The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-12-31

| been her late! Had she been murdered
| by these wretches, or reserved for some
! more deplorable doom? These thoughts
! filed him with unutterable agony.
| Wolfgang had now drawn near the wa
! ters edge; and soon coming to the mouth
of u cave he entered it, followed by the
! three ruiiians who had charge of our hero.
| The bottom of the cave sloped upward
from It's entrance for some distance and
| then became almost level. The captive
(for such Maurice Lester now felt himself
to be) frequently hit his feet against what
he thought, with a chill of horror, were
human bones strewn around the cavern,
but he could not clearly make them out
in the-dim light He also noticed that the
bottom of the cave was very wet, as though
it had recently been covered with water.
The wrecker chieftain stopped, at last,
near what seemed the end of the cave,
and made a sign to his followers, they
clapped manacles on the wrists and ankles
Of Maurice before he had time TO note
their intention.
Now, Captain Lester" said Wolfrang.
"you must remain in this place for a short
season I0uare perfectly safe here.-Silencel
Say not a word If you attempt TO leave
this spot, you will be slain the moment
you set foot outside the cave"
Thus speaking, the chieftain and his fol
lowers silently but rapidly withdrew, leav-
ing Maurice nearly stupetied with aston
ishInent. As they passed from the mouth
of the cave, their feet were wet by the ris-
ing waves. TIE tide ,cos .faa coHirg in.
After q short time, the captive looked
about him with eyes somewhat accustom-
ed to the dim light, and became satisfied
that what he had supposed to be human
bones were really such. There were many
of them. And moving among them Were
huge rats, seeking for prey. The top Of
the cavern in some places, was bat a few
feet above his head, and in one place he
discovered small aperture, through which
a faint light struggled and on going un-
derneath il, he thought he snelt the odor
of vegetation and flowers.
On turning from the contemplation Of
this aperture, towards the mouth OF the
cave, CAPTAIN Lester observed. with alarm,
that the water was creeping up the slop-
inr bottom What if il should fill the
cavern Ah, now be could account for
the presence there Of those human bones,
They were the sad memorials Of other hap
less prisoners who had been left in that
cave to perish 1Y dyoza.yi
Slowly but surely the waters crept along.
The vermin fed before them 10 the eleya-
ted spot on which Maurice stood. Slowly
following. tho incoming water at length,
reached his feet
At the end Of the cave, within few
feet Of the wall, and underneath the aper
ttIre before srol1en Of, was large piece Of
rock, some four feet high, that might have
fallen from above. To this Maurice has
tened Is quickly as his manacies would
permit After some exeYtlou he succeed
el in climbing to the top OF it, and stood
erect his head within few inches of the
roof OF the cavern But he was nosaliow-
ed to occupy this retreat alone. As the
water began to circle round It's base, the
rats also sought refuge on It in great NUM-
bers. and in vain did Maurice try 10 dis
lodge them with his manacled feet
soon (as il seemed to the captive) the
water came ripping over tAe top Of the
rock lie felt It's moisture upon his feet
And stiA Il ro-e-s!enly but rcleatlessly il
rose hieher-higher: and as 1t rose, the
rats climei up his limits for safety. 1t
was in vain that he brushed them Of with
his fettered hands. They instantly re
turned. They clambered up his back-to
his shoull lers-oyer the back of his neck
to the crown Of his head; their clammy
bodies striking a chill to his very heart
And still higher the waters rose, and
more thiclzly the foul verrrin clustered
upon the devoted capt;ve's shoulders and
head, as their only places of safety Dri-
ven frantic At last by the horrors OF his sit
Uation, he was about TO plunge into the
.IIrging tide and seek a waterl grave, when
his attention was arrested by the tread of
rapid footsteps near the aperture above his
head, and the sound OF harsh masculine
81, 4.,ll i L.
as of a struggle, and a piercing shrek
which thrilled Maurice lester to the very
soul He could not be mistaken: it was
CARRIE voice. Again he heard it, but
now in tones of entroaty Oh, it ras her
voice She was not dead : She lived and
was near him! Gathering all his strength
he shouted, Carrie Carrie! CARRIE"
\ dead silence followed, broken only
by the fearful murmurs of the still rising
waters, and the splash of the rats as they
fell from the wretched captives head and
shoulders, only to return again, in their
fierce struggles for a perch of safety from
the advancing tide, which had now nearly
reached our hero's shoulders
The above is all of this story that will be
published in our columns. We give this
as sample. The continuation of it from
where it leaves off here can be found only
in the New York Ledger, the great fami-
ly paper, to which the most popular VIII
ters in the country contribute, and which
is for sale at all the stoHs throughout the
city and country, where papers are sold
Remember and ask foE the New York
Ledger of Sanuary !, and in it you viii find
the continuation of the stoIy from where
it leaves Off here If you cannot get
copy at any book store the publisher OF
the Ledger will mail you copy if you
will send him five cents in letter.
The Ledger is mailed to subscribers al
s. a year, or two copied for $. Address
your letters to Robert Bonner, publisher,
4S Ann street, New York. 1t is the hand
soonest and best family paper in the coun-
try, elegantly illustrated, and characteriz-
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WoMAS's GRAvE-I can pass by the tomb
Of man with somewhat of calm indiT-
ference; but When | survey the grave of a