The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-01-11

| ing pole. Il was not n very long one
though, and the cave was high so | did
not trouble myself TO get more than just
! enough to show the skipper that it was all
! right and then, feeling hot and tired, |
sat down in The boat and looked about me.
''lt was a real pretty sight the sides of
| the cave were covered with some bard,
! shining shells that looked like glaze, and
! the way all sorts of different colors shone
/ about on it wonderfnl--it puzzled me
| to tell where they all came from bu there
! wasn't one you could mention but
shimmering aud shining in that cave the
same as they do in mackerel's sides when
| It's took out Of he water.
'The sea was as still as a pOnG, but very
! deep-for there was on seeing to the bot
| tom even in that clear water; but It look
| ed SO cool and pleasant that | thought I'd
! take Oft my clothe lana give them rub,
! for they we've not very clean. There was
/ ledge of rock on one side, something like a
| shelf; toward the entrance it got very nar-
! row and came to nothing. The other way
it became wider, and led TO the back of
! the cave, where there a sort of beach
| which ran up farther than | could see-fUr
! it was darksh there, being a long way
| fIom the opening.
Il got out on to this ledge aud stripped,
| and soon had my things washed nice and
/ clean. Then | thought | would take a
| and carrying on like a child. II was very
good fun. sir, that we've, but it weren't
fun when l came up again and looked
! about me-fer my boat that I'd left fasten-
! ed to he ledge was gone-gone clean ont
! of sight, as il it had never been there at all
/ 1t made me feel bit queer, and rubbed
| the water out of my eyes, thinking | must
| have got blinded like but uO-lCob as [
would. there was no boat, aud nothing to
| show where she'd gone.
1t takes long while telling, sill, but it
wasn't ten seconds after | was out of the
water before | was down by the stretcber
J Id jammed into crack of the rock-aud
| L weren't none too soon, for the rope was
just slipping off the end when | fished it,
the stretcher itself being all bent down on
| one side, though I'd put it upright when |
! got out of the Uoat. There was no doubt
now where she'd gone she'd gone down
aud began hauling in my rope. botherng
| all the while what she'd gone down for
and Id plenty Of time 20 think about it,
| for, haul as / would, the boat never stined
/ There she was, bard and fast, and | might
as well have been pulling against the living
rock for all the good it did.
''lt was not exactly comfortable fix to
be left IN that cave without he chance of
getting out again aCd when | found I
could not stir the boat began 10 think |
might have to stay there goodish while,
foT, though some of the crew would be
sure to hud 1t, or the German To look
around III day or two, | didn't make up
my mind to waiting for them till | saw
there was no chance of getting out any
other way. just behind where | stood the
waves had made what we call a wiud-hOle,
/ but it wasn't wide as q common chimney
aud 1t would take a iougISh jump to get to
/ 1T, and no good then, for II narrowed at the
! top till you could only just see the light
coming through. | was looking round,
. thinking I'd fasten the rope safe. aud then
go up To the beach end, ~hen | felt a jerk,
and before | could pul, up came the boat
. again close to my feet.
'''1 on lie come you wrn:, says |, but
! now III keep you safe aud | stopped
I down to lay hold of hen, when there hap
/ pened the awfulest thing | ever heard or
dreamed Of Straight up out of the water,
I not three feet away from me, rose two
! great dripping arms. There was never
/ splash, never u bit of noise, but for the
drops of water falling back again into the
sea, but higher and higher those awful
/ things came up out Of the water, clear
| eight feet, and then they turned them
selves and bent toNaid me. / gave yell
and jumped back, for they seemed as If
| they'd almost touch me. | was scared out
of my senses with terror and, instead of
turning to the right, which would have led
| me 10 broad ledge, and on up to the
beach, | Sprang to the left, and there
was standing on bit of shelf, the rock
behind me slippery glass, and straight
below me the still, green water, looking as
beautiful as you could fancy, and those
! two horrible arms waving and creeuino
nearer aud nearer.
IF once they touched me, was dead
mani knew that well enough. | don t
think | should have been scared to die if
1t came straightforward, by drowning or
. any regular seaman's chance but to be
drawn into the water by those horrible
clammy arms, and pecked to pieces almost
before | was dead by :he creature they be-
iouged to it took the heart out of me, sir
dou't deuy. kept backing close against
the rock, edging a"ay as far as ever
! could. when up came the beast itself and
. could see his cruel beak aud the fi ig ghtful
look OF him as he put his arms closer to-
{ ward me. With another scream-for
I was off my head with iright-l turned aud
made a spring at the wind hole. How ever
! | reached it | don't know but il was my
only chance, and somehow | hit it. Up
went, sweep fashion, bat | could not get
far, it was too narrow, nd, squeeze and
/ push as | might, | could not get on.
Ever so far above ne | could see the
! sky through ;he opening at the top ot the
hole, and some bits of grass aud leaf wav
ing about against the hight, ever pretty.
| | wasn't thinking OF such lhihgs, but
=
| see Them now, if | slut my eyes, just as
they were growing then, when | did noJ
think | should ever see the sky or grass
again.
Il suppose had been in that hole about
ten minutes, for I'd done all knew TO get
on, and gave 1t up a bad job, aud was
| thinking that if was ont Of the creatures ;
way | might stick there good bit, aud
then perhaps drop and make run for it at
the far eud of the cave. But it was des-
! perate chance, sir, for those beasts don't
| give up thing when once they have set
| themselves to get it. They viii stop aud
xai: as patient you like, but you don't
| tire them, and they'll stop and watch till
You go down before them, sheer wore ouI
! and beat.
al was thinking oftbis when someth ing
c.'ld, soft aud sticky .o,-~..,-, my foot. For
a moment did not think what l. was but
il came slowly crawling above my ankle,
| then another cold, soft, sticky thing got
round the other side and climbed above
knee and ciuuu TO pi1t-aS death