Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1854-02-03
EBENSBIRG, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1854.

They were cut with clinging; but | found that,
by raising myself, and then thrusting my feet in
to the chalk and mari, I could support myself
with one hand only, leaving the other free to
work. l did work: clearing away the chalk
above the flint, so as to give me greater standing
room. At last, thought might venture upon
the ledge itself. By supreme effort, I reached
| the shelf; but moisture had made the chalk unc-
tuous and slippery to the baffled grasp It was
| in vain to think of mounting higher, with no
point of support, no firm footing. desperate
leap across the chasnn Attended, not the slightest
nope: because, even if successful, could not for
one moment maintain the advantage gained.
was determined to remain on the ledge of flint
Another moment, and a rafting on the floor soon
aught me IN powerlessness. Down sunk the
| chalk beneath my weight; only just failing to
crush me under it. Stunned, and cut, and bruis-
ed, spent some time prostated by halfconscious
but acute sensation of misery. Sleep, which as
| yet had not felt, began to steal over me, but
could gain no mastery. With each moment of
incipient Inconsistencies, Charlotte was present
ed to me, first, in her wedding dress; next in our
terrace beckoning me gaily from the garden be-
low; then we were walking arm-in-arm in smi-
ling conversation; or seated happily together in
my fathers library. But the full consciousness
which rapidly succeeded presented each moment
the hideous truth. 1t was now broad day; and
| realized Charlotte's suferings. l beheld her
awaiting me in her bridal dress; now Fastening
to the window, and straining her sight over the
! valley, in the hope of my approach; now stricken
down by despair at my absence. My father, too
whose life had been always bound up in mine
-
felt wild and frenzied. 1 raved and shouted
| and listened, knowing no answer could come.
But an answer did come: maddening answer.
The sound of BELLS dull, dead, and in my hideous,
well-hoIe, just distinguishable. They rang out
my marriage peal. Why was l not buried alive
when | first fell!
could have drunk blood in my thirst, had
1t been offered to me. Die must, felt full we'll;
| but let me not die with my mouth in fame
Then came the struggle of sleep; and then fitful,
tantalizing dreams. Charlotte appeared to me
plucking grapes and dropping them playfully in
to my mouth, or catching water in the hollow of
her hand, from the little cascade in grotto,
and drunk But hsrk drip, drip, and again
drip, Is this madness still No. There must
be water oozing somewhere out of the sides of
is slimiest, where the green patches are brightest
and widest spread on the clammy sides ofmy liv
ing sepulcbre, there will be the spet to dig and
to search.
Again the knife. Every blow gives more
dead and hollow sound. The chalk dslodged is
certainly not moister: but the blade sticks fast
into wood-the wood Of a cask; something slow
ly begins to trickle down. 1t is brandy
Brandy shall 1 taste Yet, why not? l
did; and soon for time embered nothing.
retained vivid and excited consciousness up
to one precise moment, which might have been
marked by stop-watch, and then all outward
things were shut out, suddenly as if lamp
had been extinguished. A long and utter blank
succeeded. have no further recollection either
of the duration of time, ofany bodily suffering.
Had died by alchoholic poison-and it is mir
acle the brandy did not kill me-then would have
been the end ofmy actual and conscious existence.
My senses were dead. Ifwhat happened after
wards had occurred at that time, there would
have been no story for you to listen to.
Once more, burning thirst. Hunger had en-
tirely passed away. looked up, and all was
dark; not even the stars the cloudy sky were
to be seen at the opening of my cavern. A show
er ofearth and heavy stones fell upon me as lay.
l still was barely awake and conscious, and
groan was the only evidence which escaped me
that I had again recovered the use of my senses.
% Halloa What's that down there?" said
a voice whose tone was familiar to me. | uttered
faint but frantic cry.
heard moment S whispering, and the hol-
low echo of departing footsteps, and then all was
still again The voice over head once more ad-
drassad m
" Courage, George; keep up your spirits In
two minutes 1 will come down and haul you.
Don't you know me-? p"
then did know that it could be no other than
my old rival, Richard Leroy. Before could col
lect my thoughts, a light glimmered against one
side of the well: and then in the direction oppo-
site the fallen table of flint, and just over it,
Richard appeared, with lantern in one hand,
and rope tied to stick across it in the other.
Have you strength enough left to sit upon this,
and to hold by the rope while haul you up
81 think have, " said. / got the stick
der me, and held by the rope to keep steady on
my seat. Richard planted his feet firmly ON the
edge of his standing place, and hauled me up.
| By slight Of hand and an effort of strength, in
which was too weak to render him the least as
| sistance he landed me at the mouth of subter-
ranean gallery opening into the well. 1 could
just see, on looking back, that if had only main
tanned my position on the ledge of flint, and i'm
proved it little, might, by daring and vig-
orous leap, have sprung to the entrance of this
very gallery. But those ideas were now useless.
was so Thoroughly worn out that could scarce
ly stand, and an entreaty for water preceded even
my expression of thanks.