Litchfield enquirer., 1867-07-11

was no justification.
 s'Oh, no, my master, will not desert you"
 ''All I ask then, is that you will merely wait for me-
 had no right to ask even that, and I considered the guide simpleton because he needed my request.
 II will wait, he replied; but remember when you go down, that I kept entreating you not to do so."
 T hold you blameless, whatever should occur. so have no apprehenslons upon that score"
 The crater was about 50 yards in depth. with sides that sloped so gradually that it could be descended without difficulty if or dinary care was only exercised 1 I first felt the lava and found 1t quite hot, but not unpleasantly so and using my stick with great precaution, I began the de- scent. I observed the temperature of the lava beneath my feet constantly to increase. but had on thick shoes and knew they would be unharmed.
 l noticed, also, thick sulphurous odor, but considered this nothing unusual. al- though 1t left thick, disagreeable taste in my mouth and gave an unpleasant twinge to my olfactories
 The Till of water made by the melting ice flowed hissing down, and was lost to view in the dark chasm, from which came puffs of hot air, accompanied by rumbling and trembling of the ground The place, the scene, and withal. the sense of danger connected with 1t. held me there by a sort of magnetic fascination. and soon found myself strongly tempted to make fatal plunge into the awful abyss. Conscious that reason frequently loses her power at such times, I forced myself back ward few feet, but still remained fearfullv near the opening, needless of the frantic entreaties of my guide. Giving no heed, therefore, to his earnest solicitations. I now determined if possible to sound the depth of the chasm before me and then proceed to examine the other.
 For this purpose I pulled off small piece of lava, and stepping to the very edge of the chasm, dropped 1t down and listened to the hollow reverberations, as it went bounding from side to side, long af- ter it was lost to the eye
 The depth was so immense that I heard 1t for fully minute, and then the sound seemed rather to die out from distance than to cease from the block having reached it's destination. It was terrific depth, and as l drew back with a shudder a burst of hot sulphurous air puffed upward, followed inn mediately by a steam-like vapor, and a heavy, hollow boom, as if a piece of ord nance had been discharged in the bowels of the mountains.
 By this time I had regained my common sense and became impressed with the dan ger that hung over me. I turned to fly, when all at once there came rumbling 1 crash, and the ground heaving, and shak- ing and rolling under me, began to crum- ble off into the dread abyss. ! was thrown down, and on my hands and knees, praying to God for mercy, was scrambllng over it, and upward to save myself from most horrible fate, when two blocks rolling together, caught my feet and legs between them, and without actually crushing them, held them as in vice. Then came another crash and crumble, the lava slid away from behind me and I was left upon the verge of the awful gulf, now widened to some fifteen or twenty feet, down into which I looked with horror straining eyes, only to see darkness and death below. and breathe the almost suffocating vapors that rushed up from that seemingly bottomless pit. Oh, the horrors of that awful realizatioll | What pen or tongue can portray then? ? There over the mouth of black and heat ed abyss, was held suspended, helpless and conscious prisoner, to be hurled down by the next great throe of trembling na- ture.
 ''Help! help! help!-for the love of God help! shreke d, Tn the very agony of my despair.
 I looked up and around to catch sight of my guide, but he with commendable pru- dence, could but admit, in my dire ex- tremity, had sought his own safety in flight.
 had nothing to rely upon but the mer- cy of heaven, and prayed to God as I had never prayed before for a forgiveness of my sins, that they might not follow me to | judgement.
 1 It might be second, it might be Q min ute, 1t might be an hour, that I should have to undergo @ living death; but, be 1 the time long or short, felt that there was no escape from doom which even now makes me grow pale and shudder when I think of it.
 Above me clear blue sky-beneath me black and horrible abyss-around me sickening vapors that made my brain grow dizzy. Rumbling and hissing sounds war ned me that another convulsion might take place Tn moment, and another would be the last of me- Home and friends should never see again and my tomb would be the volcanic Hecla.
 \ strove with the madness of desperation to disengage ny imprisoned limbs, but I might as Well have attempted to move the mountain itself There I was fixed and fastened for the terrible fate I was awaiting, Oh, God of Heaven! what a fate
 All at once heard shout, and looking around, beheld with feelings that cannot be described, my faithful guide, hastening down the sides of the crater to my relief. He had fled in terror at the first omnibus demonstration, but had nobly returned to save me, If possible by risking his life for mlne. 'I warned you master" said he, as ne came up, his eyes starting, and his countenance expressive of commiseration and terror
 ''You did!?-you didr' cried I, ''but for give and save me, for I am per.shing."
 II will save you if l can, or perish with you."
 The noble fellow instantly set to work With his iron pointed stick to break the la- va around my limbs, but had scarcely made any progress when again the earth trem- oled, and the rocks parted, one of them rolling down the chasm with dull boom ing sound.
 sprang forward-I seized the hand of the guide we both struggled desperately, tpn thn nax&x