Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-08-20

and then, surely, I would have some
meal Of escape. answered his ques-
ton by another.
Suppose | tell you n story about
bleeding to death-or rather about a
man who supposed he was being ble3
to death and died from the frightf'
''Died from the fright, eks Well,
let's hear it,"
Very gladly | began, making II long
and adding MS much as | possibly could
to the original. which was something |
recollected long ago to have heard
about some one who wished 10 expert
mont," and had n man b~lindfoldcd, his
arm bandagcd and gently prickcd, but
not sufficiently to bring the blood, and
then heard the regular drop, drop II
blood-or what he supposed to be his
own blood, though in reality only wa
ter, till hc died from the mere SUPPOSE
ton that he vas being bled to death.
| forget the story now. but il is familiar
to every one. When l concluded, l
suggested to the maniac that he should
try this model experimenting and see
how long l would take To be frightened
TO death.
"Yes, yes" he answered, with a sly,
cunning laugh; very good, very
good" ard seeing through the device,
with the cunning of madness, he
laughed again as he said, Very good,
sir, very good. And you would take
till morning to die, and meanwhile l
want a companion in the churchyard
yonder, down among the grave worms.
Come. bare your arm, and let me do
rs | said. I'll bleed you. intended
TO have taken your head of first, but
I've changed my mind, because ]
wouldn't like 10 have a healless com
panion. Bare your arm"
God. wimt was ! TO do! l felt my
brain scothc and whirl, as though i,
too, were going mad. With a des-
perate effort TO he calm ! said:
Suppose | tell another story iirst!'
'Oh, no; you a tell while you
bleed"
But | shall want to watch the blood
flow, too" said, with an effort 10 re-
frain from shuddering.
True, true" he answered. "NVell,
let's hear your story-quhck, begin"
| waited for no urging. ] vas too
glad to find him in the humor to listen.
80 l began and related every story |
could think of-as soon rs one was
done beginning another-and in this
manner nearly two hours passed. AS /
was about TO begin another story he
stopped Inc peremptorily:
"No, no: no more. won't listen.
I've listened too long already, and I've
no time 4 bleed you either! l may
take your head of, as | first intended,
d~isagreeable as it is to have a headless
~companion..'
Around and around his head again
went the giittering knife, coming down
in a direct line with my throat; and
then, as the edge, eharp as a razor,
touched my skin, forgot the prudent
considerations that had hitherto kept
me silent, and gave vent to my horror
and terror in a cry SO loud and long,
so shrill and a piercing that the ma
Mac started back in alright. and ac-
tually trembled at the unearthly sound.
No wonder! | tremblc this moment,
myself, when ! think what an awful
cry It was, and | almost fancy | can
still hear the sound of it when | close
my eyes and shudderingly look back to
the hour.
The effect upon the mailman was
not Of long duration. A third time he
waved the knife around his head, aud
wa just preparing for a spring for
ward when the farmer and his eldest
son burst into the room. The effect
that these new actors upon the scene
produced upon the mailman wa strange
and almost incredible. The knife re-
manned upliited, and the hand in
which it was held seemed suddenly
petriiied and unable TO move. lie
covered beneath the gaze of the farm
er, as n child might do under the eye
of n master, and without the slightest
resistance allowed the knife to be tax
en- from his hand and himself quietly
led from the room by the farmer and
his son
Then when ] was left alone the reac-
ton after all my terror, horror and ex-
element overpowered me and | sank
back upon the bed, almost insensible.
| thanked God for my escape, and
hardly conscious Of my own feeling or
actions ! lay quite still, awaiting what
was to follow. / felt that there was no
farther cause for alarm, and In a
dreamy sort of a way / tried to account
for the adventure. ! looked around
upon the room and all seemed SO like a
dream that | could almost have per.
suaded myself that ! vas the victim Of
an unpleasant Illusion; but then, to
bring me back to the reality of all that
had transpired, there was still the light
burning upon the table, and I knew ]
had put out the light before retiring,
and another proof that was awake,
and had been for a couple of hours