Year: 1872

at is an outer wal" 1 said to my
self; "they are all outer walls, and
the houseis is built of stone; it is i'm
possible that any sound could be
heard through such a thickness.
Besides, it seemed to be in my room,
close to my ear. What an idiot 1
must be to be excited and alarmed
about nothing. I'll think no more
about it." So 1 turned on my side,
with a smile (rather a forced one)
at my own foolishness, and compos-
myself to sleep.


At that instant I heard, with more
distintness than 1 ever heard any
other sound in my life, a gasp, a
voiceless gasp, as if some one were
in agony for breath, biting at the air,
or trying with desperate efferts to
cry out or speak. 1t was repeated a
second and third time; then there
was pause; then again that horri-
BILE gasping; and then a long-drawn
breath, an audible drawing up Of the
air into the throat, such as one
would make in heaving a deep sigh.
Such sounds as these could not pos
sibly have been heard unless they
had been close to my ear; they
seemed to come from the walls at
my head. or rise up out of my pill
low. That fearful gasping and that
drawing in of the breath, in the dark
ness and silence of the night, seem
ed to make every nerve in my body
thrill with dreadful expectation.
Unconsciously l shrank away from
it, crouching down as before, with
my face upon my'knees. 1t ceased,
and Immediately a moaning sound
began, which heightened out into an
awful, protracted groan, waxing
louder and louder, as if under an in
cressing anxiety, and then dying
away slowly and gradually into 81
lence; yet painfully and distinctly
audible even to the last.


AS soon as 1 could rouse myself
from the freezing horror which seem
ed to penetrate even to my joints
and marrow, 1 crept away from the
bed, and in the furthest corner OF
the room lighted with shaking hand
my candle, looking anxiously about
me as l did so, expecting some
dreadful revelation as the light
flashed up. Yet, if you will believe
me, / did not feel alarmed or fright
ened; but rather oppressed and pene
trated with an unnatural, oYerpoW
ering sentiment of awe. I seemed
to be in the presence of some greaf
mystery, some bottomless depth O
woe, or misery, or crime. shranE
from it with a sensation of intoler
able loathing and suspense. 1t wa'
a feeling akin to this which prevent
ed me from calling to my landlord
1 could not bring myself to speak tx
him of what had passed; not know
ing how nearly he might be himsel
involved in the mystery. 1 was on
ly anxious to escape as quietly a


possibly from, the room and from
the house. The candle was now be
ginning to flicker in its socket, bu
the stars were shining outside, ant
there was space and air to breathe
there, which seemed to be wanting il
my room; so l hastily opened my
window, tied the bed-clothes togeth
er for rope, and lowered myself 81
lently and safely the ground.


There was a light still burning il
the lower part of the house; but
crept noiselessly along, feeling my
way carefully among the trees, ant
in due time came upon a beater
track which led me to a road, tht
same which had been travelling OF
the previous night. l walked OF
scarcely knowing whittier, anxious
only to increase my distance from
the accursed house, until the day be
gan to break, when almost the frs
object 1 could see distinctly was 6
small body of men approaching me
It was no small pleasure that 1 rec.
ognized at their head my friend the
Capo di Polizia. "Ahw he cried


unfortunate Inglese, "what trouble
you have given me! Who're have
you been? God be praised that ]
see you safe and sound! But how,
What is the matter with you? You
look like one possessed"


told him how / had lost my way,
and where 1 had lodged.


"And what happened to you
tnereg' he cried, with look of anx-
iety.


II was disturbed in the night.
could not sleep. l made my escape,
and here 1 am. I cannot tell you
more"


"But you must tell me more, dear
sir; forgive me; you must tell me
everything. I must know all that
passed in that house. We have had
it under our surveillance for a long
time, and when l heard in what di-
rection you went yesterday, and had
not returned, l feared you had got
in some mischief there, and we were
even now upon our way to look for
you"


l could not enter into particulars,
but l told him / had heard strange
sounds, and at his request 1 went
back with him to the spot. He told
me by the way that the house was
known to be the resort of bandit
that the landlord harbored them, re-
ceived their illgotten goods, and
helped them to dispose of their
booty.


Arrived at the spot, he placed his
men about the premises and institut-
ed a strict search, the landlord and
the men who were found in the
house being compelled to accom-
pany him. The room in which l
1 had slept was carefully examined; !;
the floor was of plaster cement, so
that no sound could have passed
through it; the walls were sound and
solid, and there was nothing to be
seen that could in any way account
for the strange disturbance 1 had ex-
perienced. The room on the ground
floor underneath my bedroom was
next inspected; it contained guam
tity of straw which was heaped to-
gether in corner; it was observed
that the bricks were uneven, as if
they had been recently disturbed.


"Dig here" said the officer; ''we
IN "a cow o+b;ro. HID, 49,