The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1866-05-12

took care that nobody saw what | was do
ing, while 1 had look at little bit of a
shoe as had in my pocket.
| didn't go home TO dinner, for it was too
far off; so had my snack, and then went
to 1t again directly along with two more,
for we was on the piece. We had some
beer sent down to US, and at it we went till
it was time leave off; aud I must say as I
was glad of it. and didn't much envy the
fresh gang coming on to work all night,
though it might Just as well have been night
with as. / vas last down. and had Jest
put my foot on the first round Of the lad
der, when l heard something falling as it
hit ard Jared the boards up ards; and then
directly after what seemed to be a brick
caught me on the head, and, before / knew
where 1 was, was off the little platform,
splash down in the cold rushing water that
took me off and away yards upon yards be-
fore got my head above it; and then I was
so confused and half stunned that l let it
60 under again, and had been carried ever
so far before, half drowned gained my
legs and leaned, painting and blided, up
against the Shiny wall.
There l stood for at least ten minutes, l
should suppose, shuddering and horifed
with the thick darkness all around, the sli
my, muddy bricks against my hands. the
cold, rushing water beneath me, and my
mind in that confused state that for few
minutes longer | didn't know what 1 was
going to do next, aud wanted to pursuade
myself that it was all dream, aud | should
wake up directly.
All at once, though, l gave jump. aud
.p5 - III, "a ~.
ping from me, turned all hot and burn
ing, and then again cold and shuddery; for
l had felt something crawling on my shout
der, and then close agaiut my bare neck,
when gave the jump, and heard close by
me light splash in the water-a splash
which echoed through the hollow place,
while, half to brighten the beasts that I fan
cied must be in swarms around me, hall
wrung from me as cry of fear aad agony,
l yelled out
'.Ratsi"
Rats they were; for above the hollow
"wash- wash, hurry hurry, wash wash
hurry hurry" of the water, could hear
little splashes and a scuf1 ng by me along
the sides O. the brick work.
You may laugh at peoples hair standing
on end, but I know then that there was a
creeping tingling sensation in the roots O.
mine, as through sand was trickling
amongst; cloud seemed to come over my
mind, and for few moments belive was
mad-mad with fear; and was only by set
ting my teeth hard and clenching my fists
that 1 kept from shrieking. However, 1
was Sc on better, and ready TO laugh at my
self as l recollected that could only be a
little way from the spot where the men
worked; so l began to wade along with the
water here about up to my middle. All at
once stopped, and thought about where l
was at work.
" Which tCay did tie aOater ran 9''
My head turned hot and my temples
throbbed with the thought. If l went the
wrong way should be lost-lost in this
horrible dark ness-to sink, at last, into the
foul, black stream, to be drowned and de-
voured by the rats, or else to be choked by
the foul gases that must be lurking down
here in these dark recesses.
Again the horror of thick darkness come
upon me: shrieked out wildly, and the cry
went echoing through the sewer. sounding
hollow and wild till it faded away. Blu
once more I got the better of it, and per-
suaded myself that l bad only cried aloud
to scare the rats. What would I not have
given for stout stick as defense against
attack as CROPPED my way on. feeling con
WINGED that / should be right if | crawled
down stream, when little reflection would
have told me that up stream must be the
right way, for must have been borne down
by the water. But could not reflect, for
my brain seemed in state of fever, and
now and then my teeth chartered as though
l had the ague.
Igroped on for quite quarter of an hour
when the horrid thought came upon me thai
was going wrong. aud again tried to lean
up against the wall. which seemed to cause
my feet to slip from under me. I felt no
cold, for the preparation dropped from me,
as franticaly turne back and tried to re-
trace my steps, guiding myself by running
hand against the wall where every now
and then il entered the mouth of a small
drain, when, so sur as il did, there was
scuffie and rush, and more than once
touched the cold slippery body of rat
a touch tina, made me start back as though
shot.
On l went, and on. aud still no scaffold
and no CLEAN Of gashght. Thought ate
thou ght gave fresh horror to my situation
as now felt certain that in my frantic
haste had taken some wrong turn, or en-
tered a branch of the main place; and a
last, completely bewildere ed, rushed head
long on, stumbling and falling twice over
so that was half chok ed in the black wa
ter. Bnt it had It's good effect; for it put I
stop to my wild struggles, which must sooi
have ended in my falling inseusible init
what was certain death. The water eoolet
my head. and now. feeling completely lest
knowing hat must have bsen nearly tw'
hours in the sewer. made up my mind 4
follow the stream to its mouth in th
Thames, where, If the tide was down,
could get from the mud on to the wharf 0
bank.
II So once more I strugglsd on. foIIowin