National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1866-07-06

did. there was a scuffie and rush,
and more than once | touched the
cold, slippery body of a rat-a touch
that made me start back as though
shot.
On and on | went. and still no
scaff;old, and no CLEAN of gas-light.
Thought after thought 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 at last, completely bewildered,
rushed headlong on, stumbling and
falling twice over, so that was half
choked in the black water. But it
had its good effect, for it put stop
to my wild struggles, which must
soon have ended in my falling in
| to what was certain death. The
water cooled my head, and now,
feeling completely lost, knowing that
| must have been nearly two hours
III the sewer, | made, up my mind
to follow the stream to its mouth
in the Thames, whore, if the
tide was down | could get from the
wharf or bank.
Once more ! struggled on, follow
ing the stream slowly for what
seemed 70 he hours, till at last, rails
ing my hand, | found | could not
touch the roof; and by that knew
that | was in a larger, and therefore
not very far from t he mouth.
But here there was a new terror
creeping over me, SO to speak. for
from my waist the water now touch
ed my chest: and soon after my
armpits when l stopped, not dar-
ing to trust myself to swim perhaps
a mile. when | felt so weak ] could
not have gone hundred yards.
now in my disappointment gave
a howl like a wild beast and turned
again to have hard fight to breast
the rushing water which nearly took
me off my legs. But the fear OF
death lent me help, and | got on
again till | felt myself in a turning
which ] soon knew was smaller
sewer, and from thence | reached
another, where had to stop; but
the water was Shallower. not above
my knees. and at last much less deep
than that.
Here | knelt down to rest, and the
position brought something else
from my heart; and after a while
still STOPPING | went, till having
passed dozens upon dozens of drain,
determined to creep up one, and
did.
Perhaps you won't think it strange
as dream and groan in led some
{ times, when | Itcll you what followed
t crawled ON. and ON. and on. il
| the hopes that the place | was III
. would lead under one of the street
! gratings, and | kept staring ahea'
in the hopes of catching a gleam o
light, till at last the place seemed 81
tight that dared go no farther, to1
fear Of being fixed in. So | began
to back very slowly, and then feel
! ing it was hard work, stopped for ;
l rest.
1t was quite ory here, but scufllin.
on in front, | kept on hearing tn
rats | had driven before me; am
, now that | stopped and was quit
still, half a dol.e. of them made
| rush to get past me, and the littl
: fight which followed, even now give
: me the horrors. I'd hardly room t
move: but killed one by squeezing
r him, when the others backed off, bu
4 not till my face was bitten and run
: ming with blood.
5 At last, half dead, | tried tobac'
t ont for the place seemed to stife me
!, and pushed myself back a littl
= way, and then | stopped, for th
: skirts of my jacket filed up wha
4 little space had been left, and | tcl
that was wedged in, stuck fast.
Now came the horrors again worS
\ than ever. The hot blood seemed t
| glsh into my eyes; ] felt half su
e tocatcd: aud.to add to my suffering
| rat, that felt itself as it were. pei
e ned up, fastened upon my lip.
@ was its last bite, however, for, ha
G mad rs | ielt then, my teeth ha
closed ina moment upon the viclot
!" beast, and it was dead.
l. | made one more struggle, bl
If could not move, was SO used III
e and then tainted.
IS 1t must have been some time b
k fore came to myself; but when
r did the first sound | heard was
ID regular tramp, of some one waikiki
< over my head, and gave a longy,
$. for help, when. to my great JOY, Il
k step halted and shriekcd agai
1T and the sweetest sound have eN
~ heard in my life came back. ltw
w Il voice shouting:
ut "llallow
it. "Stuck fast in the drain !" shor
ld ed with all the strength | had lei
$. and then swooned oft once NOR
ut to wake up Il week afterwards out
ms brain fever sleep in a hospital.
N 1t seemed had got within Il it
| yards of a grating which was an cl
lie of the drain, and the close quartz
at made the rats so fierce. Thepoli'
y. man had heard my shrek, and IN
yn listened at the grating, and then
re- help; but he was only laughed
,r. for thcy could get no further answ
nr. out of me. 1t was then about la
past three on summers mornln
er and though the CRATE was got op
ht they were about to give 1t up, sayi