The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-06-15
Thought They saw the Devil.


markable river 1 ever navigated. left
Toledo, In Spain, and padded down
through that country and Portugal to
the Atlantic Ocean, distance of $50
miles. For over seven hundred miles 1t
is not navigable for vessels, but winds
in an erratic and-to me-annoying
manner through the most weird scenery
that Spain possesses. Between Toledo
and the ocean its descent is 5000 feet
AT its source and for a short distance
down the shores are lined with luxurl-
ant trees and grasses, but soon these
utterly disappear, giving way to arid
and stoney banks, which in turn grow
into precipitous mountain sides. For
the first three days padded along sat
isfactorily, but as the number of days
since began my journey increased my
troubles augmented. Then my course
wound through a continued series of
canyons, whose gloomy walls were in
places so high and steep that they al
most met and nearly hid the sunlight
from the yawning chasm beneath. To
wards night it required no great stretch
of fancy for me to imagine that 1 was
being swiftly carried along through
mysterious subterranean passage. The
river was studded with boulders, hurled
from the mountain tops by fearful
storms, and often as l was bowled along
under the pressure of the roaring wind
and rushing current, L was thrown
against one of these obstacles and my
senses nearly shaken from me.
TO increase my peril the river was
full Of falls and rapids of unusual vio-
lence. In places a shallow current
would dart toward the rocky mountain
side and then turn at a sharp angle and
merge into deep and peaceful sheet of
water. blessed those havens, for they
needed rest. Looking into their clear
depths could see the hideous fish dart
ing about, but the bottom was fathom-
less pit. Words are wanting to picture
the loneliless Of my situation. For ten
days saw not shrub, not a blade of
grass, not single sign of mans abode.
My diet was nauseating and felt with
alarm that was gradually losing my
strength.
One day, it was the twelfth of my
journey, as / was floating on the bosom
of sort of lake, suddenly l was
plunged head-first over fall and struck
with such force against the precipious
wall of the canyon that lost conscious
ness. Happily my rubber suit saved me
from what would otherwise have been
certain death. L recovered my senses
after an interval, know not how long
and, with prayer on my lips, was
about to resume my voyage, when to my
horror 1 found that my tender was lost
1t had been sucked into q whirlpool,
probably, and the current was rapidly
bearing me away from the scene. L
was nearly frantic. My tender was
gone, my hopes were blasted, my life
was not worth a straw The contents
of the little float were at that moment as
precious to me as all the wealth that a
king could bestow.
padded on for several hours, trust
ing to find way out of the river. If
could only find shepherd generous
enough to share with me his frugal meal
1 was saved. But hoped in vain. En-
numbered by my rubber armor, with
waning strength and and tremulous
movements / made many futile at
tempts to Chamber the slippery noun
tain sides, but in every case 1 tumbled
back into the river exhausted. For
three days was urged on, know not
how, by the impetuous waters. was
ravenous with hunger, my limbs quiv-
cred like aspens, chill sweat oozed all
over my body, and my brain was deliri-
GUS. swore like a madman, heaped
maledictions upon the Tagus, and at
times sang wild snatches of songs. To
this day l cannot account for the super
natural strength given me during those
seventy-two hours of agony. The howl
ing of wolves and the hooting of owls
during the nights heightened the son.
bre current of my reflections. On the
morning of the third day, just after
daylight, entered the canyon of Casa
ras. swallowed pint or two of wa
ter and stood upright in my rubber suit,
1 listened for the tinkling of bell, OF
some sound that would give token of a
habitation. Nothing broke the silence
but the distant fall of waters. AS /
sank back in the river in despair, to my
joy thought saw thin veil of smoke
coming over the edge Of the high plateau