AT THE MERCY OF A LUNATIC.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5106, 17 August 1895, Page 3

AT THE MERCY OF A LUNATIC.

I was tired, footsore, hungry and 1 sleepy, as I halted at the door of a wayside house. The tenement was not over-promising; but the night was cold and wet, ami with 110 other shelter in view, I determined to knock and ask for lodgings. I knocked softly and waited, but there was no response. I hoiked again somewhat louder, but all was still and silent. Again I raised my band, but before my knuckles reached the panel I was roughly precipitated through the door, and deposited on my back in the centre of the room. I looked swiftly round so ascertain the meaning of the extraordinary behaviour, and the sight that met my gaze I shall never forget. There before me stood a grinning lunatic, with cross eyes, bristly hair and the stature of a giant. The grin was hideousand terrifying, and the huge mouth and large white teeth suggested a deputation of mileStones conferring in a tunnel. His nails were lung and claw-like, and his black bushy hair stood erect,

"Now," said lie, "you sub the uncertainty of life! A moment ago you were outside; now you are inside. A moment ago you wore on your feel, now you are on your back. 'Now you are alive; in a minute you may bo dead. Life is uncertain," I felt the full force of the latter remark, as 1 met the mad eyes of my ferocious host, " Well! What brings you here ?" lie asked, I explained that I was a stranger in want of shelter for the night-, for which I would willingly ! pay. " You'vo got money liweyou ? Well turn it up tome," he demanded: "I am collecting coins." I saw from the first that 1 was at Hie mercy of a madman; and as the little coin I possessed was not worth risking my life for, I turned it out. After carefully examing the coins, he tossed them in a tin hard by, and turning round locked the door and put the key in his pocket. Turning abruptly upon me and grasping my arm wit h an iron grip, he asked, " Can you sit on the ceiling!" I replied that I was very sorry, but I could not. " You can't!" lie roared in terrifying tones. "Why look at yon fly, how calmly ho sits; surely you can go one more than a fly! Why, my father sat on the ceiling all his .life—which was five score and ten years—and would liavo been there yet, only that he got down to go to his funeral and forgot to return." At first I thought he was speaking facetiously, but a glance was sulfi : cient to provo my error: While the foam issued from his mouth, he roared in fearful tones—" You were laughing! By the terrible flames' of hades and the imps that danco in I the Binokc, I saw you! This portentous change 111 his demeanour, terrified me. I averred that I had not been laughing, but the explanation was svipei'flous; he had forgotten the accusation, and once more the fearful grin stole o'er his face. "To bed 1" he cried. I looked hnstily round, I could see that the next and only othor room contained but one bed,' j isliuddored; 1 looted towards (ho |windows; they wero fixtures; tho ;| key was in his packet, and I knew . not what moment his knife would be in my heart, I would have hesij tated, but 1 dared not to' rpuse his anger; 60 I resolved to obey and i my fate with as much resigmu ■ | tion as possible, | For hours after I retired my per-

secutor remained in the outer room seated intlio corner neavestmy door peering at me through a crack in the , wull. At length he entered the loom on tiptoe, grinding his teeth horribly sis lie stealthily approached the bed, He glared at mo for a moment, and then on all fours crept to the other side of thq room, still grinding his teeth as he proceeded to open n box from which he took a dirty pack of cards. Spreading those on the lloor on which ho was sitting, and with the light from tho otliej room llickering on his horrible countenance, he proceeded to read them I knew what it meant and my heart sickened as he grinned and frowned jalternately. At length he arose, with froth hanging in festoons from j his beard, and said to himself in a (growlingundertone—" Thou sleepy son of Morpheus, thy fate is death." For a moment he left the room. I made a desperate plunge for the window, hut with the ferocity and agility of a tiger he was upon me, and 1 knew no more. Such was one of many horrible dreams that harassed my misemble existence while suffering from a diseased liver. 1 consulted physician, fur and wide, but got no relief until 1 tried Warner's Sakk Cure with the most satisfactory results.

Daring the service lately, at the Church of the Nativity of Bethlehem, Palestine, a potty dispute arose among the congregation which ended in a monk being shot dead. Two other moults were severely wounded by pistol shots. Farmers in Mexico use oxea of one colour in the morning, and of another colour in the afternoon. They have no reason for doing so beyond the fact thai their fore-fathers did it, and they conelude it must he the right thing to do.