The Shasta courier., 1862-04-12

pump which was driving it into the boiler
NV whole condtion-nn not all of Tiny
present condition, flashed with a new hor-
ror upon me- But did not again swoon.-
The choking sensation which had made me
faint when l first discovered how l was
entombed gave way to a livelier, though less
overpowering emotion. | shrieked even as
started from my slumber. The previous
discovery of the closed aperture, with the
instant oblivion that followed, seemed on
ly part of my dream, and | threw my
arms about and looked eagerly for the open
in. bv which had entered the horrid place
YES. looked for il, and felt for it, though 1t
was with the terrible conviction that 1t was
closed. q second time brought home to me,
thai prompted my frenzied cry. Every
sense seemed to have ten fold acuteness.
vet no one to act in unison with another. l
shrieked again and again-imploringiy
desperately, savagely. l filled the hollow
chamber with my cries till its iron walls
seemed to tingle around me. The dull stroke
of the accursed pump seemed only to mock
at. while they deadened my screams.
| AT last l gave myself up. 1t is the
struggle against cur fate which frenzies the
mind. We cease to fear as we cease to hope.
| gave myself up, and then grew calm.
/ was resigned to die-rcsigned to even
my mode of death. 1t was not, | thought,
so very new after all, as to awaken unwont-
cd horror in a man. Thousands have been
sunk to the bottom of the ocean shut up in
the holds of vessels-beating themselves
against the battcned hatches-dragged down
from the upper world shrieking, not for
life. but for death only beneath the eye and
amid the breadth of heaven. Thousands
have endured that appalling kind of sufoca-
ton. l would die as many a better man
had died before me.
| could meet such death. | said SOL
felt so-felt so, mean, for minute or moro
ten minutes it may have bccn-or but an
instant of time l know not, nor does it
matter if | could compute it. There was a
time. when | was resigned to my fate. But
good God was | resigned to it in the shape
in which it next came to appall? Stranger,
| felt that water growing hot about my
: limbs, though it was but middling deep. l
felt it. and in the same moment heard the
roar Of the furnace that was to turn 1T into
steam before it could get deep enough to
drown one.
You shuddcr-it was hideous. But did |
shrink and shryel, and crumble down on the
iron floor and lose my senses in that horrid
agony of fear? No! though my brain SWAN
and the life blood that curdlej at my heart
seemed to stagnate there forever, still
knew! l was too hoarse-too hopeless from
my previous efforts to cry out any MORE
But struck-feebly at first, and then strong
ly-with my clenched fist against the sides
of tho boiler There were people moving
near who must hear my blows. Could | not
hear the grating of chains, the shutting of
feet, the very rustling of a rope-hear the m
all within few inches of me? | did, but
the gurgling water that was growing hot
ter and hotter around my extremities. made
more noise with the steaming cauldron than
did my freezied blows against the sides.
Latterly had not changed my position,
but now the growing heat of the water made
me pash to and fro lifting myself wholly
out of it was impossible, but could not re-
main quiet l stumbled upon something
1t was mallet, stray tool that the smith
had left there by accident. With what wild
ioy did seize it-with what renewed conf
dence did now deal my first blows with it
against the walls of my prison. But scarce
had intermitted them for moment when
heard the clang of the iron doors as the firemen
them wide to feed the flames that were to tor
ture me. My knocking unheard, though
| could hear them toss the sticks into the fur
mace beneath me and drive the doors to when
the Internal oven was fully crammed
Had vet hope? l had, but it arose in
nv mind side by side with the fear that
might become the agent of preparing for my
self more frightful death. Yes? when l
thought of that furnace, with its freshcned
flames curling beneath tho iron on which |
stood,, there arose in my quickened consei-
BUSINESS more frightful death even than that
of being boiled alive. Had discovered that
mallct but short time sooner-but no mat
ter, | would by its aid resort to the only ex-
pedcnt now left.
1t was this | remembered having a
marlnspike in my pocket. and in less time
than have taken in limiting at the conse,
auence of thus usingit, had made an impros,
sion on one side of the boiler, and soon sue.
ceedel in driving it through. The water
the aperture-would they see it? No. the
jet could only play against wooden parti-
ton which would hide it from view, and it
must trickle down upon the decks before the
leakage would be discovered. Should
Grve another hole to make that leakage
greater Why, the water seemed already
to be sensibly diminished-so hot had that be-
come which remained. Should more escape,
would not hear it bubble and hiss upon the
, fiery plates of iron that were already scorch-
ing the solas ofmy feet?
| All, there's a movement-voices hear
t them calling for crowbar. The bulkhead
cracks as they pry on t"e pianklng. They
have seen the leak. and are trying to get at it.
r Good God why do they not first dampen this
fire ?-why do they call for thc-the-
, Stranger look at that finger 1t can nev-
er regain its natural size--but it has already
done all the service tn It man could expect
from $, humble member-sir, that hole
, would have been plugged up On the instant
, unless had jammed my finger through,
I | heard the cry of horror they saw il
without-the shout to drown the fire-the
first stroke of the cold water pump. They
say. too. that was concious when they took
me out-not II remember nc thing more til
| they brought julep to my bedside after
wards-and that iulep.'
g Cooling was it ~
" STRANGERI'
! Ben turned away his head and wept. II,
could say no more.