Page:The Necromancer, or, The Tale of the Black Forest Vol. 2.djvu/153

 ed by degrees, and I was hurrying with rapid steps into the abyss of destruction."

"My dissipations tempted me to defraud my superiors, and soon intricated me in a maze of embarrassment, where I found myself entirely bewildered. I got acquainted and intimately connected with the most dangerous sort of people, with robbers and their infernal associates: Allured by my cunning and artful tricks, they did every thing in their power to gain my confidence, and to win me over to their party, which, alas! laid the foundation to my ruin: I became a spy, a traitor, and, at last, their accomplice in the perpetration of the most shocking crimes."

"My recruiting business was neglected, and my superiors were going to call me back: Being not able to give an account of large sums that had been intrusted to me, I could not appear before my commanding officer, and no other means were left me to escape