The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-02-13

eIiilS Il Ciue 10 Eulue me TO any exit.
had passed where the rumbling noise 4
which was caused, / imagined, by the
vehicles on some busy thOToughfare, but |
no grating let through light to me.
stumbled many times and fell over mis-
shaped objects in my path. 1 shuddered !
as / thought what they might be. /
was covered from head to foot with mud
and slime, and my clothes were satura-
ted with water
Exhausted again, / sanksdown upon
the bottom of the vault, and stared va
cantly before me.
surely there was something moving
upon the opposite wall, there was some
thing moving behind me, around me,
on every side. Another movement, and
| felt some living thing upon mean
other and another.
II was attacked by rats
Luckily my hands touched heavy
stick lying near me. Armed with this,
1 rose again to my feet, and laid about
me with all my strength, but the vermin
were fierce and hungry, and were not TO
/ be repulSed. They attacked my legs.
I drawing blood with their sharp teeth.
and it was some time before | could rid
myself of them, and not till had killed
many.
Again | esSayed to rest, but now an
other terror took possession of me-
: Could l escape drowning, suffOcatiOn
and the rats StiIl, unless I could reach
! the exit of the vaults, starvation stared
me in the face.
81 fancied myself, weakened by loss of
/ food and unable to defend myself. again
attacked by the nOXiOus rats, and gnaw-
/ ed till l bled to death. Fancying the
/ strongest horrors, incredible as you
] ir.l- inf ~ I
was, l fell asleep.
! when ! woke, it was to feel the
most dreadful pangs o. hunger, so Sc
! we're as 10 make me wish that that sleep
had been my last.
My hand, lying in the water, came
in contact with the body Of one Of the
rats l had slain. Eagerly, without re-
iecting for a moment, l carried it to
my mouth, and rayenOusly tore the raw
flesh from its bones with my teeth.
''Phew now, when l think of what
that creature fatteued on, 1t makes me
i'll but then no such thought crossed
my mind, for / was starving.
Refreshed by my repast-yes. YOU
may well doubt it, for you have prOba-
bly, never been 50 near starvation as
was then-refreshed by my repast, again
I stumbled on in the direction l cOnclu-
dcd must lead to the river
suddenly ] received a violent blow
upon the head, which stunned me for d
moment.
Il set myself to work TO find out the
cause, and was not long III doing So.
i had come to the end Of the vault
''Either it was the spot where the
sewer commenced, or more probably I
had, without knowing II, turned of
into one Of the numerous branches which
intersect the main sewer.
EoU cannot imagine the despair
which took possession of me when /
made the discovery. I felt the wall
carefully. in hope that there might be
some small outlet, but there was none.
Nothing but the cold, Shiny bricks met
my touch, and. childish as you may
think it. I sat and burst into a food of
tears.
''N0 one who has not struggled
against death knows how hard a man
! will fight for his life.
Presently l found myself walking
down steep incline. l was at length
! in the right way to the river. \ few
steps further l saw light-a faint glim-
mcrinc. il is true. but still light. Oh.
how my heart throbbed I cried with
JOY. I was saved, I thought. and
pushed forth with renewed energy.
, ''SC1n ] came to what was evidently
o ]
. left. OF course, the way for me to take
: was that which led downward, but here
a fresh difficulty presented itself.
T I'm the passages along which I had
hitherto been walking the water had
= never been above my knees, but now il
reached my thighs; fortunately, how
O. . ever, I had retained the stick which die
me such good service with the rats, anC
bv the aid of that, and proceeding slowly
and cautiously. ! was able to get along
n ''The light grew brighter, and bright.
{ eT and every moment ! apprOacheC
nearer to it.
t AT length reached it, and, looking
n UP through the iron grating, I once
n more saw the brilliant sunlight. NJ.
i heart sank when I saw how high tn
/. grating was above me, but J did no
, despair of making my cries heard
IS Il called as loudly as I could. but
II heard no response. Then | listened
y 1t was evidently quiet street, for
II heard no noise Of passing vehicles
4 shouted again and again. but withou
attracting the attention of any one.
e heard a boy in the street, whiStlin
: merrily, but he heard not my cries fu
u help.
I .t'Ob, 7 thought, that one should b
n so near life, and vet in 4 tomb =
e q waited with a sickening feeling a
d my heart, shouting at intervals. TIL
e light became less and less bright as tn
J. evening drew on, and [ was still rs ia
h. from the busy world rs ever.
I'd There was nothing for me but
es push on for the river, and again ] star
n ed ON my weary way. The water b'
IN came deeper, and deeper, bat this
C. hailed as a good sign, showing the rive
er as not far distant.
3t ''Some heavy body was borne heaVi
against me, and l almost lost my ba
or ance Instinctively put out my hant
j. and 1t touched the cold, Clammy face
=? a corpse. ] shuddered and drew bacl
Id and the body went slowly swinging pa
/? me.
G. .--Why should if do SO :. I asked m
self. and the answer flashed through II
] brain in a moment.
he THE water mounted silently, gradl
IS ally. but surely. Many times did 1 fe
IS tempted 10 throw myself in the riv
I and end my misery. but each time / T
. pented ard teuaciously chung 10 &
ch small chance of life remaining. To
IL so near freedom, aAd yet 50 far from i
G. : There seemed 10 chance for me II
~ water had now reached my neck
al raised myself as high as possible, but Z
ed to DO purpose. for in few minutes
water washed my mouth. Holding
of my head, ! could still breathe rhrou.
ne my nostTils, but l knew that in Il
ne short minutes the rising tide would pl