The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-09-08

/ N-ASNSNhSAJ WV oAA Pt.oS StANNh3 aANS
a sudden draught. l fancied the door to
my right, communicating with the landing
place, must have got open, but no, it was
closed 1 then turned my glance to the
left, and the candles violently swayed as
by wind At the same moment the
watch beside the revolver slowly slide from
the table-softly, softly,-no visible hand
it was gone. | sprang up, seizing my
revolver with the one hand, the dagger
with the other l was not willing that my
weapons should share the fate of the watch.
Thus armed, looked around the floor: no
sign of the watch. Three slow, loud, dis
tinct knocks were now heard at the bed
head; my servant called out, SIS that you,
sir?''
"No; be on your guard"
The dog now reused himself and sat on
his launches, his ears moving quickly
backward and forward. He kept his eyes
fixed on me with look so strange that he
concentrated all my attention on himself
Slowly he rose, all his hair bristling, and
stood perfectly rigid, and with the same
wild stare had no time, however, to ex-
anime the dog. Presently my servant
emerged from his room, and if | ever saw
horror in the human face, it was then. l
should not have recognized him had we
met in the streets, so altered was every
lineament He passed by me quickly, say
ing in a whisper that seemed scarcely to
come from his lips, "Run! run! it is after
me-" He gained the door to the landing,
pulled it open, and rushed forth. 1 follow
ed him into the landing Involuntary, call
ing him to stop; but, without needing me,
he bounded down the stairs, clinging to the
balusters and taking several steps at time.
l heard, where Istood, the street door open
heard it again clap to. was left alone in
the haunted house.
1t was but for moment, that remained
undecided whether or not to follow my
servant; pride and curiosity alike forbade so
dastardly flight. re-entered my room,
closing the door after me, and proceeded
cautiously into the interior chamber. l
encountered nothing tojustify my servants
terror. 1 again carefully examined the
walls, to see if there were any concealed
door. | could find no trace of one,-not
even seam in the dull brown paper with
which the room was hung. How then
had the thing, whatever it was, which had
so scared him, obtained ingress, except
through my own chamber?
returned to my room, shut and locked
the door that opened upon the interior one,
and stood on the hearth, expectant and
prepared. l now perceived that the dog
had skunk into an angle of the wall, and
was pressing close against it, as if literally
striving to force his way into it. ! app
preached the animal and spoke to it the
poor brute was evidently beside itself with
terror. 1t showed all its teeth, the SLAYER
dropping from its jaws, and would certainly
have bitten me if l had touched it. 1t
did not seem to recognize me. Whoever
has seen at the geological Gardens rab-
bit fascinated by q serpent, covering in q
corner, may form some idea of the anguish
which the dog exhibited Finding all eff
forts to soothe the animal in vain, and fear
ing that his bite might be as venomous in
that state as if in madness of hydrophobia,
I left him alone, placed my weapons on the
table beside the fire, seated myself, and re-
commenced my Macaulay.
Soon | became aware that something
interposed between the page and the light:
the page was overshadowed. l looked up
and saw what shall find it very difficult,
perhaps impossible, to describe.
1t was darkness shaping itself out of
the air in very underlined outline. can
not say it was of human form, and yet it
had more of resemblance to a human
form, or rather shadow, than anything else.
As it stood, wholly apart and distinct from
the air and the light around it, its dimensions
seemed gigantic; the summit nearly touch
ing the ceiling. While gazed, a feeling
of intense cold seized me. An iceberg be.
fore me could not more have chilled me;
nor could the cold of an iceberg have been
more purely physical. l feel convinced
that it was not the cold caused by fear.
As continued to gaze 1 thought-but this
I cannot say with precision-that | dis
tinguished two eyes looking down on me
from the height. One moment l seemed
to distinguish them clearly, the next they
seemed gone; but two rays of pale blue
light frequently shot through the darkness,
as from the height on which l half believ-
ed, half doubted, that had encountered
the eyes.
Istrove to speak; my voice utterly failed
me- 1 could only think to myself, ais
this fear? it is not fearl'" strove to rise,
in vain; felt as if weighed down by an
irresistible force. Indeed, my impression
was that of an immense and overwhelming
power opposed to my volition; that sense of
utter inadequacy to cope with force be-
You'd mems which one may feel physically
in a storm at sea, in oopAagration, or
when confronting some terrible wild beast,
or rather, perhaps, the shark of the ocean
I felt morally Opposed to my will was
another will, as far superior to its strength
as storm, fire and shark are superior in
material force to the force of men.
And now, as this impression grew on me
now came, at last, horror,-horror to de-
gree that no words can convex. Still /