Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1874-07-29
tContin,.cd from First Paqe.)

NShe O"N~ ASN - tN~~
mend the breakage with. 1t was
then half an hour before dark, and
the men had ell gone up into the
village. Invent down the ladder
again, found the place, and set to
work 10 fix it. / worked nimbly,
and it was not quite dark when
drove the last spike into the plank
which had fitted into place.
gathered up my tools, and had
taken but step toward the ladder
when was startled by the crash
Of some heavy object falling and
breaking to peices on the lock
floor; and in the faint light that
was left, saw the figure Of man
disappear from the ladder over the
massive masonry. A dreadful sus-
picion of something treacherous
startled NE. sprang for the lad
der
The ladder9 There was the low
er half Of it wrestled, as if by q
crow-bar, from the spikes, and
hurled down at me in peicesl The
lowest round of the other hung full
five feet beyond my reach, as I
irmped frantica'ly. for it, ami fell
hse' ca eve e'ipoarv blanks.
+ oa.el nay a!rholr>e' but the
vnly first cry, AM very one that
followed. was drowned, smothered
by the rush and roar, and splashing
orthe water, as it poured in tor
rents from the upper lock. The
sluices had been drawn by the. same
hand that hurled down the ladder I!
I shouted, l prayed, l cried like
a child-yes, confess it. I run
up and down that dreadful trap,
clutching at the wall, and hammer
ing on the hard smooth oak Of the
gates, and the water rose rapidly to
my knees--to my thi3hs-to my
middle.
On two sides Of me were eight
cen feet perpendicular OF wall, and
on two other sides the same height
Of oak, without q projection that l
could grasp. could not swim. l
was doomed to die there, like rat
in trap. The food poured in-I
was hoarse from shouting, and as
the water rose to my face, whis-
pered my last prayer. remember
the last thought had was Of moth
er, as she used to come to my little
crib, to tuck the bed clothes around /
me-and then / was swept from my
feet, and all was darkness.
"Don't crowd too close, men
There-stand back. He wants air"
"Keep on rubbing, my men-and
don't stop working that bellows"
"Aye, aye, sir" There was a
pause, and then the anxious voice
of the overseer.
"Do you think he'll pull through,
Doctor :"
"Not doubt of it. But it was
q close thing. Two minutes more
would have fixed him for this world"
/ opened my eyes in the tool
house, upon an anxious group Of
faces. The Doctor was pressing
my bare chest with his hands, the
overseer was pumping the air into
my mouth with bellows, and two
or three more were rubbing me all
over with coarse fannels. l open
ed my eyes, and they all shouted
together with joy.
I sat upright, weak, dizzy, and
with pains shooting all over me,
made out to ask the overseer:
"Who did itY'
"Fetch that man here !" he or
dered; and two of the lock-tenders
brought in a prisoner, with his
arms tied behind him. They bro't
him close to up me, and looked at
him.
Sam Slade, of course. And then
everything was dark again.
When / became convalescent
was in beautiful bed-chamber in
the overseer's house. They told
me how had been saved, as soon
as the Doctor would allow it-and
l will tell it here, in a few words:
Two of the work-fellows were
passing by No. ., on their way
home, when they suddenly came
upon a man working the handle to
a sluice. As soon as he saw them
he ran; and they never thinking of
me at the moment, pursued him.
They caught him after o short
chase, and brought him back; and
on the way one of them remember