Year: 1878

There were six OF us seated before olaZlng
fire which cast generous glare to the other
wise unlighted room. Outside, q Winter storm
beloved over the chimneys, and beat serious
" at the window panes. Afar off we could
hear the gust roaring among the naked hills,
now plunging shrilly through the skeleton
branches of the trees and again whiring over
head with a wierd shouting sound that might
wei! have proceeded from the throats of evil
things riding upon the wind. The ghostly
spirit of the storm seemed to have penetrated
even into our comfortable circle, for we had
got, know not how, upon that most dismal
of all subjects, Death.


We had canvassed the theme pretty thor.
ouphly before we discovered that two of our
number, the Professor and the Doctor, had
taken no part in the conversation. They
were sitting little removed from the rest of
ns, gazing gloomily into the fire. Their ordl-
narily cheerful expression of countenance had
given place to sober, troubled look, and
more than once we had detected the exchange
of a strangely significant glance between them.


As may be readily supposed, We were not
slow to press them for an explanation of their
conduct. But for considerable time our ef-
forts we're fruitless. At length, after much
persuasion, it was the Professor who spoke:


Gentlemen, said he, gravely, no man cares
to gain for himself the reputation of liar or
a maniac. Yet this is exactly what you are
pressing US both to do. l have no doubt that
the experience which I am about to relate,
and in which my friend. the Doctor, bore no
unimportant part, will appear absolutely in-
credible to persons of your advanced views.


There was a touch of sarcasm in the worthy
Professors tone, but in our eagerness to hear
his story, we found it convenient to disregard
this.


Moreover, he continued, shall risk it. If
YOU choose to disbeIieve it, why | shall en-.
deavor to have charity for your ignorance and
conceit. Now, Doctor, if you will hand me
the tobacco, and one of those pipes-the rank
er and blacker, the better-I will proceed.


Having filled his pipe and settled himself
comfortably in chair, he began thus:


1t must be fully ten years ago, that the
Doctor and myself we're engaged upon &c.
illogical survey of the northern part of this
State. We had labored diligently during the
Summer and Fall. when toward the close of a
cold November day, we shouldered our KNAPP
sacks and turned our faces homeward.


Our way led through chain of black and
rugged hills, toward frontier town, twenty
miles distant, where we intended to take the
railroad. A more forbidding region it has
never been my fortune to see. 1t was per-
feet chaos, backened and warped by primeval
fires, and destitute of the smallest trace of
vegetation. Tall cliffs lowered thousand
feet above our heads. shutting out the light of
the dull November sky. Sluggish streams
filtered between the crevices of the rocks, and
poured noiselessly into deep and motionless
tarns. 1t seemed that the blight of death
had fallen upon the whole country.


Well knowing the peril of attempting to
proceed through such region after nightfsll,
we halted at sunset, and building fire at the
foot of crag, disposed ourselves to rest as
we'll as we might. Exhausted with the tolls
of the day, the Doctor was soon asleep, and
was not long in following his example.


How long 1 had slumbered knew not,
when 1 found myself sitting upright, peering
nervously into the darkness around me. 1t
seemed to me that some one had uttered a
wild, appealing cry in the very portals of my
ears. For some moments sat so, wondering
ana aQXlOuS. men IelleCLeu LudL dS IueT t
could be no human being in the neighborhood
besides ourselves, the sound which alarmed
me must have been the shrek of some night
bird or animal Explaining the matter thus
was on the point of laying down again, when
I was arrested by a repetition of the cry
This time there could be no mistake. Wild
long-drawn, and, it appeared to me, full of in.
tolerable anguish, it re.echoed among the
crags with fearful shrillness. With an uncon.
trollable start, l turned and shook the Doctor
to awaken him.


"Be quiet" he muttered, Il am awake and
have heard it ALL


"What can it be 2" I asked, anxiously
"Surely, nothing human no one lives in this
region for miles around. Perhaps, it is wild
cat"


"No," he said, between his teeth. "Such a
sound never came from the throat of wild
cat. There it is again. Listen !"


The cry was repeated 1t was woman's
voice, but it expressed such supreme misery
as believe woman never felt before. 1t came
ringing up the gorge with wierd and mourn
full intonation that chilled the blood in my
heart. By the Doctors quick breathing,
could tell that he was as strongly affected as
myself. Neither of US spoke or moved both
waited for a renewal Of the cry, in the hope Of
arriving at some rational explanation Of it.