Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-06-17
CHAPTER III.

! There followed a long drowsy time
! OF stiffness and shadow | seemed to
| have fallen in some deep well of
| delicious oblivion and obscurity
| Dream-like images still fitted before
my fancy-these were at first undefn-
able, but after awhile they took more
certain shapes. Strange f1utterlng
creatures lowered about me-lonely
eyes stared at me from a visible deep
gloom long white bony fingers grasp
ing at nothing made signs to me of
warning or menace Then-very
gradually, there dawred upon my sense
Of vision a cloudy red mist like a
stormy sunset, and from the middle of
the blood-like haze huge black hand
descended toward me. 1t bounced up
en- my chest-it grasped my throat in
its mOnstrOus clutch, and held me
down with a weight of iron. I strug-
gled violently-I strOve to cry out,
but that terrific pressure took from me
all power of utterance | twisted my
self to right and left in an endeavor to
escape my tyrant Of the sable
hand had bound me in on all sides
Yet I continued to wrestle with the
cruel opposing force that strove to
overwhelm me-little by Iittle-inch
by inch-so! At last! One more strug-
gle-victory! l woke! Merciful God!
Where was l? In what horrible atmos-
phere-in what dense darkness? Slow
ly, as my senses returned TO me, re-
membered my recent illness. The
monk-the man Pietro-where were
they? What had they done to me?
By degrees l realized that | was ly-
ing straight down upon my back-the
couch was surely very hard? Why had
they taken the pillows from under my
head? A pricking sensation darted
through my veins-I felt my own
hands curiously- they were warm, and
my pulse beat strongly, though fit
fully. But what was this that hin
dered my breathing? Affair! I must
have ART l put up my hands-hOrror!
They struck against hard opposing
substance above me. Quick as light
ming then the truth flashed upon my
-
this wooden prison that inclosed me
was a coffin! A frenzy surprising chat
of an Infatuated tiger took swift pos
session of me-With hands and nails
| tore and scratched at the accursad
bOaTds-with all the force of my
shoulders and arms I toiled to wrench
open the closed lid! My efforts were
fI,11i 7 foTNcinJ1c1Ir
with rage and terror. How easy were
all deaths compared to one like this!
| was suffocating-I felt my eyes start
from their sockets-bloOd sprung from
my mouth and nOstrils-and icy
drops of sweat trickled from my fore
mead. I paused, gasping for breath.
Then, suddenly nerving myself for one
more wild effort, I hurled my limbs
with all the force Of agony and des-
peratiOn against one side Of my narrow
prison. 1t creaked-it split asunder!-
and then-a new and hOrrid fear beset
me, and I crouched back, painting
heavily. Tiff I were buried in the
grCJnd-so ran my CHASTITY thoughts
Of what use to break open the coffin
and let in the mold-the damp wormy
mold, rich with the bones Of the dead
the penetrating mold that would choke
up my mouth and eyes, and seal me
into silence forever! My mind quailed
at this idea-my brain tottered on the
verge of madness! | laughed-think of
it.-and my laugh sounded in my ears
like the last rattle in the throat of a
dying man. But [ could breathe more
easily-eyen in the StupefactiOn Of
my fears was conscious Of air. Yesi
the blessed air had rushed in somehow
Revived and encouraged as l recOg-
nized this fact, I felt with both hands
till found the crevice l had made, and
then with frantic haste and strength l
pulled and dragged at the wood, till
suddenly the whole side Of The ctfhn
gave away, and | was able to force ZIP
the lid l stretched out my arms-no
weight of earth impeded their move
ments-I felt nothing but air-empty
air. Yielding to my first strong i'm
pulse, | leaped out of the hateful box,
and fell-fell some little distance,
bruising my hands and knees on what
seemed to be a stone pavement. Some
thing weighty fell also, with dull
crashing thu6 close to me. The dark
ness was impenetrable. But there
was breathing room, and the atmOs-
phere was cool and refreshing With
some pain and difficulty l raised my
self to sitting position where l had
fallen. My limbs were stiff and
cramped as we'll as wounded, and |
shivered as with strong ague. But my
senses were cIear-the tangled chain
of my disordered thoughts became
even and connected-my previous mad
excitement gradually Gained, md he
gan to consider my condition. / had
certainly been buried alive-.here was
nc doubt of that. Intense pain had,
| suppose, resolved inself into a long
trance of unconsciOusness-th people
Of the inn where I had been taken i'll
had at once believed me to be dead of
cholera. and with the panic-stricken,
indecent haste common in all Italy,
especially at a time of plague, had
thrust me into one of those fiimsy cof-
fms which were then being manufac-
tured by scores in Naples-mere shells
of thin deal, nailed together With
clumsy hurry and fear. But how l
blessed their wretched construction
Had I been laid in a stronger casket,
who knows if ever the most desperate
frenzy of my strength might not nave
proved unavailing! I shuddered at the