Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1867-08-16

q y
strangely impressed upon my memory
that night,-namely, its power Of acting
/ as a vast speaking tube, fOr If a person
1 stood at one of the escape-pjpes and
/ whispered, his words were distinctly
! audible to another at the other pipe
some fifty yards of, who could as easi-
ly respond.
well, it was into the mouth Of the
] govt tunnel that we had no y run the
] boat where we were concealed from
view csrtainlys and thrusung against
I the piles with his hands, my companion
| worked the boat farther into the dark
ness until the keel touched the soft
I sand.
That's snug he whispered they'll
/ never fBd as here
/ NO. [ said, as a strange fear came
upon me. But isn't the tide rising p
'Then we shall be stopped from get
Nonsense be said. 1T will take an
/ hour TO rise above the tunuel-mouth.
/ and if il did, we could run her head mp
/ higher and higher. Plenty of fresh air
/ through the pipes
IF we're not drowned, said.
/ There, if You want to lose the cargo,
| Wen pull out at once, and give up he
said.
| enough; only don't want to risk my
sWeII, who does7' he said. only
| keen still, and we shall be all right
I The few minutes we had been CONVEX
/ sing had been long enough for the tide
/ to float the boat once more, and this
| time ] raised my hand TO the root, and
/ thrusting against the tuunel-ooYered,
| weed-hung, Shiny woodwork, soon had
/ the boats keel again in the sand, 50 as
| to prevent her being sucked out by the
refux of the tide.
At times we could hear shouts, twice
| pistOl-shots, and then we were startled
| by the dull, heavy report Of a small
cannon.
That's after the chasse-maree,' whis-
| pered my companion; but she sails
/ like a witch. She's safe unless they
| knock a spar away
feel at all comfortable in our dark hole,
up which we were being forced farther
and farther bv the increasing tide
while more than once we had to hold
on tightly by the horrible Shiny piles,
! to keep from being drawn back.
Just the place to find dead bodies,
whispered my companion, evidently to
startle me.
Just so,' I said coldly. Perhaps
they'll find two tomorrow
DON'T croalz, was the polite rejOin-
der; and then he was silent; but could
hear a peculiar noise being made, and
no further attempts at joke issued
from my friends lips.
Suppose we try and get out now p I
whispered, after another Quarter of an
hours listening in the darkness, and
hearing nothing but the soft ripping,
and the drip, drip of water beyond US;
while towards the mouth came the lap,
Iau' Of the waves against the sides Of
the tunnel, succeeded by rushing
nCise, and the rattling of the loose
mussels clustering to the woodwork,
1~rr "
light rustic Of the seaWeed seemed to
send a shiver through me.
The noise as of boring had cease d
some time, and my friendnOW drew my
attention to one of the kegs, which he
had made a hole through with his knife;
and never before did spirits come so
welcome as at that moment.
Better try and get out now, whisper
ed my companion.
FThev must be somewhere handy,
though one can't even see their boat
said a strange voice, which seemed mol
low and echOing along the tunnel, while
the rattling of the shells and tapping Of
the water grew louder.
All at once raised my head, as if to
feel for the hole down which the sound
of the voice C anne, Whens to my alarm,
struck it heavily against the top of the
tunnel, making it bleed against the
wait a Bit said MY companion,
thiclxly; they are on the lookout yet, it
is madness to go out. And then heard
a noise which told me, that fearful or
not, he was trying tc' drown conscious
ness in the liquor to which he had made
| his way.
However, it seemed to me madness to
stay where we were, to be drowned like
rats in hole; and taking advantage Of
the next receding wave, gave the boat
a start. and she went down towards the
mouth of the tunnel for a little way
when q coming current would have
driven her back; only I clung to the
roof, now very low down, and rather
! close to which the boat now f1Oated.-
| Another thrust, and I pushed her some
distance down; but with the next wave
| that came in, my hand was iammed
! against the shiny roof, and, unnerVed
with horror, 1 gasped Rouse up Har-
ry the mouths under water !
HollOwly sounded my voice as the
wave sank, and I felt once more free,
| and in sheer despair forced the bOatlOW-
er down the tunnel; but this timey when
/ the tide came IN again, had to lie right
] back, the boat rose so high, and felt
I the dripping seaweed hanging from the
/ roof sweep cOldIy and slimlly over my
/ face; when, before the next wave could
| raise US, thrust eagerly at the side,
| forcing the boat inward again, but IN
the fear and darkness, got her wedged,
| and as the next rush OF water came, il
/ EmOG6 the DOdB n5dNl-yy anu lldLl5 AIL q
! fixture, so that, IN spite OF my efforts, J.
! could not move her either way.
Wash came the water again and
again, and at every dash a portion came
into the boat, drenching me TO the skin;
| while I now became aware that Harry
HodsOn, my companion, was lying stu
pefied across the kegs, and breathing
heavily.
I made one more effort to move the
| boat. but it was tighter than ever; and
! after c0nquering an insane desire to
dive out, and try andsWlm to the mouth,
I let myseIf cautiously down on the in
ner side. and stood, with the water
breast-high, clinging TO the gunwslle Of
the boat. The next moment II rose
/ above my mouth, lifting me from my
feet, and as il rushed back, sucked my
legs beneath the boat but L gained my
feet again, and began To wade inward.
Yet strong upon me as was the desire
for life, I could not leave my cOmpan-
ion to his fate in so cUwardly a way; so
| turned back, and this time swimming
1 reached the boat, now nearly full OF
water; and half dragging, half lifting, 1
got his body over the side, and holding
, on by his collar, tried once more for
bottom. But il was a horrible time
| there in the dense bluCk uarkneSs,-a
darkness that, in my dlsJenpered brain
r seemed to De peOpled with hldeous forms
swimming, crawling, aud wa ting to de-
! Il 5a
/ The dripping water sounded hollow and
echoing; strange Whispers and cries
seemed floating around; the mussels
, rustled together; and ever louder ano
louder came the lap, lap, tapping o.
a., the water as it rushed IN and dashed
!, against the sides and ceiling OF the hOr
q rible place.
= was now cIinging with one hand Il
r the boats side, while with the other
held tightly by HOdson's collar; bu
. though [ waited till the wave recedeC
I before / tried the bottom, it was not L
3 be touched; so, shudderlug aud horror
q stricken, ! waited the coming wave
+ and struck off, swimming with all m!
+ might. 1t was only minutes task
but when, after twice trying, my fee
touched the bottom, L was painting heav
; ily, and so nervous, that had to lean
Il tFem bling and shaking, against the side
= But had a tight hold of HOdsOn, who's
: head managed to keep above the wa
- 80 aDd IT was not until warned of N