The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1872-04-25

the cracking twigs warned me to desist
This movement, the slightest in the
world, cost me half-a-dozen twigs, and
as it seemed to me, greatly weakened
my support. The snow melting on my
head and face tricl1led into my eyes and
almost blinded me. My hands and arms
seemed coming benumbed, and began
to fear that would lose my hold upon
the brush covering of the shaft. When
ever this notion took possession of my
mind 1 would extend my arras and even
my fingers till the joints of ny shoulders
seemed starting from their sockets.
By straining my eyes 1 could see the
dim outlines of our cabin ON a little rise
of ground above me. could see NO
light, however, and concluded that my
partners had either gone to bed OF
had not yet returned from neighbor's
cabin quarter of o mile further down
the ravine, whittier knew they had
gone to spend the evening. Once OF
twice l shouted, but the effort caused a
cracking of the twigs supporting me,
and desisted, determining to wait till
l could hear the voices of my cabin CON-
panions returning, or see a light in the
fortunately, was on the side of the house
next to me so, too, was the door by
which they must enter the cabin. /
thought of all this, and it gave me some
hope. Several times, as the roaring
wind lulled for a moment, 1 thought ]
heard the sound of voices and laughter
and my heart beat quick with hope and
Joy but the sounds were not repeated,
and doubtless were but the creaking OF
some stormed swayed boughs, or the
gatherings of some distant coyote.
L now began seriously to fear being
completely covered in the fast-falling
and drifting snow. 1t seemed coming
down at the rate of an inch a minute,
and already covered my shoulders and
was piling close up about my mouth. |
dare not make the slightest move to rid
myself of the drift which was about to
bury me. Should the snow get over my
eyes l could not see the light in the
cabin, and could only call out by guess.
AS so slight an exertion as calling out
in a loud tone set my rotten platform to
cracking, / did not wish to call for aid
till 1 was certain it was near. AS the
snow began rising about my mouth l
discovered that l could keep it away
with my breath. 1 saw that still had
chance Of keeping my eyes free, and l
kept constantly at work blowing away
the accumulating flakes. This gave me
something to do, and was a relief to my
mind. SO jealousy did 1 keep guard
that would@hardly allow two flakes to
lie before my lips.
Thoughts of home, my friends, of the
little had ever done in the world, and
OF the jagged rocks lining the side of the
shaft, with the great pool in its bettom,
passed and repassed in my mind. In
this circle my mind seemed swiftly re-
volving, dwelling but for a moment
upon any one thing. Iwould strain my
eyes to see the light i'll the window till
they were ready to start from their
sockets. Sometimes 1 would see a sud-
den red flash, and with joyous throb
of my heart would say, at is there 7"
but in moment after 1 would groan in
spirit at discovering the flash was only
within my strained and weary eyeballs
From straining my eyes and ears for
some sign of the arrival of my partners
l would fall into my old circle of
thought, and round and round in it as
in whirlpool my brain would whirl till
some moan of the wind or creaking of
trees would arouse me to thoughts of
escape from my fearful position.
After the first few efforts 1 made
towards extricating myself, my whole
care was to remain as motionless as
possible, and keep my arms stretched
out to their fullest extent in order to
grasp for my support every twig within
my reach, were it no larger or stronger
than a rye-stalk. Time seemed to move
on leaden wings, and it appeared to me
that l must have been suspended over
the shaft for many hours. l began to
fear that on account of the storm my
partners had concluded to "turn in" at
the cabin of our neighbor. The moment
thought of this it seemed to me almost
certain that such was the case.
My escape, l now began to think,
rested with myself. 1 thought there
might be before me pole across the
shaft strong enough to bear my weight
Slowly began rising my right arm, in
order to feel for some such support, but
a startling swapping Of twigs, when this
arm, caused me very quickly to desist
" Great God" l groaned, as 1 settled
back into my former position, show
long is this to last Z"
Just at this moment / heard the sound
of voices. This time there was no mis-
take about it. heard the loud, ring
ing laugh of my jovial partner Tom,
and heard bean-poker loving Bob say
something about game they had been
playing at "the other cabin" As they
came nearer I heard Tom say, Il won
der if Dan has got back from town"
They spoke in their ordinary tone of
voice, and this gave me great joy, as l
knew could make them hear without
shouting too loudly. heard them at
the door, scraping the snow away with
their feet, and that now was the time to
call-for once they had entered they
might not hear me. "Tomw / cried,
4" Tom !" There was no answer, and my
heart felt cold within me. "Tom !" l
again cried, and this time to my great
Joy both of the boys in breath sung
out, "Hellow "Tom |" / cried again,
in as loud tone of voice as dared use,
4" Tom, come herep I'D if that amt
Dan !" cried Bob; "what the ID can
be the matter 7" and both came as fast
as their legs could carry them down to
near where 1 was hanging. Don't
come too near % cried, for Gods sake,
don't come too near / have fallen
through the brush over this shaft, and
it's just ready to break and let me down !;
get rope, quick-the windlass rope,
you knoww
Tom ran To the cabin and in less than