The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-17
CHAPTER II.

Had not the undeuaker's assistants, in the uu-
ceremonious way In which they deposited me IN
my coffin, pressed my left side little too tightly
against the boards i would now baYe found N.Y.
self, thanks TO nv small body, in about as COM
Portable position as when lying on he bed.
Go down softly and look ont for the railing
on The second landing; it's broken
This was Nine. Cabin speaking.
The TWO men who had lHled my colin on their
shoulders now began the descent TO the street.
1 seemed 10 be in a boat rocking on the water.
a Though did not know single street in Paris,
| made superhuman effort to fix in my mind
The route we were takmg-WheIher we turned to
the right or to Tie lett. Al FIRST / succeeded in
doing this very well. but lie rumble of carriage
wheels, and Tie shuttle Of foot passengers-bOth
OF which noises were greatly Increased by the
drum-Iike SOnorOusness OF my eOlhn-together
with the violent jOlting Of the heaTse soon robbed
me OF all power Of consecutive thought. / lay
there like a criminal at the place OF execution.
Uazed and speecuiess, l awaited the final blow
which for some reason was delayed. The hearse
came to a halt. Something told ME that We were
now in a quite: deserted place; that there
were trees ana open ehS over our neags 1 c3ulu
catch the faint sound OF words uttered In wills
pers Doubtless The hated SimOneau was there.
fieud that he was, bent on seeing me consigned
TO the grave, 50 that my beautiful Marguerite
The solemn tone OF the priests voice chanting
and praying was family audible to NE, then tile
harsh rattle OF the shoVeiS against the gravel and
Clay made its way through the sides OF my mar
row house. For moment dead silence settled
upon the scene, only 10 be Tudely broken by the
grinding Of the ropes against my collin, which
when this huge and horrible bow was drawn over
It's edge, gave forth deep groan ike colossal
bass viOl.
This was the end! Down, down went my cof-
fin, joltiDg against the sides OF my grave and
striking with a loud tbump on he bottom OF tile
trench. Then With outburSts almost like the
noise Of shots the dirt fen in great shovel
fus my head, on my 1eet, on my stomach
here, there and eVeTywhere-til 1t seemed the
lid must he crushed and my soul be strangled out
| swooned away the terrible reyerberation
growing fainter and fainter. and going out at
I'm faF hrTlN anil
murs. How long lay IN this unconscious state
! know not. Ii might have been a second or u
century; il would have been all the same.
Little by little my soul seemed to awaken
within my brain and confused Thought came to
me. loud crash caused feeling Of sickening
fear TO creep over me. 1t seemed 10 me that Two
railway trains had come together with terrific
violence IN dark tunnel and that was one of
the injured passengers stretched at full length
beneath the debris OF The wrecked coach. In an
agony Of anxiety 10 escape death, put out my
hands to reach for something TO lay bold OF.
Solid walls shut me In and neld me yise-ike.
With a conVusive start l attempted 10 sit up.
My forehead struck against a solid surface.
There could be DO doubt OF 1t; was completely
Imprisoned by tue walls OF rock from the top and
sides OF The fallen tunnel. The gloom was i'm
penetrable, and The air began 10 become vtiated
by poisonous gases from the engines. l was
seized with ht Of choking while alternating
flashes OF cold and heat shot through my body
Suddenly my dream was over. came fully TO
my senses. The terrible truth dawned upon me
that l had been buried alive, and my hhir
stffened and a cold sweat distilled on my brow
aud ran trucking into my eyes.
AT last the fit had passed over. My muscles
were unlocked againi / could move and l could
speak, for cried out first In dun, husky muffled
tones which frOZe my own soul:
Marguerite. Marguerite Marguerite p then
IN louder ana louder voice, uutll terrified at the
very sounds 1 made, sank back gasping, shiv
ering. exhausted upon my pillow.
Buried alive, buried alive |" grOaned. "0h
merciful heaven am buried alive -
This parOXysm, however, served to set my
blood In circulation and could feel the warm
liquid c0urslng gently and soothlngly along my
limbs, warming and strengthening me- and en-
aiding to collect my scattered thoughts and
consider calmly the awful position that was in
for now It seemed TO me In reality that the air
was fast becoming unbreathable. and that in a