The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-04-05

after, would groan in spirit at dis
covering the fash was only within my
strained and weary eyeballs.
From straining my eyes and ears Tor
some sign Of the arrival of my part:
ners. I would fall into my old circle of
thought and round and round In 1t as
in whirlpool, my brain would Whlrl
till some moan of the winds or creak'
ing of the trees would arouse me to
thoughts Of escape from my fearful
position.
After the first few efforts I made
toward 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 with
in my reach, were it no larger or
stronger than a rye-stalk. Time SEEM
ed to move on leaden wings, and it ap-
peared to me that I must have been
suspended over the shaft for many
hours. l began to fear that, on &C.
count of the storm, my partners had
concluded to ''turn i'm at the cabin Of
our neighbor. The moment thought
of this, it seemed to me almost Ger
tain that such was the case. My es-
cape, I now began to think, rested on
myself. I thought there might be be.
fore me pole strong enough to bear
my weight. Slowly I began raising
my right arm, in order to feel for
some support; but startling swapping
of twigs, when this extra weight was
thrown upon my left arm, caused me
quickly to desist.
"Great heavensv I groaned, as 1
settled back into my former position,
show long is this to last p
Just at this moment I heard the
sound of voices. This time there was
no mistake about it. I heard the loud,
ringing laugh of my jovial partner,
Tom, and heard card-loving Bob say
something about game they had been
playing at the 'sOther cabin"
AS they came nearer, I heard him
say:
II wonder if Dan has got back from
town."
They spoke in their ordinary tone of
voice, and this gave me great joy, as l
knew I could make them hear without
shouting too loudly. heard them at
the door, scraping the snow away with
their feet, and knew that now was the
time to call; for, once had they en-
tered, they might not hear me.
"Tom!" I cried, ''Tom -
There was no answer !; and my heart
felt cold within me.
''Tom J" again cried.
This time, to my great joy, both of
the boys in breath sang out, ''Hello!'
"Tom! I cried again, in as loud a
tone of voice as dare use: ''Tom,
come here!''
"Why: that's Dan what can be the
matter %
And both came as fast as their legs
would carry them down to near where
I was hanging.
"Don't come too near - I cried.
''For heavens 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 know
Tom ran to the cabin, and in less
than a minute though it seemed an
hour to me-was back with the rope
Both were running to the shaft with
the rope, when 1 stopped them.
"Stop right where you are, boys
Now listen, or you will kill me. DOn't
come near the brush about the shaft
or you will break it and let me down
Take hold of the rope about twenty
feet apart and walk so as to bring
it across the shaft, so that can reacf
it,
They did as directed, and the rope
was soon against my face. I bega1
slowly to lift my right had to clutc1
it, but a cracking of the brush OF
which I hung suspended startled m,
so much that had not the courage tt
try and grasp the rope. thought O.
making sudden plunge for it, bu
feared might fail to catch it, when
would most certainly break through
and fall to the bottom of the shaft.
"What is the matter p asked Bob
"Can't you get hold of the rope?'
"No," I replied. 81 shall breal
throug h if even lift a finger
stake hold Of the rope with you
teeth - cried Tom.
This was the very idea.
"Hold the rope little loWer,' sal.
I, "and will try. Lower yet. Their
hold on"
"Have you got it!' asked Tom.
eyes, I answered, as we'll as
could.
"Now try it with your hands," crie'
Bob.
AS quickly as I could use my stiffen
! ed right arm, made clutch at tn
rope, and, most luckily for myself, go
, hold of it. Had missed it, I shoul
> have been precipitated to the bottol
: of the shaft; for as l clutched tn
rope, the whole rotton pile Of bough
broke loose, and dropped into the dar
| pit below.
After being dragged some distanc
. from the black and yawning mouth o
the shaft, / still held to the rope wit
both teeth and hands, and could hard
: ~ be persuaded that I was out of dar
ger. was so completely exhausted
} that was unable to walk to the cal
in without the assistance of both m
partners; and it was some weeks be
: fore my strained shoulders were fire
from pain.
, There may be more trying and peril
, Gus positions than the one above des
, cribed, but if there are, I beg leave t.
, be excused from trying them.
->&-
/. A New Star.
! Richard A. Proctor in St. Nicholas for April
Since first this paper was written.
new star has appeared in the constel
! latiOn CYqnuS the Swami On th