Nevada County picayune., 1888-12-19


 efforts were directed to gain som, place of shelter from the rain. looked ill vain for a light in the dis. tance; all was black and desolate torrents of rain poured down, soak ing me to the skim thunder crashed and my my poor horse galloped as for life.
 Once, between the thunder peals seemed to hear that same low, mad laugh in my ear, and, shuddering, wildly spurred my poor horse. Just then a vivid flash of lightdight illum- mated the road, disclosing a hut 1 abont 100 feet in advance; second flash enabled me to reach the open ing which had once been door, but the whole miserable place was in a ruined condition. For years it had been abandoned to wind ana weath- CT,
 Fearfully l entered and found my self in the largest of the two rooms of which the hovel boasted. The ceiling was broke away, and the rain poured in upon the rattling floor and beat through the broken window.
 Nothing more fearful and more wild could be imagined, but still I welcomed it, and, turning the poor horse loose outside, l passed into the inner room. A lightning flash illum- med it. and, standing bolt upright against the opposite wall, saw the form of a man, his face distorted by a smile of wicked cunning, and, as the darkness fell again, shrieking laugh mingled with the thunder.
 Made desperate by the terrors of the night, and of my loneliness, l struck match and rushed forward {; but the figure was gone, the room de- serted. Turning, l passed into the first room, bat it was equally tenant less. Full of wonder and of strange forebodings l chose dry spot and and threw myself upon the floor and tried to sleep. Vain endeavor; the figure haunted me, and often, as fatigue overpowered me and sleep seemed on the point of relieving me, the memory of that laughter would ring through my brain, and 1 would start wildly up to find myself alone the floor with the storm still raging without.
 Finally, quite exhausted, fell into a deep slumber, which lasted l know not how long, but which was sud denly and violently broken by that same demoniac noise,
 This time tried to rise, in vain; a fearful weight was on my chest. Straining open my eyes l beheld the light of the moon, which now shonc through the window, and saw that same mans face bending over mine. Terrified beyond expression l strug- gled to free myself of the creature upon me; but my arms and legs were fast bound; the same cunning smile distorted the leering eyes as I strug- gled vainly. 1 strove to shriek, but the sound came not; faint gurgle was the only result of my frantic eff forts,
 At the same instant the creature above me rose, and with chuckles and leers drew forth coil of rope Nodding his head and gibbering, he arranged moose, and with another blood-curdling laugh he placed it about my neck,
 My God the agony of that mo- ment. when l realized l was at the mercy of that madman! Tighter and tighter he drew the rope, until my face grew black with suifcation, and my eyes and tongue started from head.
 Consciousness was almost gone, when the pressure was slowly, stead- fly relaxed, and the maniac's feat urcs elarcd down on me once more. l breathed again, he had spared me {; the rush of joyful feeling overcame me. He marked the expression of my face, and, chuckling, drew the moose agaln, eNulting to watch my face purple and my eyes protrude. Twenty times l thought my death agony at hand; and twenty times, with a maniac's cunning, he restored my breath and prolonged my torture. How he chuckled and muttered to himself, waggng his liendish head, and oh, my God how, when strug- eled to get free, wrestling in agony with death and torture, he uttered