The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1892-09-16


In the vast cavern Of the bell hideous
faces appeared and glared down on me
with terrifying frowns or with grinning
mockery still more appalling, l found
was becoming delirious, and trembled
lest reason should utterly desert me.
feared lest, when utterly deprived of
my senses, should rise-to do which |
was every moment tempted by that
strange feeling which calls on a man
whose head is dizzy from standing ON
the battlement of lofty castle to pre-
cipitate himself from it--and then death
would be instant and tremendous.
When thought of this became des-
perate. caught the floor with grasp
which drove the blood from my nails,
and yelled with the cry of despair.
called for help, | prayed, l shouted, but
all the efforts of my voice were of course
drowned in the bell. AS it passed over
my mouth it occasionally echoed my
cries, which mixed not with its own
sound, but preserved their distinct char
acter. Perhaps this was but fancy. To
me, know, they then sounded as if they
were the shouting, bowling or laughing
of the fiends with which my imagina-
ton had peopled the gloomy cave which
swung over me.
In twenty minutes the ringing was
done. Half of that time passed over me
without power Of computation-the
other half appeared an age. When it
ceased l became gradually more quiet,
but a new fear retained me. knew
that five minutes would-elapse without
ringing, but at the end of that short
time the bell would be rung a second
time for five minutes more. l could not
calculate time. A minute and an hour
were of equal duration. feared to rise
lest the five minutes should have elapsed
and the ringing be again commenced,
in which case l should be crushed before
| could escape against the walls or
framework of the bell. therefore still
continued to lie down, cautiously shift
ing myself, however, with careful
gliding, so that my eye no longer looked
into the hollow. This was of itself a
considerable relief.
The cessation of the noise had in a
great measure the effect of Supplying
me, for my attention, being no longer
occupied by the chimeras / had conjured
up, began to flag. All that now dis
tressed me was the constant expectation
Of the second ringing, for which. how
ever, / settled myself with kind of
stupid resolution. closed my eyes and
clinched my teeth as firmly as if they
were screwed in vice.
At last the dreaded moment came, and
the first swing of the bell extorted a
groan from me, as they say the most res
olute victim screams at the sight of the
rack to which he is for second time
destined. After this, however, l lay
silent and lethargic, without a thought.
When it ceased | was reused a little
by the hope of escape. l did not, how
ever, decide on this step hastily, but
putting up my hand with the utmost
caution / touched the rim. Though the
ringing had ceased it was still tremulous
from the sound and shook under my
hand, which instantly recoiled as from
an electric jar. A quarter of an hour
probably elapsed before again dared to
make the experiment, and then l found
it at rest. determined to lose no time,
fearing that | might have lain then al
ready too long and that the bell for
evening service would catch me.
This dread stimulated me, and |
slipped out with the utmost rapidity and
arose. | stood, suppose, for minute,
looking with silly wonder on the place
of my imprisonment. penetrated with
joy at escaping, but then rushed down
the stony and irregular stair with the
velocity of lightning and arrived in the
bell fingers room. My hands were torn
and bleeding; my hair disheveled and
my clothes tattered.
l leaned against the wall, motionless
and deprived of thought, in which pos
ture my companions found me when in
the course of a couple of hours they re-
turned to their occupation
woods Magazine.