A Night Of Horror

I have passed through many a trying cene in my lif e, scènes wherein danger urked and death sniiled gi-irnly. On water and on land I have stood, as it were, face to face with that dread of the minan race. On the mighty ocean, when our fair bark was tossed as if it were a feather, I could gaze tipon the urging billows with awe, aye, with venration - for there amid the roaring oí' ie tempest, the lashing of tlie wave, I aw the power ajid might of tliat Diety. Death amid the storm and tempest, ie flaskes of lightning and the roaring f the thunder, had no dread for me. ?o die thus, amid the war of the elements, would be a glorioustriumuh over low death ! Why should I wiite this sketch ? Why escribe a night of horror the rëmemjrance of which, although many years ïave passed away, makes me shviddèi' ! till ? Is it because it lives in memory, ike some horrid specter ? It may, howver, tend to wiïMraw the mind from iat one fearful episode in my life,which, like a dark shadow, keeps out all nnshine. To test theory, I send you iis sketoh, fortlie memory of that night f horror. Like a drop that night and day Falls cokl and cpawelc h, wearB my heart away. The State-House clock liad struok ight irhen the clerks left the office. I emained alone, as I had some importnt business to transact, with which the lerks had nothing to do. I locked the 'ront of the office, and for one hour I was busily employed at my work. In ne corner of the counting-house stood my manimoth safe- a huge aftair. I irided myself on being the owner of the ixture. I could stand upright in it and rrange my books and papers without tooping. It was a small house or an ron tomb, just as fancy might determino. íear the safe stood an old-fashioned, ickety book-case ; a large, pondermis )iece of iumiture. The safe door, when opened, came within a few inclies f it. It is necessary to mention this bookase, for had it not been there the adventure I am about to relate would never ïave been written. I was inside the safe, putting in its )lace the last book, when there came ïpon my ear the cry of "lire !" followed )y the rush of engines down the street. . listened for a minute, and was in the act of leaving the safe, when- oh, horor ! - there carne a crash ! the boot-case ïad fallen against the door of the safe, and its spring was caught in tha intricate workings of the huge lock ! I was thus inclosed in a living tomb, and as the dread sound echocd througli he safe I knew it was the knoll oí my death. For a moment I stood utterly confounded, and when the truo state of my situation was realized no tonguo can [escribe nor pen portray the remotost dea of myfeelingH. Entombod, iucased n an iron coffin - all sound dead ! The shout I sent i'orth, as it' it could be everieard,came batik inroverberating echoes. L'lien again all was still - still se doath, 'or my voice was hushed ! ■ The few moments that had passed since my inearceation soemed sia though many years. ïow wotild I dio ? Kaviug mad, perïaps, or by immediate suffócation. Alrcady I feit the presence of the coadensed air acting on my brain - alivady 1 feit the blood rushing in turaultiwua waves to my head ! To die thus, Htritggling for lit'e in an iron vault, was ïlwful. I calculated the hours, the minutes and seconds before the time of the opening the office, and then - then - the key of the safe - great Heavens ! - it was in my pocket, and there -was no dnplicate. Hours and hours must pass away before tlie safe could be opened. Opened by whom ? The man who made it. I had no partner in the business; my clerks would not suspect that anything had occurred, and they would not attempt the opening of the safe until they had heard from me. How in Heaven's name could that be ? Never, never would they hear the sound of my voice again ! I was there - death's prisoner in an iron vault ; they knew it uot, nor even imagined Buch a horrible contiugency could be attachcd to my absence. Even if it were so - even when the safe was opened, how would I appear to them? A lifeless corpse, or a raving maniac. I did not shudder nor groan. All corporeal sensation was lost iu that of the bain. I feit that death in some horrible shape was gathering its shroud around me. In my excited state I imagined that all was over with me. How should I meet death ? Dash my braius out against the iron-sided prison ? No, no; not while reason remained. If I were to lie down with my face pressed to the floor, and reinain there quietly, shut my eyes and keep oiit the oppressive darkness, might I not sleep? I threw myself fnll length on the flow, for, sik I have already said, the safe was a large one, in the hope tliat sleep or suffócation would end my mental srifteïiug. The density of the atmosphere must naturally produce tlie latter result. No no; liere was no atmosphere, for thai w:w ia visible, elastic fluid, which surroumí: thi earth, and jresses by its weiglit the assemblage of aeriform vapora. Here wns no air - no vapor, no motion, no souud, atmosphere, to produce either of these agenta of the universe. No ! Death was far away, yet I feit as ii the vory silence was killiiig me. The buzzhig of a fly, the. huía, of a bee, or the sound of that mystorious insect -whóeé peculiar imitation of a time-piece gives it the name of the "death watch," even that superstitious pleasure was denied me. Tliore carne a change, sudden asitwas alarming. The brain began to throb. The heart beat in unisón. I feit its Jeep pulsations ; I heard its deep, heavy thud against my breast. This I say I heard, for it was part of myself. No ofchor sound outsidc of my own person could have ivnehed me there. I feit a pain in my head and brain ; not an ordinary pang, but ome that struck at the base of ï-caaon. Death. was coming ! Welcome! And ï laughcd the wild, unmeaning laugh of the maniac. And yet I was not mad, but so near it that had not reason told me it was approachmg apoplexy I would have been raving. Welcome apoplexy ! It, however, came not. I rolled over and over in my limited cell ; I screnmed ; I yellcd and shonted for help, and yet all the while I was perfectly conscious of wliat I was doing. Death was playing with me ! I prayed, too, but did not cureo. No, no ; for if I am to die - thusl reasoned- let me die in pence with God. These thoughts, the result of my early religious education, kopt my soul iataèt with Him who had the best right to it. I endeavored to be calm, strove to reason mysolf into patience, and wait the coming day. Day ! alas ! what to me waa day ? For here all was night. But reason faileu. It had no argument to confute facts. Death was here aud I had to meet it. But how ? Alas ! alas ! that mystery. was yet to be solved. All was so still, so silent, that my faculties Arere beiaumbed. I reraember wonderiug if the voice: of the Deity could be heard in that dreadful place. Was tliis blasphemy ? Perlmps it was ; but I was not then aecountable for either my words or actions. I waSj for the moment, mad. I took off my coat and made a pillow of it. Sleep ! Oh ! if I could only sleep, and, iu forgetl'ulness, escape the horrors of my waking moment s. Sleep was impossible. There was a constant buzzing in my ears, acute pain in my head - a vértigo that drove me again to my f eet, and I reeled round the limited spaee in a whirligig for life. I struck my head agaififet the side of the safe. I feit no pain, for there was a madness in mx acts, with just sufficient reason to add to the horrors of my situation. What could I do now but rave and yell, calling for help, weil knowing there was no help af hand ! Why did my senses remain to torture me thus ? Why not go mad and commit some fearful act to end my misery ? Because I was in the hands of One who has issued bis canon ngainst self-slaughter. I trusted to Him. I started to my f eet. M,y liead struck fho top of the safe, and I was dashed back i to the floor. Again. t shouted, agaih I laid flat on my face and called on death to come and end my woes. The sliout was echoed in low, rumbling sounds, which died away, leaving the silence tenfold greater. Like the darknêss preoeding some greater shock of nature, its intenseness could be feit. I feit- feit it in my heart-folt it in my brain - it was pressing me to death ! Had I nothing else to think of but myself ? ' Eeader, I have given my own mental and pjiysioiil snilVrings wlúle (ïtimibed. I was not selfish even; I analyzed my own feelings, and seemingly forgot others outside of the tomb. "WTiat, describe other sensations - sensations.; Jiiij,t apruug frorn. pictures I could not bring my mind to contémplate? Picturos .of home - of wife and children - faïends - all theso seemed, in my sate, as only oddiug to my misery, for I was doomed, and