The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-02-21

near the entrance, ana, Win large
rock at my back, waited patiently, in |
sitting posture, with my rife freshly |
primed and cooked for instant use at my |
side, for the appearance of my enemy.
The rain was now pouring in torrents
upon the snow, already softened by the
approaching spring, and, with the melt
ing snow, poured down the mountain at
fearful rate. Ny attention was shortly
directed to the top of the entrance,
which / had first noticed with only
casual glance, but on examining it more
closely found it to be large fiat stone.
of course there was nothing alarming
in this, and when the water began to
trickle through the rocks, making it
| necessary for me to remove the fire
further within the shelter of the cavern,
my alarm was not excited in the least.
One-two long, long hours passed by;
still / remained watching for the coming
of the dreadful creature; still was the
torrent of water pouring about the en-
trance. Hark! What is that grating
sound? Instinctively raised my rife
to my shoulder and waited. Moment
succeeded moment, but still no appear
ance from the vague darkness beyond.
Again it sounded, sharper and more
/ Clearly uSu0eu Juau DclOIc! w hoI
could it be? A half-formed fear filled
me. Was every thing right? In mo-
ment more the suspense was broken; an
enemy more dangerous than the bear
had already faced me. The water had
worn away the sandy soil between the
| rocks, causing the large stone at the
bottom to fall, completely choking up
the way. / was prisoner!
A full sense of my position filled me
with the widest alarm. Vainly | put
my shoulder to the huge rock and es-
sayed to push it from its lodgment; but
it only seemed the 6rmer, and worked
the harder.
Turn my thoughts whichever way l
may, the awful sickening idea of starv
ing slowly, continually haunted me.
The fire was blazing brightly, and the
dim shadows danced in fantastic figures
on the wall; the rain beat down with un-
abated fury, and distant flash of light
ming revealed few small crevices about
the entrance; the low growing of the
bear, that had now returned, and the
scratching of his sharp claws against the
rock that shut him out as completely as
| was shut in, all combined to make my
reveries of the most unpleasant nature.
"It will be two days." thought L,
when calmness ruled my mind, "before
my comrades take any steps to look for
me. They will not be alarmed at my
being out for one night, and the second
nights absence 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 excite their alarm, and one to
| IL 6 A1tr 30 60
me, which is not at all likely, and the
faintest trace of my trail. Three days
of living death at least; and that may
be heightened until-too later
My luncheon had barely satisfied the
hunger caused by the hard days strug-
gle over the mountains; there was an
inexhaustible supply of water within
three feet of me, but, alas! not DROP
, that could getl
E Casting my eyes upon the floor, re-
? solved to gain what refreshment might
!, in a sound sleep. There was no fear OF
, a possible intrusion from any source, and
! the sweet oblivion of sleep soon robbed
: me of all consciousness of the horror in
/ store for me. Would that the same OBJ
I livion had covered my following expert
I ence!
Y With the first dim rays Of sunlight
family struggling through the narrow
g crevices, was astir, with my mind anc
, body refreshed for the labor before me
e l had keen appetite, but it did not as
e sumo alarming proportions. The storm
d had passed entirely away, and the SUI
G rode the heavens majestically, un
# dimmed by the slightest cloud. Ye
e notwithstanding the brilliancy without
" the cavern wasR Ronly dimly lighted.
" fresh fire dispelled the mornings gloom
n How to get out was the next thing.
y The first step was to estimate tn,
weight of the rock from its dimensions
% My philosophy, I confess, was rust,
E, from long disuse, but this was the re
N suit: Six feet long, four feet wide, an,
le three feet thick-seventy-two cubic fee
le of solid rock. Specific gravity of waite
'e to rock, one to two and eighty-thre
70 hundredths. Multiplying this result b
the weight of one cubic foot of waite
K gave the weight, 1872 pounds.
" smiled grimly at my desperate attemI
+ to lift, and set my teeth together wit
'n the firmness of despair.
- Ny next calculation was to get th
ys weight might lift by using one of tn
y poles which / had thrown in for woot
~ as a lever. I could lift little MOI
ie than one-ffth! My thoughts few frol
N NLe one determination to another. One pr,
IL ject was no sooner determined tina
Gu Gu another was conceived equally unfeas
Nv Nv BILE as its predecessor. A happy though
as flashed upon me, after couple of hou
.. wore slowly away. If / could drill
~ ~ hole in the rock, might blast it enoug
~ to get out. To think was to act. Dray
GU ing my knife from its sheath, 1 began
:. examine the stone for a soft spot.
az was hard as flint!
od Finding no choice, 1 began to dri
Iu carefully. Half an hours labor resulte
~, in small hole about an inch in dept
70 The knife was small one, like ponial
in shape, and was wearing rapidly ava
es My hope here was of short duratio
m An uulucky turn snapped the slend
nd blade at its hilt, and it fell ringing in
ne a crevice as completely beyond my reac
,If as was the sweet liberty was strugglir
al SO hard to obtain. The only hope lie
~ me was that my companions should fir
cd me before the last spark of life was e.
No tinguished. How can they find n
w when l am eight or ten miles from Il
IT. track they would naturally take to lot
I'll for me?
ke The first day wore away in vain 9
re, tempts; the first night passed with b
ak little distress. The second day broug
- me face to face with the grim, horrih
ed, pain of inanition. Each hour increas
rst my misery to a greater degree; thi1
of began to add its own horrors to those
he starvation. That day and the followil
ng night wore their slow length away; t
third morning dawned and crept slow
ap through its long, slow hours. Sevent
of two hours without food or water! \
lis stalwart frame was weakening under t
/ terrible abstinence. Hope was wanil
hes as my body weakened. Great heaven
-ay would they come too late?
be 1t was horrible for me, in the yigor