The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1867-12-06
him i the grain be moving and the dust


and chaif flying =
81 lie wouldn't live long. that is sure.
Then go down there he yelled, Civ.
ing mo blow and push that hurried mo
headloug from my seat. TO down there
stay there die thero rot thore Bob Camp.
bell and don't forget, when you're dying,
that Tom Brinton sent YOU
"The fall did not hurt mo bit, and |
began to crawl toward the rope ladder
hanging against the side of the bin, thank.
ing God that the grain hadn't begun to
move, else Id be dead man in no time.
But as soon as the rulhan saw what was
after. ho went round aud pulled up the
ladder.
"' Let that alone | shouted, feeling how
little hope of escape had with the ladder
out Of reach. He laughed and flung the
ropes ovor Il beam.
&C Do you mean to murder me 2 cried
60 No, I'm going to leave you there, Bob
You We fallen in you see. Thot'll be the
verdict when they find your body. You'll
want your shovel, man. to make the thing
look natural. I'll throw it to you in min.
ute
felt quite sure that il was 30 dark in
the bin that ho could not see me very plain
ly, if at all, aud that he would try to hit me
with tho shovel. | orawled close to the
side, with one cheek against the wood /;
looking up could sec him directly above
me, peering down into tho gloom, and with
the shovel in his outstreachod arm ready
to spear me as If wore o fish. Then fol.
lowed a stiffness that continued for five
minutes, during which he stood on his
guard. Suddenly heard mufilcd rattling
OF machinery and felt q strange power
pulling at my feet, whilo my whole body
seemed to be gliding gently down bot.
iomless pit. In au insant knew what
was hapr oning.
" The grain tcdS running.
| madly flung up my arms, and nv
hngers clutchod one of tho upright beams.
AS drew myself up against the receding
torrent heard q laugh above mo and the
words:
"' Remember Bessie Tllott, Bob Camp.
bell, and that loved her, aud the words
spoke to you by the big elm. Good byl'
When looked mp the man was gone
from my sight. don't exactly know how
| managed to climb that huge beam. /
think thero were nails here aud there that
helped my feet and hands for after was
rescued my body was found to be covered
from head to foot with gashes or scratches.
Anyhow slowly and painfully managed
to reach the top, aud threw my arm over
the edge of the bin and grasped for breath.
Then, when was SO near TO safety, to hope,
to life, felt horrible sickening blow up.
on my arm-a blow from something neither
dull nor sharp. | seemed to fell the cutting
of the flesh and to hear the breaking of the
bone. The arm battered and broken lost
its grasp, and fell back into the darkness
and horror of the bin. Hardly had
touched the yielding wheat when my shovel
was thrown from above and struck within
a few inches of my head. Though my arm
hurt me terribly didn't faint was help.
less. The dust was sitting. The grain
was whirling and kissing as it slid toward
the vortex few feet distant heard the
murmur of machinery in motion aud the
rushing sound of the wheat as it rushed
into The spout. Where | lay the grain had
not yet begun to move into the little whirl-
pool but knew it would only be min
ute or two before | should be tossing aud
struggling in that treacherous quickeand,
aud then, stiHed Snntilatea and dead at the
spout. Hhe dust seemed to circle above
and leave me a little air to gasp.
= Lying thus hopeless and helpless.
carelessness of death came upon me. Ny
life came to me again in all It's details, it's
y
fields, aud heard the soft gurgle of brooks
and the songs of birds, and tho rustling of
leaves. Then Bessios sweet face, as il was
when we were married, smiling and pretty
with dimples, seemed to be above and
close to mine as if waiting for kiss as in
olden time before she was taken from me-
forgot all else but her face. had only
a con0ciousness that was going to her,
that she was waiting for my release that
she might go with me on tho last great
Journey. 1t seemed as If tho great relief
would never como and give to mo my
larling.
must have been growing unconscious,
| think, for a sudden throb of pain in my
arm robbed me OF my wife's face end
brought back the old feeling Of resistance
against death. l felt that I was going
gently but irresistbIy that
every grain beneath me was moving and
shifting and slowly descending. The circle
Of the whirlpool had reached me and was
dragging mo down TO torture and to DEATH |
must live. 1t was horrible agony of soul
and body, sir. | screamed for help but
the dust, entering my mouth, nose and eyes, |
strangled and blinded me. looked for |
The shovel. IT had disappeared. was |
going too. Manned, and gaspiug for |
breath, fought against that power that |
was slowly but surely dragging me down.
plunged my arm deep into the wheat and |
tried to pull myself up. In tho dismal,
murky light of this hideous den ] struggled |
as but few men have ever struggled. |
was giant in my battle for life. thought |
no more of my broken arm. | was burn
ing with heat, parched with thirst, blinded |
and choked with the fine dust but | |
fought and shrieked for help all tho time.
In my iierceness tore my clothes from
my body aud flung them away and the |
grains OF wheat soraped my wounds and |
pierced my naked flesh as | tried to spring |
but nothing hurt me, not even |
my arm.
Hard as struggled could not get
clean away from the whirlpool. If loapcd I
Onward or crawled Iittle way over the
.reacherous surfaced found when stopped
hat was swiftly sliding back again
o the old place. 1t seemed as if | strug-
,led in this way for hours, yet accom-
,lshed nothing. Tired and breathless |
ooked around and felt sure that in less
han three minutes ] should bo in the spout
nd dead man. My efforts in vain. There
vas certain circle beyond which could
Iot gu. Once the thought came into my
mind that to save myself from the horrors
f the death before me, had better open a
ein and bleed to death but ] couId not
nd my knife, ard had found il might
ot have been able TO use it, Well, saw
verythiDg plainly. There was no hope
Or me. must die, and must look aid wait
Or my death. When hope deserted me.
kind of resignation to my fate succeeded.
nd | closed my eyes wearily, never think.
lg 10 open them again.
Gradually my body slid downward.
he noise of the grain rushing through the Q