The Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1850-1852, 1851-11-20

evidently vcxcu anu eIatueu'
a si,a,ion and words convinced US OF
rha, we wercbefore ignoran. that our !!
return was attended With real danger. .
The man Who drofs his lamp IS
mailman. II sboald be the last
thing surrendered in such a fix as
ours" 4. needed his lamp more
than any other one Of the party
lie was pale short sighted SUDDEN,
IRON New York, whose steps lad
seldom encountered and worse i'm
,,edincnt than . crack in the flag
stones of Broadway. lie was row
taken under lIowe's immediate care
in the van Of the party, and again We
moved upward. The summit was
safely PASSED, and the hithcr side Of
the rock nearly left behind, when
there was another splurge, a cry,
and q struggle. This time our ora
Gle in geology had fallen he Of the
hammer aud tho carpctbas full of
rocks. The image breaker Of the
sanctuary was getting hi, retribution.
lie remembered that lamp vas
worth more than limb, aud by
clinsing to the former both were dis
sbled. lie held fast to his lamp,
but ceuld not keep it from the water.
1t was qncnched and filed with oils
inyc,cratc creny. His knee struck
upon sharp cliff, and the wound
was severe. Matters were now
growing serious. There we're two
lampless adventurers, where light
was literally life one halfblind and
the other a cripple. Howe found it
easier to get out of his patience thar
cut Of his cavern. lie gave us a
round scoldiny; babe US keep close
.ctler, and bc.brothcr each other
q. we'll as We could with light and as
sistaLce.
A. the hi,her base Of rocks, it
Was necessary to cross the stream.
Howe declared the water had risen
to feet. and ON feeling for his plank
bridge, it lad been carried away by
the current. There was no time to
lose. lie gave a spring and landed
On the opposite bank. prostrate i'll
n soft bed of mud. We followed as
We could some falling il the water
and all getting goodly bemired.-
Then followed a mile Of dreary, and
tedious rilgramage. Sometimes
ike Christian in the Valley Of Shad-
o~s; We were walking upon path
with the edge turned up and deep
chasms on either side sometimes we
we're crossing narrow bridges with
two feet Of ru-hing water above them
sometimes We were clingins to the
sides of precipices, like Shakcspearc's
samphirc gathers, feelings that sense
OF danger which sublimes the breath.
less moment.
1t was glad time when we reach.
ed the Stygian Lake, and Charon's
occupation came again. The old
MID scow was floating palace
For the world we would not founder
20 precious a craft. so we threw
ourselves heels uppermost to drain
our boots. Then we sprang aboard,
and. as the boat parted her moorings,
VIC all sang the Canadian boat-scng.
Row, brothers, row the stream runs fast;
The rapids are near, and the daylights past"
The song appeared to have been
written for the very place, and the
very hour. AS our voices rose wild
and strong, mingled in the roar Of
the near waterfall, and were sent
back to us from q thousand echoins
vaults and secret chambers, our
hardships were all forgotten, and the
voyage was one Of unmixed enjoy.
ment.
Our spirits kept their elevation IN
til We came in sight of the Harlem
Tunnel. This passage is halls mile
long. and not more than five feet
square. On entering tho cave, We
had PASSED the Tunnel on stone;
thinly covered with water. Now
the stream had risen SO high thai
there was only o foot between it:
surface and the roof Of the passage
Howe drew near to the opening, ant
so held his lamp that We could clear
ly see the torrent rushing through
the Tunnel. "There,' said he 'w'
must either wade through that pas
sage. or retrace our steps, and pas
the night on the summit Of the rock,
Mountains The waiter was fas
rising, and in twenty minutes woul,
fill the Tunnel. Before US were
warm supper, dry bedding, Cheerful
daylight, wives and swee,hearts.-
Behind US were darkness, hunger
cold. wet rocks, and fearful lookin
for Of death by food or precipice.-
We gave the onward word, an
followed our leader. The passag
was we'll nigh tragic affair, yet "
managed to extract fun from it moi
outstanding. We had only to loo
well after our lights, avoid buttin
the rocks with our foreheads, and tn
was simple wadiny. Tho passage G