The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-12-07
This dissppointmen n, crushed me terri bly,.

node Of exit. l thought Of the matches,
md tried them again; this time, however,
hey gave forth little smoke. In time the
leat Of my breast would dry them-thst was
1 hope. had no idea of time, save that my |
watch hat run down while slept. wound
It up again, knowing that when 1t again
stopped eight and twenty hours would have
gone by. .. -.
Again on my hands and knees, I crepl
feeling by the damp wells, and as !
approached and receded from the
spot where the salt water dropped from o
rock, discovered that the cave
must he nearly round, and not many yards
square. Having discovered this. | became
more collected and resolute, and forced my
self TO calm review of my position. | had
to acknowledge to myself, that my only
chance of escape seemed the hole or crack
through which hsd fallen in and choked it
up. Parching with thirst, and faint from
bodily injuries, was almost at the point of
despair. when distant sound fell upon my
ear. | listened with intense s'tention.-
Soon, more and more distinctly, recoGniz
ed the noise of m II hinery, the rumb!ing OF
carts, and then the voices OF men; then the
bell rung, aud with a lhrob Of joy, recog-
zed It rs the morning summons to the Ia
burers in the works. A night only could
have passed since my leaving the outer
world. Had they missed me Alas there
was nothing to lead them to suspect the spol
OF my captivity. | thought OF the strange
disappearance OF my young brother-,he
double bereavement would kill my poor
mother, but still WAS com orted by the
knowledge that only partition OF rock sep.
urated me from my telow.men. Now |
could almost distingu sh their voices. teIt
that it was vain to hope that my calls and
shouts could be heard by tn m. yet | could
not forbe shouting till was quite ex
hsusted.
Then | Effected on the means | could
find OF digging away the barrier Of rock
1t could not be ;hick-I knew that by my
fucii,y in herring sound, und concud d that
rs | had fallen close to the edge OF the cliff,
| had sunk s,rlight down to the level OF the
valley at its :oot, md possibly tho wall OF
my prison WINS not more than two or three
feet IN thickness. But nd no implement
save my knife und that was slender one,
quite inadequate to cutting passage through
even the SOFT and d,mp saitrock which
I rmed the partition. Suddenly remem
bercd having picked up heavy iron TX shoe
on The wagon road, during my Sund y ws'k
1t was still in my pocket. With whit j
| pulled it out, and commenced eagerly my
work.
will not detail the agonies Of those day
and nights, when woI krd on it in the DIRK
ness, s; metimes encouraged, tUmetime
nearly hopeless. could no, find that hat
made any visible progress; the sounds wer
nearer than at first, and was hourly MI
exhausted with fatigue and burning thirst
The salt oir of the cave inaamed py eyes
parched my skin, and sxcoriated my throu'
and often had horrible idea that | shGul
20 mud, but worked on. | had wound VI
NV watch five times, therefore it must hav
been the sixth day-deiverancea as far OFT
ever. had been trying to loosen fras
ment of rock which seemed somewhat de
tached from the strait, (his | could onl
Judge from eeling) Il | succeeded, Shout
much reduce the thickness of the barrie
there, but had TO stop aud rest before trl'
again tried my matches. had constnnt
done this but wiihnut success, and lew r
mained; but now the third one that trit
; gnve forth a light smoke, then blue Il m
and fnslly clear red light. held it cor
y mllv. and beheld the cavern in which w
d immured. 1t twas small one, and sparkif
5 rom the snIine cryStsls, as if studded' vi
g gems. Opposite to me was dark ooJe'
o ON a projection OF the shelving rocks al
bearirg similari y to the outline OF q h
y man fislre. lifted high the expiring mate
e aid, by ils t. st ray, saw human 'ace.
+ In q frerzy OF IMP tience tried the fe
Il remsining matches, in vslD; the last o.
! was in my hand, more carefully drew
over the sand PIPER; il burned only for
y nstunt; but in that instant. holding it
e rec,y even with the body, recognized /
,e dead, pale, bu, unchanged foce OF my po
to lost brother Henry.
= Iwas again IN the darkness, with the de
t, body and my t.er zed thoughts. After
r time resumed fercely my labor at the ro'
D. A few blows loosened it; lew more q
to the large mass rolled inwards, aud from
IN fisure in the rock which lay behind it. ca
i in a narrow streak Of dAylight. l was
e, but mad, or l would not have had suftici'
" strength to effect my purpose.
| BY the aid of ox.shoe, ! soon increa'
ny The hole, till it was large enough to adj
ny my head. My shouts soon brought ASST
Id ance from the works, to which, as hud 81
er posed, l was very near. and soon from 4
] fearful tomb were drawn the living and
se dead bodies. .,.
ms No one knew me till I spoks. The b.
he Of poor Henry he'd been preserved by
nd salt, and was also partly petrified. That
had been killed by the fall was evident,
,s, had never moved from the ridge on which
rst fell. never entirely recovered from
ire effect Of the salt. which left my eyes
j.. -. oorsto ntlv rad and rendered hv I'll