Year: 1877




ing scene in my life, scenes wherein
danger lurked and death smiled grim
ly. On water and on land ] have
stood, as it we're, face to face with that
dread of the human race. On the
mighty ocean, when our fair bark was
tossed as if it were a feather, | could
gaze upon the surging pillows with
awe, aye, with veneration-for there
amid the roaring of the tempest, the
lashing of the waves, | saw the power
and might Of the Deity.


Death amid the storm and tempest,
the flashing of lightning and the roar
ing Of the thunder, had no dread for
me. To die thus, amid the war Of ele-
ments, woul1 be a glorious triumph
over slow death


Why should | write this sketch
Why describe night of horror, the re.
membrance of which, although many
years have passed away, makes me
shudder still Is it because it lives in
memory, like some horrid specter. 1t
may, however, tend to withdraw the
mind from that one fearful episode in
my life, which, like a dark shadow,
keeps out all sunshine. To test this
theory, / send you this sketch, for the
memory of that night of horror.


Like drop that night and day


Falls cold and ceaseless, wears my heart


away.


The State-House clock had struck
eight when the clerks left the office. |
remained alone, as | hal some impor-
tant business TO transact, with which
the clerks had nothing to do. l locked
the front of the Office, and for one
hour l was busily employed at my
werk. In one corner of the counting
house stood my mammoth safe-a huge
affair. prided myself on being the
owner of the fixture. / could stand
upright in it and arrange my books
and papers without stopping. 1t was
like small house or an iron tomb,
just as fancy might determine. Near
the safe stood an old fashioned, ricke-
ty bookcase a large, ponderous piece
of furniture. The safe door, when
opened, came within few inches of
it.


1t is necessary to mention this book
case, for, had it not been there, the
adventure | am about to relate would
never have been written.


/ was inside the safe, putting in its
place the last book, when there came
upon my ear the cry Of "ire !" follow
ed by the rush of the engines down the
street listened for a minute, and
was in the act of leaving the safe,
when-oh, horror There came a
crash The bookcase had fallen
against the door of the safe, and it's
spring was caught i'll the intricate
working Of the huge lock


was thus inclosed in living tomb,
and as the dread sound echoed through
the safe knew it was the knel of my
death. For moment l stood utterly
confounded, and when the true state
of my situation was realized no tongue
can describe nor pen portray the rem
otest idea of my feelings. Entombed,
incased in an iron coffin-all sound
dead The shout / sent forth, as if it
could be ever heard, came back in re-
verberating echoes. Then again all
was still-still as death, for rny voice
was hushed The few moments that
had passed since my incarceration
seemed as so many years. How would
| die I? Raving mad, perhaps, or by
immediate suffoeation. Already | felt
the presence of the condensed air act
ing on my brain--already l felt the
blood rushing in tumultuous waves to
my head To die thus, struggling for
life in an iron vault was awful.


calculated the hours, the minutes,
and seconds before the time of opening
the Office, and theu-then--the key of
the safe-great Heavens lit was in
my pocket, and there was no dupli-
cate.


Hours and hours must pass away
before the safe could be opened. Open.
ed by whom The man who made it |!
l had no partner in the business my
clerks would not suspect that anything
had occurred, and they would not at
tempt the opening of the safe until
they had heard from me. How in
Heavens name could that be? Never,
never would they hear the sound of
my voice again! 1 was there-death's
prisoner in an iron vault; they knew
it not, nor even imagined such a hor-
rible contingency could be attached
to my absence. Even if it were So
even when the safe was opened, how
would appear to them2 A lifeless
corpse, or raviRg maniac.


did not shudder ner groan. All
corporeal sensation was lost in that Of
the brain. I felt that death in some