Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-06-21


ing this imaginary object he rose and
went toward the window and Topped
the blind still further back. There
see Il nowW
.sNo," | said, ~ don't see 1t yeti"
and l hoped he would try to pull the
curtain still further back, or pull 1t
down, or something-anything to divert
his attention from me moment longer,
that might leap from the bed and bolt
out of the room.
was already sitting up, and to glide
down upon the floor was the work OF
an instant; but at that moment the
mailman. annoyed that couldn't see
the church spire, dropped the blind,
turned round quickly, muttering,
Blind, blind" and instantly compre-
hending my intention to escape bound
ed toward me with spring like wild
cat, and catching hold of me with his
bony hand waved the cleaning knife
over me in such close proximity to my
face as to be anything in the world but
pleasant.
20 you will. will your Just lie down
there; still, now. still, or I'll kill you
before the half hour is up Lie down"
And with herculean strength he
lifted me up with his one hand-and l
was no feather In weight, l can tell
you--and bounced me down with a
force that shook the whole bed.
did lie down, and seeing that was
inclined to obedience, he directed my
attention to the window again by in
quiring:
DO you see the church spire now"
didn't see it any clearer than be-
fore. it being slightly impossible, as no
church spire existed within ten miles.
But saw that the maniac was getting
irritated at my want Of capability to
see what did not exist, SO thought it
might be as well to keep upon good
terms with him, and to his question
this time admitted did see the spire
'Ah, good, good. Well, under that
spire is church, and around the
church Is graveyard. There l live
and there came from. It's very lone
some sleeping there in the damp, cold
ground, and the grave worms-ugh!-
to feel them creeping along over ones
skin. so Shiny and slippery and cold
banqueting upon the warm flesh of the
dead. They say the dead are cold; it's
lie, sir. a liel Feel my flesh; is it
coldT
He barred his skinny arm and forced
me to lay my hands upon it.
There. is that coldf'
told him no.
us it warm2"
replied that 1t was, and he con-
tinued:
''They make it cold, the grave worms
do. They make it cold and Shiny as
the crawl over it. Did you feel the
grave worms on your flesh2"
shuddered with disgust as told
him No"
You didn't, ehl Lucky dog! lucky
dog But you're not dead yet; wait
awhile, and you'll feel them just as
do. Pretty soon.'
And he whirled the carving knife
round and round his head and then
brought it down with sudden swoop
till he grazed my throat.
With a cry of agony, not for the
slight scratch, but the horror of mind
under which was, recoiled from the
glittering blade, shuddering as if l
would have sunk down through the
bed-down, down through the floor.
How | wished in my soul that could
have done so-down anywhere out. Of
that horrible presence! With loud
laugh the maniac observed my terror,
and then he said:
Frightened, ehl Frightened |
won't kill you for half an hour yet.
I'm going to experiment upon you.
think I'll bleed you to death, just to
try how long it will take you to die.
Ehl what do you think of itl"
What did l think of itl My God
thought nothing, only that would soon
be dead, or as mad as my companion,
ifsome deliverance was not soon opened
up never prayed much-God forgive
me!-but just then breathed some
thing, | scarcely know what, for aid,
for help, for deiverance. know that
dared not attempt to escape. My first
movement would have been the signal
for my death blow, and if | called
aloud l might not awaken any one in
the house, but merely infuriate the
mailman to such an extent that he
might Immediately butcher me. What
under heaven to do knew not, and If
the maniac in his desire to ''experi-
ment" should open vein must in
evitably bleed to death. Meantime he
was waiting for an answer to his ques-
tlon, which he repeated rather angrily.
What did think of his proposal to
bleed me to death2"
l was about answering something
desperate, and giving myself up for
lost, when bright idea flashed across
my troubled brain. o how devoutly
thanked heaven that | had read the
Arabian Nights" in my boyhoodl
There was my idea, which as yet only
heaven knew whether it would be sue
cessful or not; would tell him stories
and beguile his fancy until morning.
and then, surely, l would have some
means of escape. answered his ques-
ton by another
Suppose | tell you story about