The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-06-26

my ears, and I desiHted az length IN utter
hopelesanesa Of making mysef heard, /
knsN BY thh time, from the Hours ! had
been 6nhsr ground, that the evening must be
drawing In, and looked for nothing Ices
than passing the night, which wat eon,iu-
tsd, would be the last Of my existence, IN
this living tomb. knew that as soon as !
snee6mbed 70 fatigue, ! should be de,oured
by the twATmS Of rats and already felt ca
hauSted In every faculty Of my body,
Conceive my JOY II you eau, " hen, on
ehsnee look backward IN the direction had
eoms.,I i perceived at 10 great distance, and
framed In the black circle OF tufnurdipg
darkness the figure Of man carrying ah old
horn lantern swung from his neck, with
basket at his back, bsg AZ his girdle, a cage
iull Of live rats m one hand, and staff u
the other lie was attended by savage
look Ing bull terrier, wlieh came securing
tow ard me open mouthed, and leerlcd in
elined to resent my trespAss on his warren
Never, perhsps, did mortal man rejoice more
deSoutly than did At the presence Of This
strange and unlocked for sppsi.ion, The
man, bare 10 the hips was mass Of filth and
rags yesterday would not have spoken 20
him on any consideration 10 be mentioned
but now, could have pressed him TO MY
heart, or kissed tho lattcred hem Of hls gar
menta, ] am not sure did not DO some,
thing as foolish the moment my trembling
limbs had carried me TO his side.
The honest fellow did not recprocate NY
earnestnem, Holding me oG nt arms lcpgia
he held up bis lantern for good view, and
deliberately surveyed 10 FROM head To foot
"BleSi III aint reg7ar swell !" 'ho ,jicula.
ttd ht length. "Why, what the doose makes
the likes Of you down 10 the shore? uu
where's yer dog, man alive '--C Come into tlp
shore without ne'ora a dog is a wonder ,u,
rats hn'nt eat &c up"
~ didn't come here of my own accord"
said. "ShON me Tie Nay uut aDI I'll pny
you we'll"
"Wtll, hang me II knows what to MAKO
on H. Not come in yer hown accord g.
How was Il, then? You've been here ever
since one o'clock, anyhow"
No, have mott was after three O'clock
when 10, here"
"Thals onpossible Tide was comm ia
then, and it aint gone down yet"
"Will YOU guide me out aud take guinea
for your trouble ?" said impa,icnuy
"ln course guides You out, whether I
will or no-eos II you fullcrs me, You gils out
when I'doi but we can I 20 out iii the tides
gone down, and that won't he for this hou.I
reckon. What wants to know is how you
got in--cos i, looks queer, yer see. Here,
take a swig o this here, and tell US all about
IT,"
lie produced a pooket-hask az he spoke,
and glad enough was to take pull at the
s--y -Pi.it Il .~"sainvd, and which almust ia
a moment COVE me new life.
"Thats the sort to keep the stencil out ofa
feiler's Stomek ainl itP" he said with a grin
as he followed my example. "Now for it,
Let's sit down hore-my baskets scat enough
for two-an' tell us how the doose a gentle.
man like you comes a shoriu' Of it,
Without more ado. told my story as the
reader already knows il, and to the unq ull-
iaed aInazrnasai aa4
err
l shall not repeat his comments on tho mar
rative. "The bloody-minded villins !" he con-
eladcd "wont you hang en- ?"
THAT certainly will, il can lay hold Of
them," was my reply.
"An' III 30 an see 'em swing blcst If l
don't"
"And you said I-"how come you here
You seem to be quite at home in this horrible
place"
"oh," said he, "the place ia well enough, If
that's nll--only wish ! had il all to myself,
an no hintorlopors. ,ir+ see, I'm shore.
nuntcr for many II long year. All fcllcr
finds down here is his own, an nobody thinks
of clOimin'it agin--wouldnt get it if they did
reckon"
"l'ut what can you possibly find here be.
side the rats-and what use are they ?"
"Ah, that's your hgn'rants What can
find Hevcry thing MS comes down-leaye
me alone to find it-spoons, cheyney, money,
silver ,himbles. I've found a shillin' an' four
sixpences to-day, only three on ems bad uus.
Then snares the rats, an thcmis cightpeurc d.
dozen for KILN vi the dogs Then there's
the rags an linen, lots o. that-an' what dye
think o. plate Mnny's the tablespoon Iya
had, an teaspoons too, an many silver
snuHbox. / knowd chap as found a gravy
spoon as weighed six ounces, an gold lady's
watch worth scbn pound. Poor crow, he was
too greedy, he was--he got shut in here with
the tide one night without his dog an hang
ed if the rats didn't eat him hup all but his
bones. Its the truth I'm tellil'y yer. help
ed to get all that was lel of him out myself
an we had to put the bones in a basket;
they was all picked clean in a single night
There | can't ahear to think on il. Poor
pil