The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1881-04-13
PERILOUS ADVENTURE.

PERILOUS ADVENTU
1t was past noon when started for the
home of my betrothed. But my horse
was good, and if | rode hard, might
be at Trevesy by nightfall. There was a
sprinkle of snow on the ground, and a
feathery shower fell lightly around me,
of which thought nothing till sunset.
The short, dark day was over at five; and
Mt that hour a sharp wind sprang up, and
the snow began falling thickly. | felt
somewhat blinded and bewildered by the
big flakes, ever flying downwards and
onwards, and around me, like a cold,
patient army, whose onslaught could
never be stayed or driven back.
Still I pushed on, though the poor
beast rode shook and trembled, and
strove, in his dumb way, to reason
against my headstrong will. And now,
with some dismay, l suddenly perceived,
by the sinking of my horse, even to his
hanks, in heaped snow, that, bewildercd
by the whiteness, he and had lost the
road. 1t was but rough one at the
best, for was III wild country, where
mines were many, and men and dwellings
few. Extricating my poor steed from
the drifted snow wherein he tloundercd,
/ rested him moment and shouted
aloud for help. Again and again my cry
came back to me, following on the wings
of the cold wind, hut 10 other sound
broke the deathly stiffness OF the night.
Oh, for saving light i'll some charlta-
bic window! But there was none
only snow and darkness, darkness and
snow all around. [ thought it terrible;
and yet in little span Of time from this
| | would have deemed it Paradise to be
lying lonely ON the heaped snow upon
this drear moor.
put my horse to a sharp cantcr, and
he went about furlong blindiy then
stood still snorting with terror Istroye
to urge him on, but he refused to obey
either whip or spur, Seeing no reason
for my horses fright and stubbomess,
spurred him sharply, and urged him
with angry voice to obedience. His
wonderful obstina"y compelled me at
length to dismount, and, with my drawn
sword in my hand, prepared for highway
man or footpad, dragged him onwards
by the bride. Upon this he made one
hasty plunge forward, then stopped, and
at the same instant the earth went from
beneath my feet, and | fcll-fell knew
not whittier, down, down, into deep
darkness unfathomable, terrible as the
great pit can scarcely say whether
thought as | fell, yet L knew | was
going to death-knew [ was descending
one of those unused shafts that lie out
on many Cornish moor-knew that my
bones would lie unthought of i'll its
depths forever.
But even at that instant my flight was
arrested, and hung III mid-air, clinging
by my hands, to what | knew not. 1t
was my sword, which / had forgotten
| that held. By miracle it had thrust
itself as I fell, between the earth and
the rocks in the side Of the shaft; and
there, jammed fast, it held me up.
1 cannot explain how this occurcd-I
only know that it was SO. As that cry
for mercy escaped my lips, the mercy
came. My sword caught i'll the inter
stices of the rock, and was held up, my
feet dangling over the abyss, my hands
clinging to the hilt of my good blade.
1t was firm as q wedge-I could feel
that, in spite of my trembling; yet sui
nv position was horrible. To remain
thus. to"hold on. was torture unutterable;
but to yield even for moment was dea'h'
There was no hope of release for hours
there was no possibility OF rellet OF
posture; there was nothing but strong
endurance and courage to carry me
through. L walted-l Shilereu-l
prayed. ~,
It was q night to me of fire. The
winds blew and the snow fell, but the
cold touched me not / had fallen toe
deeply in the shaft for that, even II my
tortured blood could have felt 1t.
Morning broke at last, and hope grew
with it. At intervals | had called alouo
through all the night; but now, with
scarcely any intermission, | raised my
voice in cries for help. | did THIS I'll
WEAKNESS stopped me; then l rested IL
agonized hope OF voice Ill reply. liner,
was none. No sound reached me.
was in my grave, alone. called again
again, again / husbanded my voice
drew in my breath, and shouted witt
the strength of despair. There was NJ
answer.
The sun travelled upwards. and | knew
it was high noon, though to me the star
were visible likewise; yet the mid-da.
rays shone somewhat into the shaft. ant
showed me how | hung. The pit here
was not quite perpendicular it slope,
slightly from my feet outwards, and
had found rest for one foot on ledge o
rock. Oh, the ease to my anguish from
this merciful rest Tears sprang to m.
ewes as [ thanked God for it.
The sun had shown me that to climl
out of the pit unaided was impossible, s.
| called for help again, and called til
voice failed me. | ceased to cry, AM
night fell down again.
As the hours crept on, kind OF mad
ness seized me; phantoms sprang NJ
from the pit, and tempted me to plung'
ma