The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1894-03-01

| was in ( hurricane at sea, ana tnar
the vessel in which | was embarked
tossed under me with the most furious
yehemence. The air, set in motion
by the swinging of the bell. blew over
me, nearly with the violence and more
than the thunder of tempest, and the
floor seemed to reel under me, as un-
der a drunken man. But the most
awful of all the ideas that seized on
me were drawn from the supernatural.
In the vast cavern of the bell hid
eous faces appeared and glared down
on me with terrifying frowns or with
grinning mockerv still more appalling.
| found | was becoming delirlous and
trem bled lest reason should utterly de-
sert 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 precipitate himself from
it-and then death would be instant
and tremendous.
When | thought of this l became
desperate. | caught the floor with
grasp which drove the blood from my
nails, and | yelled with the cry of de-
spair. ! called for help, | praved, |
shouted, but all the efforts of my voice
were, of course, drowned in the bell.
As it passed over my mouth it occa-
sionally echoed my cries, which mixed
not with its own sound, but preserved
their distinct character. Perhaps this
l,,t {. 7
then sounded as if they were the
shouting. bowling or laughing of the
liends with which my imagination 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
1t ceased | became gradually more
quiet, but 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 for
a second time for five minutes more. [
coulu not calculate time. A minute
and an hour were of equal duration. |
feared TO rise lest the five inmates
should have elapsed and the ringing
be again commenced. in which case |
should be crushed before | could es-
cape against the walls of framework
OF the bell. | therefore still continued
to lie down, cautiously shifting my
self, however, with a careful gliding,
50 that my eye no longer looked into
the hollow. This was of itself con-
siderable 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 con-
jured up began to flag. All that now
distressed me was the constant eXpec-
tatiOn of the second ringing, for which,
however, | settled myself with kind
Of stupid resolution. closed my eyes
and clinched my teeth as firmly as if
they were screwed in a vice.
At last the dreaded moment came,
and the first swing of the bell extorted
a groan from me. as they say the most
resolute victim screams at the sight of
the rack, to which he is for the second
time destined. After this, however, |
lay silent and lethargic, without
thought.
When it ceased was aroused little
by the hope of escape. l did not,
however, decide on this step hastily,
but, putting up my hand with the ut
most caution, | touched the rim.
Though the ringing had ceased it still
was tremnlOus from the sound and
shock under my hand, which instantly
recoiled as from an electric jar. A
quarter of an hour probably elapsed
before | again dared to make the ex-
pertinent, and then found it at rest.
| determined to lose no time, fearing
that | might have lain then already
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 3
minute, looking with silly wonder on
the place of my Imprisonment, pene-
trated with JOY at escaping, but then
rushed down the stony and irregular
stair with the velocity of lightning
and arrived in the bell-rin@er's room.
My hands were torn and bleeding; my
hair disheveled and my clothes tat
tered.
l leaned against the wall, motionless
and deprived of thought, in which
posture my companions found me
when, in the course of n couple of
hours, they returned to their occupa-
fion - RyUrI.7yoo1'S If,TJ-jDo