The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1863-09-15

I knew when ! reached il by the u-
Sc of bones. Immediately my lieh.
IYpiteled senses perceived a charge
Ny right cheek experienced aa ia-
crease 81 temperature. Mind-my
rgd cheek.
asked myself TO What this change
could be attributable: ! soon an
snered myself Il was current Of
air from tie outer world. Now thought
|, this current Of air--ior current il
was, though ! could detect no move
mcnt ia the atmosphere must come
from an openings that opening must
be at or near a doors then, if follow
up against this current, ! shall ulti-
maIeiy reach Tie spoi 'at which i en-.
ters
NcN moment ] know ! must have
turned pale, for when ] turned fol-
face toward The current | could detect
30 difference in temperature. ltre-
quired contrast between the Two
checks, Us il were, 10 ascertain the
difference. have since been told by
a scientific friend that this can be ac-
counted for The nerves Of the face
when stood sideways, were struck
by the current Iaterally, and therefore
not 80 naturally as when the face was
set toward it: because. as all the pro-
visions Of nature exhibit preservation
OF the forces, the nerves Of the face,
in meeting the wind, naturally-that
is, when the man is walking-are so
placed ii relation TO the wind as TO Of
fer the least possible amount Of ner-
yous surface 10 It's influence.
As suddenly as | had been struck
with the cause OF the current | Oh
tained another means Of ascertainmg
my way. | turned 10 tie wall Of skulls
which fanked the main road, aud
against which my right hand still was.
Now ! thought that side Of each skull
which receive the warm current, pre-
cisely as my face received it, will,
from lis action, be drier than lie 9TH
er side, which has been infinitely less
open 10 the influence Of the compara-
lively drying influence Of this extern
al atmosphere.
It was as | thought The Iigll
side Of the skull-ihat is, the side
which was right when | stood with
my back 10 the wall-was smoother
than The left (; 50 il was with twenty
other skulls. was not in error, and
my heart beat wildly. Il was clear,
let me follow this clue, and sooner or
later it must lead me TO the entrance.
But there was fault
] knew we had come along the road
which lay 10 my left; the current
blew from the right. One of two
causes accounted for this. Either ]
had become confused in my memory
Of the locality, and the right was my
road, or there was more than one en-
trance to these vaults. | decided TO
move TO the right. ! never learned
afterwards how many miles ! really
did travel to me it seemed hundreds.
! went on and sometimes rapidly
sometimes slowly, but always surely.
| knew that sooner or later | must
come TO a door When ] came to
one Of the transverse cuttings, Of course
] had 10 make several steps at rand
ON. The duration Of those steps
seemed years. My fingers trembled
with agony until they touched once
more the reassuring line of skulls
Sometimes ! missed the clue both Of
the drier side of the skull and the
test Of heat on my face by turning it
sideways, but | soon regained it by
continuing on. ! suppose that at those
times was skiriing curves. How
many hours | spent in that wondrous
walk, that logical deduction, if SO /
may cali il, | only knew when | was
once more in the open air. If / had
sat down and waited for help should
either nave gone mao or ldioiic, or
have killed myself Depend on it,
reader, no matter how bad your con-
ditioo, in whatever fix you may be
placed, there is no help ike your
own.
used TO hear--I am speaking Of
my incarceration as though It lasted
months used 10 hear the rumbling
Of tie carriages overhead more or less
distinctly, according 10 the depth Of
the stone above me. Yet il was COM
pany. That was the only noise which
broke nv silence.