Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-12-23

Out was still ms wide awake as 1 was /
an hour before. My nerves, instead Of |
becoming reposed, became more and |
more susceptible 10 the least jar. The |
cracking OF an ember In the fireplace In |
the next room caused my heart to leap |
into my mouth and almost stop beating. |
The creaking Of board sent the cold |
perspiration 10 my face. lay still and |
scarcely dared TO breathe until my body |
panied tn every joint from lying in one
position so long.
heard the coloneI's breathing In the
next room. Then heard a door slam
on the fight below, and with difficulty
suppressed shrek.
And all tho time cursed myself for my
cowardicc; cursed myself for being such
child. and vowed that il were allowed
10 live until morning would stop drink
ing hot gins and smoking strong cigars.
Iheard the clock strike two, and then
must have fallen into troubled sleep
| dreamed-oh, God, what did | not
dream2 Would that all that happened
that Ill fated night had been but
dreaml
For one thing. dreamed that the last
day had come, and that with countless
others had hurried toward large, snow
| capped mountain. There were pillows
| of fire behind us and mountains OF fire
above us, yet we hurried on--on-on--
never stopping, never turning. Clouds
of smoke and fame rolled about us. yet
through 1t all could be seen that noun
tain top, cold and serene in the midst Of
all that heat and woe, and its snow
decked top seemed ever TO beckon us on
| --on--on.
Thousands and millions died Mt my
side. before and behind me. But cared
not. ! grew gaunt with hunger and
faint with fatigue, but still hurried on
crossed rivers Of ice and valleys of fire.
but they stopped me not.
At last reached II. started toward
the top. Wearily. night and day.
travelled, and those who with me reached
the bottom Of the hoar capped giant fell
off one by one. and ut last | alone was
left
| And alone | reached this top. And
| feeling of indescribable ease and peace
came over me, and laid myself down in
the cold, white snow and fell asleep.
How long slept in the crystal snow
know not. For there. too, had dream.
| saw two forms approach. One all
white and pure, with peace and good
win beaming from his eyes; the other
black rs night, and from his eyes
CLEANED forth the fires of hell.
The fair one looked at me sleeping.
with a world of agony and sorrow in
his eyes; then turned his head toward
the sky and looked up In supplication.
while great tears fell from his eyes and
onto the cold snow. And wherever a
tear fell sweet fiowcrs sprang mp, and
the fragrance that was waited from
them was not OF earth.
But the other form approached me
until II stood Mt my very side, looking
down at me with burning eyes. stroye
TO move, to shrek, to pray, but all in
vain.
Then saw him stoop and stretch out
his hand. 1t hung over my face an In
slant, then fell upon my forehead.
Then great pain racked all my body
and spirit. and at the instant | heard
countless voices give cry that doomed
heard over all the earth. And this was
what they said, and the words still ring
in my ears and never leave mo while
life lasts:
"And this is deathl"
And awoke. And, horrors Of hell
that clammy, burning hand still rested
upon my face. and those burning orb
| still peered into minnl
did not faint. II had. would mo-
now be alive TO tell the tale. For thai
clammy. burning hand had moved dow
my face until 1t reached my throat
and the cleaning eyer shifted and turnet
and moved with the hand.
Then with an all powerful effort, witi
q strength that was not mine, clutchet
the hand and flung 1t from me ant
ieaped out of the bed.
To reach tho door and dart into thl
sitting room was the work Of an In
D slant. turned even rs | ran and saw
those burning eyes follow.
: "Colonelr' cried hoarsely and scare
, louder than q child. And Us the dreal
] thing approached | ran TO his room
! But, oh. Godi the door was open, tn
, room empty. And turning again. wit
Q the despair OF death upon my brow,
! saw those burning eyes again. The
were the eyes Of a mailman. and tn
: face approached until the hot breat
Missed into my ears.
And the face was that OF Colons
Montfort.
What happened then do not know
n Il Is a year and over since that drea
I night, and am still an invalid. The
n say am mad at times, but what wor
K deri My nerves are shattered, my lii
ruined. Never can efface one incider
d OF that night from my scared memor,
o and even at night 1t haunts mo
% dreams.
y That morning. so they say, they foun
the colonel and myself lying on the fioe
, In his bedroom, the colonel with knii
d In his heart and lying by his side wit
n my hand still clutching the handle |
the knife. was delirious for month
Q and from my rawlings they gathered q
story. suppose now that In that m
d ment OF supreme agony and despair
grasped knife which the colonel =
g ways had In his room. and 10 save M.
Il self killed him.
n And in the colonei's win 1t was foun
that he had left his all TO ''my friend
10 the man that killed hiin.-A. r. Feda
~ mann In St Paul Pioneer Presa
"A some Remarkable Beilefa.