Council Bluffs bugle. [volume] (Council Bluffs, Iowa) 1860-1868, 1860-06-06
EnREEMrEs CAVE ADVENTURE


axed feet high. On iks bare sides neither
grass nor shrub was 70 be seen and scarca
any inequality was visible, wheFeon the
foot of the climber might find q resting
place. In fact, it was considered unseala-
bic for distance Of two miles, when II
sunk down gradually at either end to the
level of the plain. Ascending the cliff,
one heholds on iEs summit q wide plain,
stretching OF in the distance from the
sharp edge of the pFsOipiae and from that
dizzy point could look down upon ths
wnrka Of the miners below, close under It's
sides.
Upon the top of the cliff which have
been describing, l was stroiiing listlsssly,
late one Sunday afternoon, thinking of
strange and Sad circumstance which had
happened about year ago in our family.
My only brother, alad Of fifteen, had gone
asat early one summer morning to shoot
ploYer On the heights, and from that hour
had never been heard Of. When last seen
he vas mounting the cliff, from the east
ern side, and though--when alarmed at
his long delay-we made Immediate search
and inquirys we never gained any further
information.
approached very near the edge Of the
cliff. was now al ita stespsst part, and
locking down its smeotb sides, 1 Thoughts
how terrible fall would be- bat my broth
n could not have fallen down. I'm that
case, his mangled body, at least, would
have been found.
| was recalled to myself BY strange
sinking Of my fest, Ny first confused idea
was that the soil had given way from the
edge Of the cliff, upon whose utmost verge
STOOD, and that / was about to be preeip-
itAted to the bottom. / became dizxy with
horror, for / felt that could not recover
myself, 50 sudden was the eaying Of the
earth beneath ne, made me stumble for
word, IN = wild struggle to save myself,
felt ringing and crushing in my ears,
and then lost ell further sensation.
Ii must hare been many hours before |
was sufficiently eonseioas TO know that
still existed. Sick and bruised, was long
unable to raise myself from the PROSTATE
position in which became aware, at last,
fhat | was lying. II was quite dark, and
every portion Of earth OK stone that
kaagaea wMs weG, aud asastl Of tlGzap ssaii
pefyadad the close atmosphere.
/ thought | had fallen into AN exhaust
ed salt mine, but soon remembered that
had been standing on the edge of the eliH.
/ it was an impossibiiity. Then came the
idea that | must have fallen to the bot
tom, and the leose stones and earth had
fallen over me. That, too, / found equal
y unlikely, and after cropping about for
some TINA ON nv hands and knees-every
movement one Of intense agony became
sure that ny prison was a cave Of some
extent.
Too weak 10 move farther, iay down
aud eudeayorsd to think Of my position.
| 1t seemed q hopeless one. was certainly
IN one Of those eayes formed in the salt
rocks, and sometimes found by miners,
running far below the surface. had no
idea how far | had faileH---it might have
been but few feet--and ii might be many
hundred. As yet could find no trace OF
the aassags through which had dropped,
but / remembered that I bad q case af
inass hes In nv pocket, and II was nst long
before | succeeded in getting them out,
| though it waS excPaeiasing pain 70 my
| bruised limbs 70 move them.
Having ne taper, had 10 be very care
ful Of the matches, and 10 improve the
short moment Of hight, during which one
would last. / rubbed d very carefully
against the sole Of my boot, bat IL would
not ignite. Then / kried another with no
better suoesss. They we're too damp
everything was lamp-the matches were
useless. With faint hope Of drying them
in time, put the box into my vest over
1t. What with my sailGre In procuring q
light, and thepain Of my bruises, added
| to nay terror and bewilderment Of mind,
suffered intensely. Through all, ia became
clear 10 ms that instead o9 falling over.
had fallen through tho ciiH strange al Ii
was that hollow ground shoald 0ccug DO
near the edge without the external wall
Of the cliff caring In towards Il. The gpaca
through which | had fallen mast have bean
narTow, for my body was bruised, and the
sin torn from Hay sides, with strips o.
my elothing.
Wern oss with pain and thought, Tmusi
hAxs slept. ] aw0ke with raging thirst.
and aaEnoss at the salae tizne was snre
that heard the aropping Of water.
dragged mysalf towards fhe sound, and
ssretshed oat fny hand drops from above
fell upon is eagerly swallowed q few
drops, which burned mSy throat they were
siistilIsa lsiae salt a any impPsgna9ion
of water eoald be.
Again on my hands and knees, / eTasss
around, fssling By the damp walls. and.
ms continually apgygoaehaa and s@sesled
Fngty.x &Hs3x sp4s4 sa&ssae.s a. IA ss& - Aa
ped from the protesting roek. discover
"a thar the cave wMA ncaray round, and
rot nanY yards square. AaEiAg disr0s-
erred thls, 1 hecama more e0llseead and
rexolutrs assa forced nasseIe 20 d sasra re-
view of my position i had tn a6knowl.
edge 10 myself thaE my only ehAnee d. -
cape seemed shs hole eF crack through
/ which had fallen; bub No ray of Iikhs Be !
tEgyed LAT sset xth And sEssgses mnss
hare faIIAA ii assd eh0kaEs IL aSsx. pageh-
ing nssk sAlssss aEa Eaina from bodily ID
iasIes sas aIzanst Sc tke pplu3 eE de-
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