Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-03-05

phantom approaching the doorway ne
I RAGGED. shattered CORY laWs monlnlh3
af thr auct.1trr stool oW In his mind
in lurid anl appalling distuciness an
tho trnd OF nighf bon TINS lonesome,
bnuufcd dwelling Iic wuuld 20 out
side. travel on further and hivouac ih
the "vcdt' anything ratheI tnHh
min longer within these drendiul WWlS'
Nonsense Tie wns not going % own
binsrtf srnred away from the place at
whose imaginary tcrrOrs he had 80 often
sc00cd IL would NOT stir. let at the
moment OF afriviug at this heroic deter
miuaHon. Carlton PuRh cou NOT uls
guisc from himself that IT was dctGied
hy motives tic reverse OF Naiorous' Ing
fact was. "hc dared not stir
Pulling himself together by an effort ne
struck vista There was q trcmhlc in
his fingers ns be opened his little match
box nnd several of the matches fell 10 the
ground Tho sudden flaming light illu-
minated the dark gloomy recesses or .Le
room. The trailing cobwebs Wnylhs
from the thnteh seemed Ike creeping
uhoStly hands. and the old cooking POT
I lying ON tho hearth took The scnildance OF
a great hlnok head. Tho positions now
reversed, he erect oblong OF the doorway
stood like "a Slab OF inky Hack, nnd as ne
gogcd beyond he circle of blue light cast
hy the expiring .lnne OF me match nus
Z
dark shadow waving nnd moulding ~
grotcsque antics right above him Thcn
the LIGHT wnt out. leaving Lim once
more I'm darkness
Cartons blood turned to ice. His brain
seemed bursting and the heavy thump-
ing palpitatous of his heart s1unocd ike
! thunder upul 30 his strained ana over
wrought senses lie dared not strike
another Hqh,-uo; II his life depended
| on it.. Yet that dreadful Thing alone
with him u the darkness, y cold per
spifndon rnmed from him from every
pore. Could he have known II his APP
pcnraucc 0t that moment was not 30
very different to that of the poor Hot
tontot whom he Lad found crouching M
abie,t lunacy on that very spot, and
possibly the spuo held gOyl OF his meu-
! tnl condition Carlton Pulh. the matter
Ol-fact, strong nervcd, sseWicm man,
seemed 10 have cynpOrotcd INTO strange
! and awful consciousness. lie was nee
inc frnndcnliy round and round that
fearful apartment The doorway gaped
wide open but he could not pass through
! H. still Lp he'd ana suil that weird
shane followed IN his footsteps, striving
% pufoll him IN It's horrible embrace.
! ile was darting throught atmosphere of
iucnudcsceut flame. riding upon rolling
pesls ot thunder and sdll tho pursuing
dpmonincnl presence close behind him AZ
he clrccrcd through space, covering an
etcIidty of time aud OF distance.
The rain had cpused. Tho moon wns
shining with ama1 ug brilliuncy upon the
lone re1csscs of Dead Mans lNlOot, upon
the wild bush aud oyerhnnHng crags,
upon the wet tlgtrh and grey front Of
the old house. whose open door with
suffered window on encl' aide gave II
somewhat the appearance of set aud
! luck-uster cauu,u1ucc Suddenly q shrill.
horrible scream rang out loudly upon the
| night
Carlton Pugh stirred uneasily in his
slocpa sleep that had begun In some
| tbng ruriously like a swOOn. He had slid
to the ground In n doublcd-up reclining
| atdtulc Now he sat bolt upright The
| horrible nightmare character Of his slum-
| hcya had left room for no rccupcuttiOn.
| His nerves were as unhinged us ever.
He stared vacantly nc the open door
| ouloslie-IuW pdaueogfNm OF sheeny
| light beyond the shudowy gloom of the
OpHrtmcnt-und oh, heaven, would tie
| horrors Of this awful night never end,
| On the swNrd outside was the light pitt
| pat of an unmistakable footstep. Was
hc awake or was this TO be but q con
! ununtion of the appalling visions of his
| sleeping hours!
Yes he was awake--widc awake. That
| sicOlthy football drew nearer and nearer
| Every now and then it ceased, giving
| place TO the sound of a strange shuiliing
| glide. His neryc-poOr miserable, shat
| tered wreck Of what was once n boosted
| possession failed him utterly. He
dropped his head into his lands, not
| daring 10 look mp and face what he
| should see standing IN the doorway. Ills
/ brain was On fire. A moment more OF
| this and the man would be mad
lnstncliyely lac felt the doorway dark
| ened. There was curious snuilng
| sound ns of something breathing hard.
| He must look or die
! lie did look. The doorway was not
| duriened. Not two yards beyond the
| threshold stood an enormous leopard
! As his guzc fell upon IL the beast
! dropped into a crouching attitude 4
| low, rumbhuu, velyety purr rolled from
! It's massive throat lts cruel scintilating
| eyes flashed green Ia the MOONLIGHT as IL
! crnuched. its round specified head resting
! lpOu the great paws its tail waving soft
| ly 90 and fro Thus they stared at each
! other-the man and che lcNat-scpuratc
! by less than a dozen yards.
The situation was appalling enough IN
all conscience. But az sight of flesh
and blood enemy, however formidable
! aud ieroCiOuS, Carlton Pughs courage
returned. Stedlthily he felt for his re-
| yoNer, which, owing TO the custody OF
The SUN of money he carried, he happened
| 10 have with him, But h. could not find
| a. The holster 10y which il was hubitu-
! ANY slung around him was empty. Had
II fallen outf lie CROPPED on the floor
| around him. In vain.
The leopard, still crouchug. had worm.
ed isplf silently forward. It's head was
almost ON the threshold Of the door.
Aud now, with the realization of his
| utter hclplcssncss Carlton was conscious
of strange absence of fcar Even
at that Wuremoly critical moment he
recollpctrd That so ineradicahlr Ia the ter
r0r inspired In the wild creatures of
the wilderness by the erect form OF
their natural enemy, man, chat were he
I suddenly TO rise ana shout, the beast
would be almost certain 10 decamp. yet
! he felt absolutely powerles3 10 adopt this
! course, and more uuIccouutablc still
had not the slightest desire TO- There
was weird Fascination m gazing into
those sdntiliuung orbs, In the thick
Hcnsuous purr in tho graceful feline bcau-
~ of the beast, chat was simply over
| mastering iie felt neither the power
nor The inclination 20 break the SMELL
Then the workings OF his mind tool. a
whimsical turn lie had lain IN ambush
before That night, beside the bait of a
live kid or sheep tcthered 70 attract the
destructive cNrniyora. HS identity
seemed to have passed into that of the
helpless ANNUAL, He felt an insane de-
siro 10 begin blentiug himself Still he
eosmed TO feel no fear SIN his eyes
WIRE riyeted upon the glare of those