Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1877-11-21

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with widest alarm. vainly / put m
ahOnldef 10 thu hugo rock and essaycd I
- Il its@ its lodgsmsasi ior 4 onl
might the awful, sickening idea q
carving slewly continually haunted M,
The frc was blazing brightly, and th
! dim shadows danced fantastic figures O
tho walls; the rain heat down with una
batcd fury, and : distant fash Of light
ming revealed 1 few small crevices abou
the entrance; the low growing of tn
bear, that had now returned, and til,
scratching of it's sharp claws against tn
rock, that shut him out s completely q
! was shut in, all combined to make my
reveries of the most unpleasant nature
1T will be twodays," thought l, wher
calmaes ruled my mind, "before my
comrades take any steps to look for me
They will not be alarmed at my beins
out for nj nighJ, and the second nights
Absencc will only excite their anxiety
not greatly, indeed, for they trust TO my
skill and strength to carry me through
any ordinary conflict. Two days to ex.
cite their alarm, and one to reach me, ii
they take a direct route for me, which il
mot at all likely, and the terrible storm
has washed away the faintest trace Of
my trail. Three days of living death ut
least; and that may be heightened until
-soo late"
My luncheon had barely satisfied the
hunger caused by the hard days's strug-
gle over the mountains; there was an in
exhaustible supply of water within three
feet Of me, but, alas! not a drop that /
could get!
Casting myself upon the floor, / re.
solved to gain what refresbment / might
IN q sound sleep. There was no fear OF
: possible intrusion from any source, and
the sweet oblivion of sleep o robbed
me Of al consciousness Of the horror in
store for nae. Would that the same
oblivion had covered my following ex-
perience!
With the first dim rays of sunlight.
family struggling through the narrow
crcvices, 1 was astir, with mind and
body refreshed for the labor before me.
had q keen Appellee, but it did not
assume any painful proportions. The
storm had passed entirely away, and the
sun rode the heavens majestically, un.
dimmed by the slightest cloud. Yet,
Notwithstanding the brilliancy without,
the cavern was only dimly lighted. A
fresh fra dispelled the mornings gloom.
How to get out was the next thing.
3ssU first stcPsf . w& - c~sSiusxsc
the weight Of the rock from its dimen-
sions. My philosophy, l confess, was
rusty from long disuse; but this was the
result: Six feet long, four feet wide.
and three feet thick-seventy-two cubic
feet OF solid rock. Specific gravity of
water to rock m to two and eighty-three
hundredthA Multiplying this result BY
the weight OF n cubic foot of water
gave the weight, twelve thousand seven
hundred and thirty-fve pounds. /
smiled grimly at my desperate attempt
70 liftit, and get my teeth together with
the frmness of despair. Ny next calcu.
lation was to get the weight / might lift
BY using . Of the poles which / had
thrown in for wood, rs a lever. /
could move q little more than one-ffthl
Ny thoughts few from one determine
tion 70 another. One project was no
sooner determined than another was on
ceivcd, equally infeasible rs it's prede-
cezsor. A happy thought flashed upon
me, after . couple Of hours wore slowly
away. If ! could drill a hole in the
ruck, | might blast it enough to get ont.
To think was to execute. Drawing nv
knife from it, sheath, / began to examine
the stone for . soft spot. It was as hard
Mint! Finding no choice ] began to
drill carefully. Half an hours labor re-
suited in . small hole about an inch in
The knife was a small one. ike
> poinard in shape, and was wearing
Iapidly away. MY hope here was Of
short daration. An unlutky turn snap
ped the slender blade at its hilt. and Il
fell ringing into . crevice as completely
beyond my reach as was the sweet lib
] was struggling 10 hard to obtain.
The only hope left me was that INV COM
panions should find me before the last
spark Of life was extinguished. How
ran they find me, when / am eight or ten
miles FROM the track they would nat
nrally taket0 look for me?
The first day wore away in rain at
tempts; the second night passed with but
little distress. The second day brought
face 70 face with the grim, horrible
pain OF hamilton. Each hour increased
my misery To a greater degree, thirst
began to add its own horrors to those Of
starvation. That day and the following
night wore their slow length away: the
third morning dawncd and crept slowly
through il long, long hours. Seventy
hours without food or water! Nv
'talwart frame was weakening under this
terrible ohofsrouuo u.