The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-05-16


one running quickly toward me down
a fairly wide passage that Joined the
one I was in at right angles. This
must be Maurice returning,
thought. or perhaps the guide, who
would help me to find him.
raised a glad cry, and started of
running to meet the newcomer.
Then to my horror, the footsteps
ceased. Instead, round the corner OF
the wall appeared a narrow white
face, surrounded by moving mist,
like a spirit shroud. From that pale
countenance cleaned two enormous
eyes, fixed upon mine in an awful
glare! A strange and offensive smell
smote upon my failing senses, and
once again fell to the earth uncon-
scious.
The next time I opened my eyes I
was still in the passageway, but-oh,
the blessed change! Several smoky
candles illumined the jagged walls,
and two or three men of the peasant
class were talking excitedly together,
while another man with badge on
his cap was dabbling my face with
water and telling me in broken Eng
1jsh 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
surprise, streamed the glorious
morning 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 quarter
to 3 o'clock, though they told me it
was really $3.50. Evidently it had
stopped at that hour. On the way
back to the hotel they told us that
when we did not return in time for
table d'hote a hue and cry was rails
ed, but it was not until nearly mid
night that e cab driver came forward
to say that he had driven young En-
glish 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 other way.
A search party had Immediately
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 he had found a pool of unknown
depth. from which he had quenched
his thirst, but on rising from his
knees his cap, to which was pinned
the precious taper, had fallen into
the water, rendering his candle USE
less. He had vainly used up the last
Of his matches endeavoring to relight
it, and had henceforth wandered
aimlessly about in the dark, a prey
to every terrible imagining.
Hours afterward they had come
upon a large white goat-the cause
of my last fright-rushing wildly to-
ward a distant spot of light-the
hole in the rock by which it had en-
tered. Following back in the direc-
ton from which it had come, they
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
trying experience, we left Rome at
the earliest possible moment. I'm
fortunately, however, the exposure
of that dreadful night, acting upon a
constitution already delicate, was
too much for poor Maurice, and on
the twenty-frst day after our advent
ure he died, victim to Roman fe-
ver.-Wide World Magazine.