The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-08
less 1 let out the first thought which came

less. let out the first thought which came
into my mind.
You are not scientific in using your
fists. You break the Marquis of Queens
berry's rules declared, and Immediately
l was surprised at myself for saying that.
! But It had the effect Of making hun pause
in his blows and commence an incoherent
\ criticism on the marquis of QueensberTy f,
who he denounced with the most awful
| profanity.
IAN so you propose TO champion the
marquis, do youP exclaimed the maniac,
whilo his head shook in frenzy of anger.
| His lips we're tightly drawn across his
teeth, his hair brisiled up and his breath
came short and quick and his huge form
heaved and writhed with the frenzy Of a
demon.
81 shall never forget that twitching, con-
torted, hvid visage with its glaring eye
balls, red as live GOALS Of fire, glowering
down upon me. l felt that the end was
| near, and l would not have given a shilling
| tor my life. He plunged toward me. In
| voluntarily lifted my hands TO ward off
| his movement. He seized my wrists and
lifted me bodily from the floor up In front
| OF him. Into my appalled, face he thrust
! his leerlng and Wrinklsd features, his breath
! hot as steam blown upon my cheek, while
he laughed that horrible, chuokling, rafting
c1ncatenation of sounds emitted by the or
| gans OF speech when reason has been de-
| throned and the beast has absorbed every
| other element
The extreme violence OF this ravenous
| laugh brought on a spell of coughing aud
be lowered me to the floor. He let go one
hand, and when In another paroxysm
twisted my other wrist free. But he never
removed his eye from me, and the cough
having passed he closed in on me again. All
the resources of boxing which was master
| of we're brought into exercise.
"a sudden hope sUrang up In thy breast
that might be able to deal him some stag
gering blows and possibly get the better of
him after all. 1t acted like wine upon my
mind and nerves. The mailman made
rush toward me, but l. with unusual quick
ness. evaded him and his momentum carry
ing him a little beyond my line, l let him
have one right back OF the ear with all the
energy / could put Into it. He reeled, but
was too quick for me TO follow it up. He
became little more cautious and again in
dulged in little by-pay.
"Once more his mind reverted 60 his sup
posed wrongs. He repeated his charges
only with increased fury, and hts profane
abuse was simply appalling. His complex
ion, fair and soft naturally had taken on
many hues, but now was a dark and ashen
color and rough and wrinkled, as though he
had suffered the severest exposure for a
score of years. His eyes had sunk in his
head, leaving dark rings beneath. He CON-
menced his tantalizing by-play again, but
it was OF brief duration. He made plunge
toward me, and seemed to enjoy my quick
spring aside. presume my growing terror
must have given some sign. 1t seemed that
/ had been with HIM an age. His mouth
now opened slightly. and his tongue hung
lolling out with foam.
Suddenly black frown dropped down
over his face, and at the same instant he
leaped toward me and seized me with such
fury that 1t seemed my strength was utter
weakness He jerked me above his head,
and holding me at arms length over him,
he moved to the rsiling and held me over
the pavement nearly 100 feet below, as
though he would drop me at any instant.
My mind seemed daEed. He swung me
back and then out over the awful space
again, ohuckling all the while as though it
was rare sport for him.
A flock of pigeons just then whirred past
They changed his mind, for he put me on
my feet at once, still holding on to me with
the unrelaxing grip Of fate, and followed
with his eyes their fight. When they
vanished around the dome Of a cathedral
he exclaimed: Come, we've had enough OF
this. Let's jump down.
Forthwith he dragged me up to the
edge OF the railing, when my mind became
clear and cool, and. remarked with great
scorn in my voice: why, any fellow can
jump down there. I'll bet you hat you
| can't jump up here from down there
| "'Ill bet can,' was his instant response
"'Well. let's see you do it,
"Need say that load was lifted from
my mind when we started down2 And
when | got on the pavement once more the
face of a rational human being seemed to
me sweetly divine.
II suggested that we get soma refresh
ments before attempting the jump. It was
a hot day. He was very thirsty, having
perspired profusely aud at once he assented.
He was secured at the hotel and taken to
England, where he was pronounced In
durable, having once before been in the
lunatic asylum, but dismissed because he
was regarded as cured
at was many days before my nerves re-
sumed their usual tone and by that time
you could hardly have told the original
color of my hair. l am not young man
but belong to a family noted for the
power of retaining the raven hue OF their
locks down into old age. 1t was but short
time after my tussle with that bedlamite
when my hair took the color you see il
to-day"
! IN