The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-02
opening by which I fancied we had

opening by which l fancied we had
entered.
When l had gone a little way down
1t ! used one Of my precious matches
and lighted the candle. as We had dis
covered that the bats were only to be
found in the high vaulted cubicula.
Shielding my light with the utmost
care, l proceeded down these inter.
minable passages. but nowhere did ]
come upon any trace Of Maurice.
neither could l recognize any of the
f%rescoes or decorations upon the walls.
My watch told me it was nearly 5
O'Clock. and after walking on in this
way for about half an hour a panic
seized me that Maurice might have
returned to the cubiculum during my
absence and. not finding me there,
have gone again to look for me. In
this way me might wander round after
each other till death put an end to
our sufferings, as it was evident that
few tourists visited this distant part
Of the catacombs.
Terrified at this new idea. I turned
to retrace my steps, II possible. to our
original cubiculum. when, to my JOY,
! heard the sound of some one running
quickly toward me down a fairly wide
passage that Joined the one l was in
at right angles. This must be Maui
rice returning. l thought, or perhaps
the guide, who would help me find
him.
I raised a glad cry. and started off
running to meet the newcomer. Then,
to my horror, the footsteps ceased.
Instead. round the corner of the wall
appeared a narrow white face, sur.
rounded by a moving mist, like a spirit
shroud. From that pale countenance
cleaned two enormous eyes. liked up
on mine in an awful glare! A strange
and offensive smell smote upon my
failing senses, and once again l fell
to the earth unconscious.
The next time l opened my eyes I
was still in the passageway. but-oh,
the blessed change! Several smoky
candles illumined the jagged walls.
and W. or three men of the peasant
class were talking excitedly together,
while another man. with a badge on
his cap. was dabbing my face with
water and telling me in broken Eng
fish not to be afraid.
A few minutes walk down the wide
passage brought US to a large hole in
the wall. through which to my sur
prise. streamed the glorious mornins
sunshine. Maurice. looking very
white and tired. was there. with Mr..
and Mrs. Anderson and two or three
gentlemen from the hotel.
My watch still indicated a quarter
to 3 o'clock, though they told me it
was $3.50. Evidently it had stopped
at that hour. On the way back to
the hotel they told US that whom we
a hue and cry was raised. but it was
not till nearly midnight that a cab
driver came forward to say that he
had driven a young English lady and
gentleman late that afternoon to the
catacombs of st. Calyxtus. He had
stopped there about three quarters of
an hour. but then. as they had not
ordered him to wait. he had returned,
supposing they had gone home some
way: A search party had i'm
mediately been formed, and for hours
had been exploring the miles of
labyrinth, hoping each moment to
come upon us.
At about 2 o'clock they had met
Maurice. wandering blindly in the
dark. half dazed with exhaustion and
misery. 1t seems that after leaving
me ne had found q pool Of unknown
depth. from which he had quenched
his thirst, but on rising from his knees
his cap. to which was pinned the
ter. rendering the candle useless. He
had vainly used up the last of his
matches endeavorins to relight 1t, and
had thenceforth wandered aimiessly
about in the dark. a prey to every ter.
rible imagining.
Hours afterward they had come up.
on q large white Soat-the cause OF
my last fright-rushing wildly toward
a distant spot Of light-the hole in
the rock by which 1t had entered. Fol.
lowing back in the direction from
which 1t had come. they had found my
inanimate body.
The rufian who had so basely, de-
serted US was never discovered.
though every possible investigation
was made.
Though much exhausted by our try.
Ing experience, we left Rome at the
earliest moment. Unfortunately, how.
ever. the exposure Of that dreadful
night. acting upon q constitution ii.
ready delicate. was o much for poor
Maurice. and on the twenty first day
after u adventure he died. q victim
to Roman fever.