The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-05-09

mured TO myself, ana getting into bed
was asleep in very few minutes.
! must have been in bed couple of
hours, l should think when l awoke
with n start and chat horrid feeling of
having been ~iJakened by q vague
something without knowing what.
! sat up in bed and peered across the
room. The fire had burnt so low that
only the mere outlines OF the furniture
were visible; whilst all the corners
We're in absolute darkness. / listened
lntently for some minutes, but not a
sound broke the silence except a fart
tapping. caused, l knew. by the ivy
being blown against the window pane.
/ lay down again and was just doing
off when--that sound was repeated.
Yes, there was no doubt about 1t this
time. A peculiar scufling noise, and a
painting sort of breathing like that of
some large misunderstanding it seemed
to me, from under the bed!
A horrible sickening fear seized me.
All the stories OF the evening before
flooded back on my memory. How abb
surd my own words seemed to be now
81 should not be frightenedw Not
be frightened. indeed, wlan I was
quaking so with fear that could hard
ly breathe! The noise had been gradu-
ally increasing, and suddenly some
.frightful thing rushed out from under
my bed, scuffled across the room and
flung itself down in front of the fire.
1t appeared, so far as 1 could make
out in the dim light, to be shaggy
sort OF animal, rather bigger than n
what it was. Some wild beast had es-
capped from q travelling menagerie and,
wandering into the grounds, had ar
rived at the open door Going in, it
had found comfortable spot under
the bed and had gone to sleep there.
Such was my theory formed in mo.
ment of utter terror.
| lay specializing as to whether 1t
would be possible for me TO reach the
door and escape before the creature
Noticed me. Then l suddenly remem-
bered that even IL l reached the door
in safety should be unable to get out!
Horror of horrors; l was obliged then
to spend the wAole night locked in
with a wild beast!
What l endured no words can tell.
Ny forehead and hands turned cold
and clammy and l trembled so with
fear that expected every moment the
creature would hear the bed shaking
and thus become aware of my pres
ence. Half an hour, or perhaps an
hour dt seemed ten to me at the time),
passed without anything occurring,
and then the beast suddenly arose,
and, bounding across the intervening
space, sprang on to the foot of my
bed. l should have screamed II had
been able. Thank God. fear had de-
prived me of the power. Still the
me, for it only made n queer sort OF
clucking noise, and then curled itself
up, and in few minutes heard it
commence to snore.
All through the long. long, weary
hours OF the night 1 lay there, not dar-
ing to close my eyes for an instant,
and in mortal terror lest any minute
the brute might wake up and tear me
to pieces. Never before or since have
hours seemed 10 pass so slowly. The
fire burned itself out In a very short
time, and l was left with my horrible
companion in the pitch darkness, and
dread and agony. hardly dared even
to breathe as 1 listened to the deep
snoring of the dreadful thing, and
whenever the sound grew softer my
heart almost ceased to beat with the
appalling belief that my last hour had
come at last.
How ardently ! longed for dawn
heaven only knows. | really felt at
last that IL it did not come soon /
could not bear the strain OF this terri
bic expectancy any longer and must
go out OF my mind. 10 add to my
misery ! WAS beginning TO suffer from
most dreadful cramp. brought on
through lying stlll for SO long in the
same attitude. And l hardl. dared to
move in any way TO ease myself for
fear of waking the loathsome creature.
At length pale line OF light appeared
on the wall opposite 20 me. and as 1t
gradually increased in brilliancy and
dimensions l was able to distinguish
first various objects about the room.
and then the hideous thing on the be-,
At first. OF course. 1t was only an In
distinct mass, but MS the light grew
and it became more clearly visible the
horrible truth was forced upon me.
had been attempting TO steel myself
for the revelation, and was expecting
l might see a wolf. a baboon, or even
a bear, but In my widest imaginings l
had never dreamed OF the possibility
OF thisl Merciful heavens! what should
what could 40?
The shock Of the awful discovery
overcame me completely. was PEI
fectly paralyEed with fear. and every
other sense was numbed for the time
being. | lay thus In y half-fainting
condition. until the sound - oh, how
unspeakahly welcomel-rof the key In
the lock reused me to action. sprang
from the bed. and, rushing from the