Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-11-06

VEINS lly nearI stoou slllli lHtH ~
started to beat so rapidly that | could
hardly breathe. had surely closed and
bolted the door. yet there Ii was open,
as / could make ont by the dim light
from the cobweb curtained window. As
the cooling perspiration broke out at
every pore | realized that / had been
thoroughly frightened. / jumped up
and closed the door again and then
wrapped myself up in my blanket.
The room was ind arkness, except for
q gray streak from the window | tried
to go to sleep, but i'll vain. Sleep had
entirely fed | desperately drew my
arm across my eyes as if to shut out
even the darkness and tried to think OF
nothing.
While was lying still as corpse,
hoping that by perfect physical mac
ton | should hasten mental repose, aHl
awful incident occurred. A something
dropped. as it seemed from the ceiling
plump upon my chest, and the next in
slant | felt two bony hands encircling
my throat, endeavoring to choke me.
am not naturally coward and am
possessed of considerable physical
strength. The suddenness of the attack,
instead of stunning me, strung every
nerve and muscle to its highest tension.
NV body acted from instinct before my
brain had time TO realize the terrors OF
nv position In an instant | wound two
muscular arms around the creature and
squeezed it with all the strength of de-
spair against my chest, and in few
seconds the bony hands that had fastened
on my throat loosened their hold, and
| was free to breathe once more.
Then commenced struggle of awful
intensity Immersed i'll the most pro-
| found darkness, totally ignorant of the
| nature of the thing by which | was so
suddenly attacked, finding my grasp
| slipping every moment, by reason, 1t
seemed TO me- of the entire nakedness
of my assailant; bitten with sharp teeth
| in the shoulders, neck and chest; having
| every moment to protect my throat
against pair of SNOWY, agile hands,
which my utmost efforts could not con
| ine-these were Il combination of cir
cumstances which required all the
strength, skill and courage that l could
muster TO overcome
At last, after silent, deadly, ex-
hausting struggle, got my assailant
under by series of incredible efforts Of
strength Once pinned, with my knee
on what made out 10 be its chest,
knew myself TO be the victor AS / rested
for moment TO catch my breath, /
heard the creature beneath me painting
III the darkness and felt the violent
throbbing of a heart. 1t was apparently
as exhausted as l was. That was one
comfort.
AT this moment remembered that
had removed my leather belt when pre-
pairing for rest and had thrown 1T across
the foot of the cot. | reached out my
hand in the direction | thought the cot
should be. Happily my judgment wa:
not at fault and the first thing my hand
grasped was the belt In few seconds
more, had, after IA fashion, pinioneC
the creatures arms.
/ now felt tolerably secure. There
was nothing more TO be done but e
light my taper, and having first seel
what my midnight assailant was like
arouse my friend. / Will confess to be
ing actuated by certain pride In no
giving the alarm before. l wished Il
make the capture alone and unaided.
Never losing my hold for an instant
gradually made my way to the place
where | had set the candle, then re
leased my grasp with one hand and a
quickly as possible under the circum
stances struck match and lighted tn
candle. Then / turned to look at M.
prisoner.
l cannot even attempt to give any de
scription of my sensations the instant
looked. / suppose | must have shrieket
with terror, but to this day cannot re
call clearly exactly how | behaved.
shudder even now as / think of tina
awful moment!
/ saw absolutely nothingl
Yes, / had one arm clasped around
breathing, painting, corporal shape, m
other hand gripped with all its strengt
IA throat as warm and apparently flesh
as my own, and yet, with this livin
substance i'll my grasp, with its bod
pressed against my own, and all with
b | tnc Cllflc OF lllulDlDd(lOu VI lll6 CduuIt
l beheld literally nothing! Not even a
outline-not even IA vaporl
, wonder that | did not faint or &
, mad on the instant. Some wonderfu
r instinct must have sustained me, fol
{ instead of loosening my hold on the tel
{ ,rible enigma, i seemed to gain an add
tional strength in my moment of horro
and frightened my grasp with such wor
> derful force that L felt the creatur
1 shivering with agony.
{ just then the captain rushed into tn
I cell As soon as he beheld my face
} which suppose must have been all aw
Q full sight to look upon-he fastened fol
D ward, crying out
"Great heaven, what has happened?
Q Captain! Captainl' l cried. "Com
/ and help me! Oh, this is awful l hay
o been attacked by something or othei
: which / have hold of, but can't see i
= can't see itr'
: Frank" whispered the captain
Q slowly approaching me, "your imagin'
A. 81 IL / a.