Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1854-07-14

e., which We so disposed in fork little
above the main one, as to render rs ,olcrably
secure from falling II either Of US should
dOts-sleep we hardly expected. Darkness
now came on apNco-a darkness that might
almost be felt.
Even in the day these forests are sombro
enough, though pleasantly 80, as they shield
one from the rays Of blazing sun. Looking
towards the patch Of sa'anna, the outlines Of
OF our tree could, aner We bad become used
to the dim OBSCURE be family traced but
towards the forest all was solid blaekncss,
While coming on, indeed, the darkness seem
ed more as Il II were something tangible be-
ing poured into the fotes, from above filling
up the spaces between the trees, and the
smaller inters,iees between their branches
morc like this than simple deprivation Of
light. 1t was opPrcssively, terribly grand,
soon after night had thus set in, nocturnal
sounds began to greet out ears.
They were Of course, not new to US but
in our present situation they seemed vested
with double significance. 4 juguar came
moderately near-lo the opposite edge, We
thought, Of the savanna; on the lookout
! probably, for some hOg.dscr iE the open
space.
I Upon the whole, however, the most strikin:
feature was the deep silence that prevailed,
eaeep, when invaded by these sounds. It
made US, both, at FIRST, almost afraid to break
! it by word, as if We should in some sor
be committing sacrilcgc in thus arrre'sing
upon Nights domain. How strange ,ha:
this dead silence and darkness, and the cease
less roar and brghtne.s Of Niagara, should
aftctthc mind exactly in the same way lt
was so at least with me.
/ Mans power Of adaptation to circumsian'
ces is a benign provision. II our misfortune
had come upon Us at the close instead Of in
the middle Of the day, the probability is that
we should no, have slept wink but hay-
. ING broodcd over it for some hours, it was
scarcely. should judge, past midnight,
when in spite OF the chilly though calm at.
mcspherc. and our sclniy protection from II,
we both began to dozc, and both fell asleep.
I awoks once or twice afterwards, but Bara
slept on as though he was swinging in his
hammock ., home.
Abou, an hour before dawn, which could
somehow feel was coming, apart from the
warning cries ofnocturnal birds and beasts,
became throsghly aroused and awoke Barra
jusi as the fret streak Of light cut a knife in
to the for,s, CLEAN. lie was more rigid than
!, not having changed his posiuo- for some
hours, but soon reused himeslf, throwing
"a saaJs.i"g s'...ss ..--I -. -s-,. n"Fal
dip into the bag was followed by renewed
consultation as to how we should get down.
We a, length agreed that by the aid OF Bar
ra's knife, the string, and our clothes, We
should try to make some Kind Of ladder by
which iorclsase ourselves from our lcaiy pris'
on. The prospect was not an inviting one,
rrceuheart being one OF the heaviest aud
hardest woods of the colony and Barra's
being The only knife, ouly one Of Us could be
employed-uuless, indeed, Ihl, one could tie
what the other cut
This plan was again revised, and at length
We commenced making pole intended to
reach the ground, down which We could
slide without further damage than perhaps
some slight laceraiion. 1t was agreed TO Join
the pieces Of which our pole must nccessari-
ly be composed, by peg and sockei-ihe
latter hircshadowinr an uncomfortable amount
OF difficulty and enforced patience. We had
not long commenced choPPing ora branch,
pretty high up,as the first length of our pole,
when the three ioucans, as verify believe
,bey were. which had the day before escaped,
again settled in the topmos, bou2h. SPSedi.
Iy hearing, however, the noise below 'hem,
they flew of, and we saw them no more.
From morning to night, with the exception
of 4 shor, yisi, to the bag, we worked away,
and. ailsr all, had no, been able TO conPsie
more than eighteen feet a, must, in three
lengths. The two joints, however, answer
ed admirably, having been made Sufficiently
itch, to require some force in serewing the
neg. We suffered much from the want of
water, especi,lly as the labor caused US free
. ly to perspire and we felt some iaininess Of
hear, creeping over US as we lay down to
res, for the second night.
I We slept, no,withsianding-deePly, heavl-
ly-and awoke in the morning as before, to.
recommence toll tha, now seemed hopeless.
The branches that answered our purpose be-
came scarce; our knife was blunied by the
hard wood, and suddenly VIC at the same mo-
men, gave up work, and looked in each 9th
er's faces. Whatever he may have found In
mine, | read only despair in my companions
and turned away my eyes for relief. They
made discovery which caused my heart 10
leap.
On the further side Of the next tree to US
that, in fact. by which the monkeys has es-
caped-was huge lians, large even here,
where they ,wis, among the forest, and bind
the trees together, like stout ships cables.
I, reached within abou, ten feet Ofthe ground,
depending some twenty feet from limb
which our weigh, would Pu, into no sort of
danger, five could only reach it. And why
should We no, reach it, by bridging the space
-. .., H., ,,o,ns of our MILE