The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-06-19

ierr as 1 sat among the seals, and disap-
pearing in the obscurity that filled tho
interior parts of the cavern. Its move
ment was perfectly even and regular.
This time I did not scream, though I
shook and trembled violently. Now at
least l was thoroughly awake and alert,
with all my faculties quite preternatu-
rally active. The listless, semicoma-
tose condition in which I had now been
sunk for SO many days disappeared. I'll
came on again later, however, as II
shall presently describe. Between six
and seven minutes afterward the thing
passed again and SO continued to pass
for some hours, always seeming to|
take longer time to do the distance|
from the fire into the interior and back
again than that which lay between the|
lire and the entrance Of the cavern. The
apparition continued to present gener-
ally the same appearance. save that the
darkness which was in the midst of the
luminous haze seemed to be more dis
tinct. Sometimes thought it present.
ed the outlines of man, and once / i'm
agined that l made out clearly the head
and shoulders. noticed, too, toward
the end OF this period of time that the|
central darkness was not quite dark and
distinguished some faint indications oil
color.
was now 80 far recovered and hadl
grown SO accustomed to the apparition|
that determined to snatch burning|
fagot from the fire and kindle for my
self new fire in the neighborhood OIL
my seals. saw that if did not do so,
and that soon, my fire would presently
be burned out and that would not bel
able to kindle another, for l was aware
that had used up for my first attempt
to kindle flame all the loose gunpow-
der i'll my pockets. Inspired with a
desperate courage by this horrible
thought-the thought that I might
henceforward he compelled to live not
only in cold, but in darkness deter
mined. come what might of it, to save
my fire. Accordingly, waiting till the
apparition had passed on its way into
the interior of the cavern, FASTENED
forward and returned with burning
ember-1 had previously brought some
timber from that pocket filled with
drlftwood. So | endeavored to kindle
fire with the aid of the ember. This
attempt failed, and seeing the fire now
very low, regardless of all consequences,
l rushed forward again, returned with
three or four small embers, holding the
still unignited ends of these in my hand,
and keeping their red points together.
This time l succeeded, and in spite of
the presence of the apparition felt al
singular sense of joy and satisfaction
ns my drittwood caught fire and sent
up II bright blaze.
was still desperately frightened.
While manipulating my fircwood the
ticks frequently fell from my hands,
which shook as if were suffering from
aguc. Yet, frightened as l was, was
determined to do battle with even it for
my fire. To be alone in the darkness
alone save for the seemed
moro flightful than anything that might
bcfall nc i'll keeping my fire alive. Tru-
~ was ut death's door; but, like that
old Greek hero Of whom we used toI
read at school, l was determined to die
at least ''in tho light and SEQ this
thing. rather than III the darkness and
altogether Mt its mercy. now looked
steadily at tho place where it had been
moving to and fro, but though looked
u long time saw nothing of it. Then
l began to think, not that the whole
scene had been an evil dream, but that
it was IN ocular delusion, an affection
OF the optic nerve and an imagination
resulting from the low fever that prey
cd upon me, accompanied by that unu-
sual lethargy and sense Of physical and
mental depression.