The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-03-02

once SdcreQ confines OIL LudG lu1leOt
city Of the dead. The pale uncertain
light, obscured BY fleeing clouds, re-
vealed mysterious avenues and vlstas,
half-hidden by the trees, passing be-
tween long lines Of empty granite cof-
fins and leading to the black mouth
Of some charnel vault. 1t was a pic
ture worthy Of Dante's pen or Gus
tav Dore's pencil. Indeed, the ia
nous Florentine visited the Aliscamps
during the period of his banishment
and bore away profound impression
Of the scene, as testify the lines, Isl
come ad Ari, ove'l Rcdano stagna,
fanni sepolchri tutto i loco varo.'
In truth, if certain of his biographers
are worthy Of belief, it was here that
he received the inspiration for the
sombre poem in which he chanted
the resurrection Of the dead and the
eternal agonies Of the inferno. AS l
stood beneath the stars, l strove to
picture the commencement Of that
tremendous drama: "And now the
Fields Elysian trembled. And the
sepulchres were opened as on the last
day. And the granite coffin lids were
lifted. And from their graves a Nigh
ty company Of the dead marched
forth with inarticulate murmurlng. q.
But my phantastic musings were
brought to an abrupt, unlocked tor
termination. Down there among the
ruins, something was stirring, some
thing was emerging from the door
wav of a tomb. "a rabbit, or per-
haps q. fox," I thought, but as I was
about to toss a pebble in the dlrec-
ton of the apparition, a moonbeam
filtered through the tree stops, and
for an instant the moving figure was
distinctly visible. 1t was bony, hu-
man arm, "a CHASTITY, cropping arm,
from which the shredded flesh SEEM
ed hanging in tattered ribbons! Then
the shadows closed, while tall, gaunt
form glided swiftly from the sepuI-
chre, and, crouchmg Like tiger, dis
appeared among the rocks.
The blood seemed frozen in my
veins. and I stood paralyzed IN my
tracks, helplessly waiting for l knew
not what. My first emotions were
those which such a sight would natur-
ally awaken in the breast Of the aver
ace man. terror in the presence OF an
apparently supernatural vision, ming
led with a deeprooted fear Of the
dead; but gradually this unreason1ng,
childish fear Was dissipated by the
increasing intensity Of a radically
different sensation, "a lively and lntul-
tive apprehension Of imminent bodily
danger coupled with the animal IN
stinct Of self-preservatlon. Bending
low to earth, avoiding lighted spaces,
creeping steathily from hollow to hol-
low, striving to screen my movement
bv tree trunks and crumbllng walls, l
hurried toward the public road, flee-
mo from the nameless peril that l felt
was following in my footsteps, cast
mo nervous elances behind me from
time to time, and catching monen-
tarv glimpses Of the Sinking form.
Nearer and nearer it approached; my
knees we're trembling and my pace
was growing feeble; flight Was now
impossible for l dared 10 longer turn
nv back upon that which was pursu-
inc me. Desperate, rather than coora-
geous, I strobe straight toward Inc
.;n,t where | had last seen the fleet
mo shadow. Swiftly and silently the
THING rose and rushed to meet me.
pomtblacll | fired. guided by lnVol-
rrtary impulse, and then, as the
sharp report broke the nervous ten
sion and aroused me to voluntary ac-
tivitv. | fired again. Blinded by the
powders flash, dazed and deafened
bv the noise, bewildered by my
strange surroundings, l stumbled
from the cemetery without venturlng
70 ascertain the nature Of my myster-
ious asSailant, for WAS too complete
" unstrung to face the sight which 1
supposed would have greeted m e. e.
Returning to Aries, | went to the
eendarmerie. aroused the sleeping ser
oeant and told my story. l could moi
help realizing that it sounded hlshl!
improbable, even absurd, and l WAS