The Hope pioneer., 1899-07-13

now it did not pass into gentle trenlor
and fade away; instead, it grew stronger
and stronger until every rafter took up
the motion and the whole house trembled
as though with an ague. Greater grew the
shaking until the building rocked, the bed
slid away from the WALL the table shifted,
the glass and bottle on it rang togther, and
the pitcher danced so violently that the
water within it splashed from it's top. A
square of plaster from the ceiling fell to
the floor with crash. filling the room with
dust; but through all Scammel never
WINGED, showing wonderment, nor bore
less threatening attitude.
In the course of the seconds through
which this endured he held me as he proba-
bly, would have done had the roof fallen
about our ears, SO determined was he to
take me. I knew the nature of the tur-
moil at once, for when in the Indies with
my father had experienced it. 1t was
not caused by the earth shaking from the
rolling of heavy thunder, for just then the
voice of the storm was confined to the roar
of terrific downpour of rain. 1t was an
earthquake-a rare phenomenon in this lat
itude, and its rarity, its severity, and it's re-
suits before my eyes, triaing as were these,
woke me from my trance and again gave
full play to my wits.
Fascinated and partly stunned as 1 had
been by the fendish face of my enemy and
the full significance of the evil fortune into
which I had suddenly fallen, like him, l
sat through the commotion. Every unim-
pearl button on his shirt front down to the
grains of powder in the pistol pan and the
fine edge of the flint in the lock, found
force of attraction to the eye only known
to those who fall into sudden hopelessness
or deep depression.
But with the dancing of the tableware a
showed NE last desperate chance to ex-
tricate myself from the coil about me.
Natural phenomenon in the shape of a
breeze had saved me from the knife of the
negro, and now twas an earthquake that
might open way for my deliverance by
splashing water from pitcher.
Straining my nerves to conceal the new
hope that had sprung to life, began to act.
Never had felt my muscles knit frmer or
been less in need of stimulant than when,
sinking back as if at last overcome by the
combined shock of his words and the con-
vulson of nature, which had now passed,
said slowly and as though dazed
Il am but prisoner of war, sir. was
forced for my own safety to come to New
York. I am no-spy-1 will go-but-you-
let me drink. feel lax and-dizzy"
You have none of the Indian in you,
you pale-livered sneak" he answered.
Drink, then, and gather your spunl and
legs for action. Beat me with the flat of
your sword! Fore God! But wait till l
can shift my eye from you Drink. and then
| move before we have another quake, and the
| walls about us-'twill be your last dram"
With apparent effort raised myself,
reached for the bottle, and poured out a
stiff measure of liquor, which drank off;
| then taking the pitcher, made as though to
| fill the glass, but as I tipped it, with sud
den movement I whirlcd full half gallon
| of water over the pistol, drcnching the
| printing and making the weapon useless
| With this action sprang to my feet.
Scammell was quick, but not qnicl;
| enough The water had but reached the
powder when I heard the snap of the de.
scending hammer, and saw his first mo.
tion to gain his legs; but, following up the
drowning of the fire-pan lifted the heavy
! table and overturned it on him, pushing
him backward, where to the floor went man
furniture, and crocllcry with terrific crash
AT that moment there came a vivid flash OF
lightning, and hard upon it an appalling
peal of thunder. Though almost blinded
and deafened by the bolt, sprang round
the overturned table, and seizing the first
thing coming to hand, which proved to be
the water jug still unbroken, grasped the
struggling tory by the throat and with all
my force brought down the heavy carthen
ware on his uncovered head.
| The pitcher flew to fragments, leaving
but the handle in my grasp, while Scammel
became limp and collapsed.
This action took place during the interva
at which the thunder was the loudest, anc
was probably the reason that caused the
noise of The fall of the table to be unnoticed
by those below. But, as though it had beer
insufficient, another violent convulson fol
lowed, which came and went with the
suddenness of the explosion of park O.
artillery.
l had but gotten to standing position
when conclusion rocked the house to it:
foundation. 1t sprang not from the eartf
below this time, but from the air above
the vibrations Of which dashed the hang
ing glass from the wall and caused the win
dow panes to fly in pieces into the room. II
""H NV y. eAAe Ao. VI oA editHqudke
still less like thunder near or afar; much
it resembled the blowing up of magazine
though not until afterward did 1 come tc
know this as the solution of the matter
The flash that had lighted my attack or
Scammell had struck powder ship just
from England as she lay at anchor off Wal
street, and no vestige of it or those aboard
was ever discovered. This combination Of
intense heat, violent storm, earthquake
and explosion actually occurred in New
York city, Sunday, August 8, l778.]
The vicious nature of the shock was un
like the gradual coming and going of the
earthquake, and that it had occasioned
more alarm | soon knew by the shouts tha
came from beneath my window. Rushing
to it, through the shattered panes behelc
men running from the opposite houses