Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-17


habited earth-above the abodes of human
kind-above life itself, alone in the frozen
sky. A mad desire to dy took possession Of
him, no matter where, no matter how, to
descend to .Losche, even if he fell into an
abyss himself; but the dead man, his COM
panion, barred the way At last, weary with
walking, he threw himself upon a chair.
he dreaded tho bed as one breads haunted
place.
All at once, as he sat there, it came again,
that strident cry, Zurich! Ulrich!" He
threw up his hands, he started to his feet to
repulse the ghost, but fell back, his chair
overturning with crash. Sam, startled by
the noise, began to howl and to rush from
place to place, to learn whence came the
threatened danger. At the door be stopped
and shifted beneath it, his hair on end, his
tail erect. Ulrich, bewildered, seized his
chair by the leg.
''Don't come I'M" he shrieked, "don't come
in, I tell you; I'll Kill your The dog, ex-
cited By his manner, barked and howled
louder than ever. As nothing came, how
ever, he quoted. and once more stretched
himself before the fro, but not to sleep-he
was still restless and uneasy and leaped at
movement Urich also regained bis senses,
but feeling exhausted by strain and terror he
went to the cupboard and poured himself
glassful after sl.ssful Of the brandy that was
always kept there-he who rarely touched q
drop of liquor 1t strengthened him won
derfully particularly lis courage a burn
ing fire seemed to fill his veins. He ate
scarcely anything. but drank, and only
Nrandy. He lived thus fifteen days.
AT last, one night, pushed to his last ex-
tr,mity, he threw wide the door-he was go
ing to fy-but a gust of wind met him in
the face, the door slammed and Ulrich closed
and bolted it without perceiving that Sam
was outside. All at once, shivering before
the fireplace he started and bent bis ear
some one was crying and scratching at the
door, the wall, the sill of the window.
$50 away" be cried; ''go away" A long,
plaintive moan alone replied to him At this
all reason left him, dissipated by horror.
He ran from side to side, from corner to cor
ner, striving to find hiding place from the
one outside, always moaning, up and down
the house, against the walls, the door, the
step. At last he darted to the buffet filed
with vessels and provisions, and with super
human strength dragged it against the
panels and heaped upon it, piece by piece, all
tho furniture that remained-chairs, tables,
bed and mattress Then, in the same way,
he barricaded the windows, as if besieged by
an enemy But the one outside now only ut
tered piteous groaning, to which Ulrich
answered from within.
Days and nights passed thus in bowling,
the one at tho other, ono turning ceasclcssly
around the dwelling, scratching and tearing
It the walls with his nails, as if he wished to
icmolish it, tho other following his move
nents, half bent, his car to the ground, and
answering his calls by frightful cries.
One night Ulrich heard no more; worn out
With fatigue he dropped asleep. When he
evoke his brain was blank. Not memory,
not thought remained to him. 1t was as il
his head had been empticd in that over
towering lethargy. He was hungry-he
|ould est.
Winter was ended; the pass Of the Gcnmi
practicable: the Hauser family returning to
ne inn and talking Of the two men they were
=oon to meet. They were surprised that
leither Of them had descended before this to
go if tho route was open and to give them
levs of the winter. Before long they per-
,eived the Schwarcnbach, covered and
:rowned with snow, the windows and doors
hat curled from tho chimney, treasured
.athcr Hauser. But on drawing nearer a
}l,clcton greeted them on tho doorstep, an
.nirnal, its bones picked clean by the eagles
SAM said the mother Hauser. and she
,egan to call: ''Gsspard! Gaspard!" A Cry
rom within answered her-a sharp cry ike
40 wall of a beast. They rushed to the door
I'd sought to open tit resistcd-they were
creed to break it with beam brought from
he empty stable. The wood cracked, yielded
nd broke in pieces, followed by noise that
nook the house, and they saw behind it and
- orumbling buffet tho figure Of G man, his
card falling to his waist, his eyes burning,
IS clothes falling to rags upon his body.
and he did not know them-Ulr ich was mad
What had become of his companion? No
ne know. Ulrich lived till wintci came
gain, then passed away, the little Hauser
lying two months later of settled languor.
c be attributed, so the doctor said, to the
cid of the mountains Translated from til.
french Of Guy de Maupassant for The San
Francisco Chronicle, by E. c. Waggener.