Year: 1869

N 1


not tell, for the very thought Of the


narrow escape I had, completely un


neryed me, and overcome with fear,


could feel my knees tremble and seem
Ito give way beneath my weight.


Five minutes passed-ten minutes


and still no sound. Ny spirits rose q
little, and 1 began to hope that escape


was still possible, but abated nothing oi


my watchfullness Another five min


utes and I had almost determined upon


trying to steal down toward the door


where the reflection of the gas-light


made the end of the passage quite


bright, while where stood was in a


fast deepening shadow; l took two


steps forward noisele5sly, and then stop


ped with a dead silence all around,


through which could hear the sing
ling of the gas and the loud throbbing


of my heart. l had somewhat recover


ed my breath, Sinking silently on, every


now and then looking back to see that


there was no one in pursuit, What |


should have done in accordance with


my feelings at that moment, would have


been to dash forward, but l kept down
my desire, and crept slowly on between


the two huge walls of wool bales piled


up eight or nine feet high.


Only another three yards and here l


stopped, trembling in dread lest Wood


might be watching me, leaning forward


to peer cautiously around the edge oi


bales. Slowly and quietly, nearer and


nearer, till 1 looked round, and then


with horrible fascination upon me,


stopped still; for precisely in the same


position, Wood was craniDg his neck to


look round at me, and with eyes looking


into eyes three or four inches apart, we


stood, what seemed minutes, immova-


bic. Move I could not My throat felt


dry and hot; while with my eyes fixed
and staring, looked into those glaring,


wild beast like orbs, which seemed to
hold me fixed to to the earth, as # some
horrible nightmare was upon me, and
at last clutching the wool firmly with
one hand, 1 drew myself back, fixing
his eyes the whole while, and then as
my strength seemed to come back,
leaped round and fled down the passage
once more as heard a yell and saw
Wood dash into the entrance.


A quarter of an hour must have pass
ed without a sound meeting my ears,
and calculating upon aid soon coming,
when a slight rustling noise seemed to
have been made close by me, and 1
started and looked toward the dark and
then toward the end of the morrow pas
sage was in.


Nothing was to be seen! and minutes
again passed slowly on; when all at
once the most horrid, unearthly yell l
ever heard, from just above my head,
and then overcome with terror as l
shrank to the floor, l looked up and
knew that Wood had crawled over the
top of the wool and then as the thought
struck my mind, he bounded down up
on me and had me by the throat.


l struggled for few moments, and
then lights seemed dancing before my
eyes, blood rushed to head, and then l
have some recollection of being drag
ged along the floor into the gas light, |
and then thrust about for a few mo-
ments, when there came a regular thud |
of the pump; bye and bye I could feel
myself moving upward. But all SEEM
ed calm, and such a desire to sleep was
upon me that sWoke to a consciousness
that the wretch had forced me on the
traveller of the hydrualic press, and was
now forcing the water, so that in a few
moments life would be crushed out.


Thud, thud, thud, went the pump,
and the pressure was awful, while at
the same lime as l vainly writhed and
tried to press down the heavy plate that
was crushing me, I was conscious of
great light that shown around me and
which l thought was caused by the
flashing sensation of my eyes; but no,
for directly there came the noise of
shouting, louder every moment, and
then l heard, ringing up from the yard,
.hese horrible words, "Fire! Fire
Fire p and / then knew that Wood
must have set fire to the warehouse.


Shouts, cries, and the noise of the
hurrying feet, and Wood stood in the
glare of the light, looking first one way
md then another, as if confused, for be
lad quilted the pump, at the noise of
,he shouting. All at once he darled
swsy, and half suffocated with the
/ could do nothing but groan,
lfter struggling little to find every
.fort in vain; and then with sharpened
lenses gazed at the flames licking the L
'oof and the floor I was on, and creep (
ng up the sides of the wool bales and
he more infiamable goods that were in
he warehouse The smoke soon be-
.ome binding, and the heat sitting,
,ut for me there seemed no hope, since
was sure no one would be able to !
,enetrate to where | was; when again u
gave a struggle and stretched down
ny hand backwards, and tried to reach
be tap which would have let off the :,
7ater and set me at liberty, or at least y
laced me in a position to try and es- .
ape the terrible death that seemed to q
wait me. q
But no! the handle was far out Of Z
1y reach, and groaned and wept
Utterly at my helpless condition. The
ress held me by the chest with awful g
over, but my arms and hands were at IL
berty, while my head, hanging down q q
enabled me to see the flames IL
reeping faster and faster, as I saw them !" "
,versed, and began calculating how IT
pg it would be before they would y
zach me and end my misery.
All at once, when nearly fainting, I'd
~ hand came in contact with an iron &c
ar, used to lengthen the handle of the n'
amp, to force the water with more ease Ut
hen greater power was required, and "
len my heart gave leap, as though 9' "
might be able to strike The handle of o'
lie tap and let out the water.


To grasp the bar was but the work of Z;
moment, and then began swinging =,
about slowly to try and strike the tap, e.,
1t In Vain-for [ could do nothing 90
ith it, only being able to swing it at W "
ndom for l could not see. Nearer e.,
ID nearer came the flames, louder rose -"
e shouts, and as looked along the =; =;
/ could see that all hope of "
eane nv the stairs was emf off evanl