The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1866-05-12
EMPORIA. KANSAS, SATURDAY. MAY IL. 1866 =

couldn't touch the roe; and by that knew
that was in a lager ss9er, and therefore not
very far from the moulh. But here there
was new terror creeping up me. so to
speak, for from my waist the water now
touched my chest, aud soon after my arm
pits; when I-stoppeds not daring to trust
myself TO swim, perhaps mile, when I
felL that weak as l wasI could not have gone
hundred yards.
I know in my disappoiDts gave a
howl like wild beast. aad tanned again TO
have a hard fight 10 breast the rushing
water. which nearly took nae off my legs
! But the fear of death lent me help, and l
got on and on again tiheI felt myself in a
! tnrning which soon was smaller
sewer, and froAaNt sieacs- x-4eEeted another,
where had to stoop: but the water was
shallower, not above my knees, and at last
much less deep that that.
| Here knelt down to rest, aud the posi-
ton broght something else from my heart;
aud after a while, still STOPPING, went on,
till, having passed dozens upon dozens Of
drains, l determined to creep up one, and
I did.
P'raps you won't think it strange, as
dream and groani bed sometimes, when
l tell you what followed.
| crawled on, and on, and on, IN the hopes
that the place vas in would lead under
one of the streetgratings, and kept star
ing ahead In the hopes of catching a CLEAN
of light, till at last the place seemed so
! tight that dared 60 no faster, for fear of
being fixed in. Sal began to back very
slowly, and then, feeling it rather hard work,
stopped for a rest.
1t was quite dry here; but, scuf1ing on
in front, kept hearing the rats had driv
en- before, and now that l stopped aud was
quite still, half dozen of them made a
rush to get past me. and the little fight
which followed even now gives me the hor-
rors. I'd hardly room to move; but l
killed one by squeezing him, when the 9TH
ers backed off, but not till my face was bit
ten and running with blood.
At last, half dead, I tried to back out for
the place seemed to stihe me; and pushed
myself back a little way, and then 1 was
stopped, for the skirts of my jacket filed
up what little space had been lett, and felt
that was wedged in, stuck fast.
Now came the horprs again worse than
ever. The hot blood seemed to gush into
my eyes; felt halt saffocated; and, to add
to my suHerings, a raj, that felt itself, as it
were, penned up, fastened upon my lip. 1t
was its last bite, however, for, half mad as
l felt then, my teeth had closed in a mo-
ment upon the vicious beast, and it was
dead.
made one more struggle, but could not
move, [ was so knocked up; and then l
tainted.
1t must have been some time before l
come to myself; but when 1 did, the first
sound l beard was regular tramp, tramp,
of some one walking over my head, aud l
gave long yell for help. when to my great
! ioy, the step halted, and | shrieked again,
my life came back. 1t was voice shout
| ing
''Hallo /"
Stuck fast in the drain p I shouted with
all the strength had left; and then swoon-
ed off once more, to wake up week after
ward out ofa brain fever sleep in a hospital.
1t seems had got within a few yards of
a grating which was au end o the drain,
and the close quarters made The rats so
fierce. The policeman had heard my sh Iiek,
and had listened at the grating, and then
got help; but he was only laughed at, for
they could get no further answer out O. me.
1t was then about half past three on sum
mer's morning; aud though the CRATE was
got open, they were about to give it up,
saying the policeman had been hRmbuggsdi
when couple o sweeps came ups and the
little 'un offered to go down back ards, and
be did. and came out directly after. saying
that he could feel mans head with his
toes.
That policeman has had many glass al
my expense since, and hope he'll have a
many more; and when be tells me the story
which l like to hear-bnt always take care
shall be when Polly's away-he says be
knows I should have liked to see how they
tore that drain up in no time. To which
there's always such an echo in my heart
that it comes quite natural to say, You're
right, my boy p