Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1863-02-26

q now cOmmenceu sounding with M
5 hammer for the least solid part Of th,
$ wall.
I In striking It on & part nearly oppo
I site the shelves cut out for the gate,
J thought heard It sound hollow.
Il struck again and again without success
{ Il al seemed alike. Once more deter
], mined to strike over The whole space
: had previously struck; this I did, and
3 found the spot. shout the size Of pen
: ny piece. from which the sound came
/, l then carefully felt the wall in the
neighborhoOd. and found 8 rough in.
: dented line ran from the place round
) the angle Of the wall. and on the wall
J in the same line we're tIsJas aanall holes
} in circle. I decided at once that this
was the place of some burner fixed
J and aftefward removed; the rough line
was the mark left by the pipe, and the
hollow place must be the hole where
the old pipe entered the room. / drove
the ehisel into the place and found it
hardi very hard, but still hollow. Ny
! life now hung upon the choice Of 8
right place; if this hole was filed up
with the hard cement, and the differ
ence Of sound arose merely from the
difference In density. then I had better
try the wall oVef for brick softer than
the rest; but If Il was not fill--if those
who should have filed it had put few
inches of cement st each end of the
hole, then ID another hour 1 was safe
as if l was free. | would risk it. That
hollow sodnd was SO CHEEKY that
Wodld believe it must be ttue guide.
| Blow after blow, and the hole grew
deep, and my progtess less as my con.
troll over tie point of the Instrument
lessened, when one sudden, sharp blow
drove the chisel into the wall the
length Of Ehy arm. The place was
hollow. l had now bit TO drive Ii
through the crtst Of cement on the
outer Wall and I should live. drove
it cautiously and carefully. and at last
heard the echo Of the pieces fall on the
other sidei and drawing oft the chisel,
felt the air rush IL. How can words
convey the sensation I experienced as l
drew in the Godgiyen breath of lifel-l
! could now defy Death; there was
fountain st which / might drink and
live.
For hours 1 sat close to the hole and
breathed. and then 1 fell asleep. l
know not how long l slept. but awoke
sore and tired, and with a horrible
hunger and thirst on me. could not
have many more hours to stay. so 1
hoped on, and tightehed my belt to
ease the gnawing pain at my stomach.
And now began the horror OF solitude;
while l had employment for the mind /
felt no pain of any kind now was 60
Ing mad with anxiety and fear. i must
find some employment. And what; In |
this utter darkness? But If darkness,
why not light7 Yes, / wotld have |
light. For this / must enlarge the hole,
and went to work again with blistered |
hands; and in two hours had enlarged |
Il to twice lie original diameter, and
had consequently four times as much
air howlng IN.
Ny next step was I'd CRATE from the
edges Of book paper powder for tin
der, and SPREADING this Oh the ground
10 heapi l struck with the poin, Of my
hammer the stone shelf above it. The /
sparks few abUHt at The contact, but IL
vas at least an hour before one lodged
in the heap and set Il smoulderibg. /
watched anxiously as the little red ring
grew larger and brighter Id the heap,
and then applying piece Of thin paper
rolled TO fine point to the center Of the
ring. gently blew the redness to a
fiame-5es, hamei real flame; that
blinded me by its brightness. and
seemed to pisrce my brain with a
sword, so long and deep had been The
datkhess. M
l took my paper stop from Of the
gas and heard the serpent hiss once
more-this time without fear. lit the
Issuing gas, and then sat looking at It
as Bartir1eus might have done In the
Joy Of his new-iound sight. /
! bad done; I had light and air; but
still Ihust have employment or should
rave. f-..ts ..-.-.
Employment The thought came to
me Of that unfortunate sentence that
had caised me TO run gnis risk: 'If h,
had access to his books l would Prove
that ffahd was possible"
There they were, every one; bot 5ne
missing: Could l prove it? Could
would-my good name depended on
proving it. II be ~ete tue, was
false. Set TO work, and with my PEN
Gil. which happily had with me, /
went through account after account
from beginning to end, and well was I
rewarded; for l learned that my uncle,
supposed to be rich, had been sys-
tematically robbed for years By this
scoundrel, and was now almost ruined;
and that his daughters portion, In
vested in English securities, and the Ia
'erest paid BY n. Vernat himself so
hat father and daughter we're at The !,
mercy Of this man.
These facts learned from a small
ocked book that was In box marked N
with M. Yernay's harne. So confident 4
lad the servant been Of his masters =
confidence in him that be had left in that 4
masters safe the whole of the securi- =
les OF his nefarions investments; and K
here they were. with systematic ac- ii
.ount Of them 10 bis locked book; so \
hat while the master, who was sup :,