Year: 1860

match in the other, and the handle of tht
knife between his long, wolfish teeth, he came
over towards the bed. Even then might
have attemptedlto escape by rushing ut him
wrcnching the knife from between his teeth
and 30 getting the advantage; but even tha,
was not capable OF, 30 overcome was ! by
surprise and horror of my situation, and
through all, such an insatiate curiosity pos.
sessed mo to know what he was about to do
for as yet could only conjecture that hi,
purpose was to murder me.


He struck the match against the wall and
lighted the candle, and then took the knife
from between his teeth, and took firm hold
of the candle in his hand. / felt faint and
sick, when fully realized then that my last
chance of escape was gone. He bent over
me, flashed the light fun upon my eyes, and
perceiving that l was awake, exclaimed with
wild kind of laugh


.IIa ha! Awake ell ?-Ha ha Glad
of it sir; meant to wake you, If you had
not done it yourself. consider it cowardly
to kill u sleeping man.


And no laughed at mo again, and peered
into my face with his red-hot burning eyes.


could see at once that he was mad, and
saw that the horror Of my situation was
increased. At first, had thought him a
robber, or-I hardly knew what thought
but now, knew that no was a madman.
From his own words, too, knew that it was
his intention 70 murder me, and | felt that
little short of a miracle could save me.


After he had taken u good look at me, he
sat down upon the bed, and to my intense
horror began running his finger, with great
care along the end of the knife-cvidcntly he
had no intention of suffering by tho expert
ment. And then he said -


IL don't intend to kill you just now-per-
haps not for half an hour-perhaps not for
an hour-but guess that's about the long
est you have to live. First, mean to have
talk with you. Do you know where l
come fromT


did not, indeed, and told him so, wish
ing within myself, with all my heart, that
he would take it into his crazy brain to find
his way back there, and leave me to sleep in
peace.


You don't eh? Well don't mind tell
ing you. Don't you SEQ that church spire
away there to the left?'


No, didn't see the church spire, nor any



the burning eyes of the maniac. So | told
him didn't see the object he spoke of.


Don't sec it ch? How blind? Why sec
there?' And to aid me in discerning this
imaginary object, he rose and went toward
the window and loopcd the blind still farther
back. Thcre-sce it now?'


NO. ! said, Il don't see it yet and
hoped he would try to pull the curtain still
further back, or pull it down, or something
anything to divert his attention from me q
moment longer, that might leap from the
bed and bolt out of the room.


was already sitting up, and to glide
down upon the aoor was the work of an in
slant; but at that moment the madman, an
noyed that couldn't SEQ the church spirc,
dropped the blind, turned round quickly,
muttcring,-.Bl Blind, blind;' and instantly
comprehending my intention to escape, boun-
dcd toward me with spring like wildcat,
and catching hold of me with his bony hand,
waved the cleaning knife over me in such
close proximity to my face as to DO anything
in the world but pleasant.


'Oh, you will, will you? Just lie down
thcrc-still, now-still, or Ill kill you be-
fore ever the half-hour is up. Lie down.


And with herculean strength he lifted me
up with his one hand-and was no feather
in weight can tell you, and bounced me
down with force that shook the whole
bed.


did lic down, and seeing that was in
clincd to obedience, he directed my attention
to the window again, by mourning


'Do you see the church spire now?'


didn't see it any clearer than before, it
being slightly impossible, Us no church spire
existed within ten miles. But saw that
the maniac was getting irritated at my want
of capability to see what did not exist; 80
thought it might bc us well to keep upon
good terms with him, and to his question
this time admitted did see the spirc.


'Ah, good, good. Well, under that spiro
is church, and around the church is grave
yard. There live, and there came from.
It's very lonesome sleeping there in the
damp, cold ground and the grave worms
ugh! to feel them creeping along, over ones
skin-so Shiny, and slippery, and cold, han
quoting upon the warm flesh Of the dead
they say, the dead are cold; it's lie sir, a
lie! Feel my flesh is it cold?'


lie barred his skinny arm and forced me to
lay my hands upon it.


There, is that cold|


told him no.


is it warm?'


Ireplied that it was, and hc continued


They make it cold-the grave worms do.
They make it cold and Shiny as they crawl
grit. Did you ever feel the grave-worms
ON your flesh p


l shuddcrcd with disgust as l told him,
NO.


You didn't ch? Lucky dog, lucky dog
But YOU not dead yet wait awhile, and
you'll feel them. Just us do. pretty soon.'


And he whirlcd the carying-knife round
and round his head, then brought it down
with sudden swoop till hc grizcd my
throat.


With groan Of agony, not for the slight
scratch, but the horror Of mind under which
was, I recoiled from the lglittcring blade,
shuddering as if would have sunk down
through the bed-down, down through the
floor. How wished IN my soul that could
have done so-down anywhere out Of that
horrible presence With loud laugh the
maniac observed my terror, and then he
said,


frightened, eh? frightened! l won't
kill you for half an hour yet. I'm going to
experiment upon you. l think Ill bleed
you to death, just to try how long it will
take you to die eh? what do you think Of
it?'


What did I think of it? Nv God? l