arms
and striking me with his fist when !
Jagged behind.
Faster, | say !" he yelled; "you
must keep up or | will kill you
Don't YOU hear the fiends climbing up
TO seize us -
At length | could 20 no further.
We were both thoroughly drenched
with the falling rain, and the flashing
and roaring Of the elements was
enough to aPpall one of stouter nerves
than a boy of sixteen. Ii was close
to the trap door where sank down, and
instantly made up my mind to at
tempt an escape. Welsh also stop.
ped but IN a moment more let 90 his
hold on me, and went dancing over
the roof again. | could not see him
except when "a flash of lightning re.
vealed to my gaze even the gravel
stones on the roof; but heard him
HIM every instant. While he was at
the further end of the roof hurried
iy raised the door, and had descend.
ed a step or two, when he caught Inc
by the hair and dragged me back.
"You want to leave me here alone
do you ?" he shouted, and kicked me
with every word. "Now / am going
to kill you I'll throw you over the
cllif' and the raging waters shall car
ry your dead body down TO the bay.
Are you afraid? ?" he went on, drag.
ging me toward the rear end of the
root. Look downthere. Don't Won
see the faces of the dead looking mn
from the river? Can't you hear them
moaning and gnashing their teeth ?"
He kept dragging me on until only
the battlement separated us from the
fifty feet of descent which interviewed
between us and the sharp rocks in the
river bed. | hung back, feeling that
he was going to hurl me over; but |
Was mere boy and he a giant in his
maniac strength.
Come, climb up !" he yelled; don't
you hear the demons laughing don't
you hear the spirits crying lor your
blood -
There was struggle for moment,
but he lifted me to the top of the
wall, sprang up after me. and began
to pray. Cursing and muttering, the
maniac steadied himself on the wall,
seized Inc by the hands. pushed ME
with his foot. and in another instant
ne was holding me there, suspended
over that yawning grave of darkness.
He commenced swinging Inc back and
forth, TO get my struggling legs clear
OF the bricks, and ! felt that no power
Oh earth could save me. In an in.
slant | thought OF the agony Of the
fall, oi the pain when | should strike |
the Jagged rocks, of the feelings of my |
mother when my mangled body should |
be drawn from the river, and real. |
lied that was fainting away. Ny
eyes were fast shut. my heart had al. |
most ceased to beat; l felt myself 90
ing down, when he shouted again:
"The tiends have stopped singing
they don't want you just yet. Hear
them they tell me to wait moment |
more -
lie drew Inc up, and roughly tossed |
me down ON the roof. was too weak |
to move, and utterly incapable Of re-
sisting in any way. He stood over
me-ior moment. with his foot raised
as il TO crush his boot into my face,
but seemed TO get new idea. Leap.
lngup OF the battlement, he peered
down into the darkness, leaning over
20 far that | surely thought he was
falling. No sane man could have
stood thus for moment. looking down
INTO that mad river, but Welsh knew
no fear. The storm was going of TO
The northeast; the rain had ceased TO
fall, and the thunder growled hcarse-
" now and then. Suddenly, the ina
niac shouted. "Fire," ''ire :" at the
ioP of his voice, and went running