The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-11-19
HISTORIC ESCAPEs.
HOW GREAT PERIL. DEVELOPS MANS ISyl-S-
TIVE GENIUS.

The amount of inventive genius man de-
vcIors under the spur of peril is scarcely
short Of the marvellous, and it is in nothing
better Illustrated than in the chronicles of
escapes. We all know the story Of the hun
ter who tumblcd into the hollow Of tree in
which a she bear had made her lair, and
couldn't climb uut. He waited, it will be re-
membegcd, till tine tenant whose lodgings he
had invaded came home from a dinner she
had been enjoying at the expense of some
tender Young Africans ON the neighbCring
plantation, and commenced to back down
into the tree after the fashion adopted by
her race in making a descent. As soon as
her tail vas within reach the prisoner grab
bed it. while with his other hand he com
mcnced digging Mrs. Bruin in the rump with
his knife. She didn't come down to inquire
into the matter, but scrambled, bowling,
out again, towing the captive behind her till
lie cot chance to use lis blade OF more
vital portion OF her frame.
SAVED BY A FOX.
4 somewhat similar yarn is That told by
pausanius of ATistomeucs, the NesslniaD
General. whom the LacedamoniaDs captured
in battle some seven hundred years B. c.,
and tumb.eJ into the Gulf Of Cocdo, "a tis-
sure iu tile earth near the City OF sparta,
which served them Instead OF "a gaIiowS fyr
the disposition Of their criminals. AHumhcr
Of Ills soldiers were sent tie same road be
fore INN. and Aristomcnes, falling on their
bodies. saved his own. lie revived 10 tiEd
hfmssf T in % hidcoU= cavern without apparent
outlet but the Uualtaiuah'e opening over
head. He spent two days among the bones
and Iotting Bodies. ON the third day Leslw
a fox creeping along in the gloom toward q
hcau of corses. The fact that The animal
got into the cave was proof positive that
there was some way Gus. Lying mutjomless
till the fox came smiling around hiu'. Ans
to.uenes then grabbed him by the leg, and
as he turned TO snap him, thrust the hem o
his mantle IN hls mouth. Eeyuard held oI
yiciously, and the ingenious captive was led
as he desired to be, through a lalyIiHthin'
passage to an opening just large enough TO
the fox to crawl through, and which ne man
aged to enlarge sufficiently TO escape by hiU
self
Those oIti-tjtaers were q tough lot If histo
rfaus don't lie. Terodotus tells Of another
Hecesistratus, who was an auguT or fortune
teller to one NIordonius. The Spartans 20
hold Of hiu, too, and put him in Jail with
log Iettercd To his leg. Failing to reie0s
himself in any other way, he csHtrived &
scrauc a passage out of his dungeon with a1
Old knife-blade he found in q corner, an
thea cut enough Of his foot of to Slip tl
stump ont of the fctter, and so crawled ava
TO freedom. Incredible as the story seems
such eases of self-mutiIation are not Uucon
mon among our Indians. and animals cGugl
{ bv the fout I'm a trap almost invariably gna'
the captive members of and survive Oh
e. loss.
SOMETHING ITEE LEG BAH.
= CwIius SCcundus Curiou was zcaiot
Lutheran of the sixteenth century IN TUri
b Taking exception 10 "a passage ia tie sermr
, a Jesuit Was preaching in the Cathedral, D
= called linn g liar. lie was seized ana throw
4 into the prison OF the Inqui>itiun, where h
feet were shacllled TO pcnderous blocks
S wood to prevent his moving. According
o his own account, after having spent WEE
V i'm these ornaments, he induced his jailer,
T thc plea that he was perishing of pain in
V constrained position, to unshackle one J
q for him Then he tore his shirt into shrct
N and taking off his stocking and slippu
Of stuffed them with these rags until he h
& made a very fair model of a leg aud foot
ye broken broomstick supplied him with
II bone. and, as he tells it, Gliding my r
s. limb under my cloak, / sat calmly await
n the success Of my ruse. After a time
re Young man came in to pay me his usual Y
nv and ask me how did. I should feel bett'