Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1895-05-30

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that hindcred my breathing. Air. air.
must have air! ! put up my hands
horror. They struck against a hard
opposing substance close above me.
quick as lightning then the truth
mashed upon my mind. had been
blrled-buried alive; this wooden pris-
on that incloScd me was Il coffin! a
frenzy surprising that of an infuri-
ated tiger took possession of me. With
hands and mills ! tore and scratched
at the accused boards; with all the
force of my shoulders and arms |
tolled to wrench open the closed lid.
My efforts We're fruitless. l grew
more ferociously mad with rage and
terror. How easy were all deaths com
pared to one like this! | was suffo-
eating; felt my eyes start from their
SOCKETS; blood sprang from my mouth
and nostrils and icy drops of sweat
trlcklcd from my forehead. / paused
gasping for breath. The, suddenly
nerving myself for one more wild eff
fort, ! hurled my limbs with all the
force of agony and desperation against
one side of my narrow prison. 1t
cracked. it split asundcr, and then n
new and horrid fear besct me, and /
crouched back. painting heavily. If
II We're buried in the ground-so ran
my ghostly thoughts-what use to
break open the coffin and let in the
mould. the damp wormy mould, rich
with the bones of the dead; the pen
Grating mould that would choke m
my mouth and eyes and seal me into
silence for ever. My mind uuailed at
this idea: my brain tottered on tho
verge of madness. l laughcd-think
of it.-and my laugh sounded in my
own ears like the last rattle in the
throat of a dying man. But I could
breathe more easily. even in the stu
pefaction of my fears: l was conscious
OF air. Yes. the blessed air had rush
cd III somehow. Revived and encour.
aged l recognized this fact. that
lelt with both hands till | found the
crevlce ! had made. and then with
frantic haste and strength pulled
and dragged at the wood till suddenly
the whole side of the coffin gave way.
ana was able to force up the lid. /
stfe1ched out my arms; no weight of
earth lmpeded their movements; | felt
nothing but ail-empty air. Yielding
to my first strong impulse. / leaped
out of the hateful box and fell. fell
some distance, bruising my hands and
knees on What seemed to lie II stone
pavement. Something weighty fell
also. with dull crashing thud close to
me. The darkness was impenetrablc
But there was breathing room. ana
the atmosphere was cool and refresh
ing. With some pain and difficulty l
raised myself to sitting position
where had fallen. My limbs were
stiff and camped as well as wounded.
and l shivered as with strong ague
But my senses We're clear, the tangled
chain of my disordercd thoughts be-
came even and connected; my previous
mad excitement gradually Gained, and
l began to consider my condition.
had certainly been buried alive; there
was no doubt of that. Intense pain
had, l supposed, resolved itself into Il
long trance of Inconsistencies; the
people of the inn where | had been
taken Ill had at once believed me to be
dead of cholera. and with the panic
stricken. Indecent haste. common in
all Italy, especially at n time of n
plague. had th'lst me into one of
those fiimsy cot,ins which were then
being manufactured by scores in Ma
ples-mere shells of thin deal. nailed
together with c.umsy hurry and fear.
But how I'blesssd their wretched con-
struction! Had been laid in a much
stronger casket. who knows if even
the most desperate frenzy of my
strength might not have proved I'M
availing. 1 shuddered at the thought.
Yet the question remained, Where was
l? reviewed my case from all points,
and for some time could arrive at no