ttey were for tíie time being happy. I kept those-pictures back. I even magnifled my suffering so that memory might be silent;. I could not contémplate in my excitenient two distinct events. I therefore settíed all my thoughts, fixed all my energies on onc object - self-preservation. I would strive to'live - live for those who were even now wondering why I was not with them. Keader, I strove as bard to forget wife, children and friends as I did to niastor my dread of the horribli! dea-tli awaiting me. Understand me. No one placed as I could think of fhé past, present ov future with any degree of calmucks. The reasoning faculties succumbed to physical excitement; thi;y became antagonistic, and, sltJiouffh T endertvored to separate the two, i 'i-üiie moro confused, Í could tiiiuk of nothiug but my own positioii. Beyond that, if I attmptec1 to go,. I foresaw madnesK. Ko. to avoid all that, I ccjitercl all my Enbiights im xb pTirpóBe - seif-réWérTation. To aocomplisb Uiis I could not, ( ven in thought, go beyond my priBOnñousc. Why proceed - why even attempt to describe the suffcrings I underwent ? I raved, I screeched, I feil to the ttoor, rose again, reeled in mnddening fmy around my living tomb. I even r:u dituted self-do'struction. I argued tho point váÜl de:ith. I quoted uuthorities to prove that suicido was justiflable in some 'oases, and mine was a case in point. My mind, weakened as it was, hesitated to grasp at tbis mode of ending life, smd tliere np, at Üiftt moment, a síaall, cliildlike voice, saving: "Hope liope óu !" Was it a voioe, or was it mereiy imagination conjuring up sounds tosootheme? "Hope!" I started ! a new light seemed to enter my soul, and Ilumínate the Cimmerian darkncss surrQudding me. I Jpjt all consciousness, and feil as if dead. How long I lay thus I had no knowledge, when I carne to myself it was to .hear a dull sound as if some one was striking the safe. Was heipat hand? Tlien carne a grating sound - then a shock - then carne a louder sound, as if from the explosión of gunpowder - a flash, as of lightuing. It cume into the safe and f or an instant the whole space was illuminated. What could it mean ? "Was it i drenm ? No ! no ! - reality ! The safe-door was throwu open, and as I rolled out on the floor of the countinghouse I again became unconscious. Wlien I carne to my senses I was surrounded by four flêrcc-looking men - one was bathing my head, while another was holding me in his arms. What could it mean ? I was saved, but how and by whom ? Tkey were burgers who carne f ar the purpose of plunder. They tola me so; and instond of money thoy fouud what tiiey took to be a corpso. They stood apurt - wldspcrud - seemed to hesitate how to act. The safo was oponed; the mvncr was tliere at their mi rey. Wcak as] wis, I at'uici discöverod the ctiusi oí fcheir nesitation. "Youcame," I said, "torob me, instead of which you saved my life. The amount of money which you would have oL'tnined is no consideral)]e sum; it is there - there in that sccond drawer from the riglit. Take it - divide it between yourselves, and take it with my thanks. You see I am very weak - the exoitement caused by inoarceration." One of the men approached me and said : ' ' We are robbers ; we are in your power, but wc are uot murderers. We came for money, but- - " I interrupted kim. "No hesitation, sir; it is yours - my free gift - take it." He then joined bis eompanions, consulted awhile, then came to me and said: " Suppose, sir, that we were detected? Our entrance may have been observed - the money found upon us - the condition of this safe - thus, you see, upon such evidence we would be convicted at once. " " Will you place that chair bef ore the table and help me to it ? I am completely nrmcrved. Seven hours in that safe nearly killed me. " The chair was placed as ordered - the man who had spoken aseieted me to it. I took paper and pen, and, while those four stal wart, desperate men gazed upon me, I wrote the following : ' ' For valuable services, I pay these four men (for the soul of me I could not write gentlemen) the sum of $1,500. They rescued me from a most horrible death, for which, in addition to this sum, they have my most heartfelt thanks. [Signed] ; . ' ' Take tliat paper, sir, and, ïf anything should occur, come to me." Thus was I saved, but it was many weeks before I recovered from the