The Opelousas courier., 1898-07-16

| Of workshop ,outine, he stopped ant
| switched the belt on to the shaft o:
the saw. Every now and again he
| would take a long glance at me, as
tnv1gh revealing in my silent agony
Poor fellow! At this late date I car
even look back and pity him, for how
keen must have been the fortunes o.
his mind, which drove his poor, weak
brain from its throne, and left him 1
fierce and bloodthirsty homicidal mo-
MAC.
"Goodby, Graham" he said, speak
ing between his teeth. "Goodby,
and take my curse with you where
you are going"
He rushed from the shop and
never sow him again.
It is no exageration to say that the
minutes passed like hours. AT
length, after what seemed to me to
have been more like a week than
some couple of hours, I heard a slight
vibration, the floor began to tremble,
the betting groaned and %squeaked,
and then I knew, knew only too we'll,
that the end was near The engine
had started and the machinery was
setting to work. In five minutes
time the section of the beam to which
I was boukd would be caught in the
merciless teeth Of the gigantic saw,
and theh, goodby to life.
The a5eam being some six yards
long, and I being attached to the end
furthest' from the saw, there were
some four yards now standing between
me and destruction. I knew that the
saw was a moderately quick one, for I
had often watched it in an idle mo-
ment, little dreaming of what the fu-
ture was to bring forth for me in con-
n%ection with this apparatus, and I
calculated that five minutes at least
must elapse before I was caught by
the revolving saw.
I wonder if any human being, no
matter how great his imaginative
power, can realize, yer dimly, my
feelings as I lay staring up at the
ceiling while the beam was slowly,
but surely, drawn by the automatic
pulley nearer and nearer to the saw.
And still the machinery whirled and
whistled, still the betting groaned,
still the wheels flew round, bringing
me nearer and nearer to death.
For a few moments fancy played
strange tricks with me, and the clear
ness of my brain vanished. I thought
that I was dead and had passed to
some wondrous island, where Ella
was beside me. Then I awoke, and
the horrible reality came back to me
with a %sickening pang. For the ma
chinery still whirred and whistled,
the betting still groaned and the
wheels flew round, bringing me
closer and closer to the end.
Now I was O yard from the saw,
now only two feet, and soon, very
soon, I must reckon in inches.
Nearer and nearer still, the huge saw
revolving like some fierce monster, its
teeth shining in the warm sunlight,
eating to taste my blood. Nearer!
Nod help me, nearer still!
Twelve inches, eleven inches, ten
4ches, and still the beam crept on.
" was parched and choked; my eyes
seemed to burn with O redhot fierce
ness. I tried to cry out, but breath
failed me. Nearer and nearer still!
On, on, on, went the beam, and
even as I gave myself up for lost, and
felt the wind produced by the saw on
my temples, I heard a tremendous
noise, followed by a piercing cry Of
human agony. Then Inconsistencies
came, and I knew no more.
When I recovered, I found myself
on the floor of the shop. Ny bonds
had been unfastened, and several PEG.
pie were beside me. One of them,
whom I took to be O doctor, inquired
how I felt.
"Much BETTER" I returned, as I
swallowed the brandy which he held
me; Every much better. But
now tell me, please, what has hap
and how it comes about that I
0ofC DCCA ACoCuCus
"You will have to tell us afterward,"
le said, pleasantly, show it came
about that you were bound to that
'aw. By Jove, you had a very mar
'ow squeak. You see, the boiler
BURST. and the machinery stopped
ust in time"
understood all in a moment. The
maniac, forgetful of all else save his
lesire for vengeance, had doubtless
orgotten to open the safety valve,
With the result that the boiler plates
lad become overheated, and the ex-
had occurred.
I looked up at the betting and saw
hat it hung limp and inert.
"Ah, yes," said the doctor, MOTTO
ng my glance, ''the shock of the ex-
'losion no doubt threw the belt off the
haft; but if you look ct your shoes,
~ friend, you will see what a narrow
queak you have had"
I looked at my boots and found that
he heels had actually been cut
y the saw, SO that had not the boiler
xploded at that moment, I must
urely have gone out to one of the
lost horrible deaths that the mind Of
mi