Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1881-07-07


were laid upon it suddenly. .
1t was waterl 1t was no madness
it was water. A tiny stream trick
ling through the bare wall of rock. like
dew from heaven. held forth my
parched tongue and caught the drops
as they fell, and as l drank my strength
was renewed, and hope and the desire
of life grew warm within me again.
And yet on this, the second night of my
horrible imprisonment, 1 cared not SO
passiOnately-I looked not so eagerly
for succor. My limbs were numbed.
my brain deadened; life was ebbing
toward death; shadow at times fell
over my eyes, and if held still to the
hilt of my sword, If my feet sought
still the ledge that rested them, they
did it mechanically from habit, and not
from hope.
L think sometimes / was not i'm nv
right mind. was among green fields
and woods, and was gathering flowers
L was climbing mountains; and from
these visions 1 awoke always TO dark
ness above, around, darkness below.
hiding the abyss that hungered greedi-
ly for my life. And no friendly face, no
voice, no football near. Not a step
through all these slow, slow hours. If
passing peasant, through the day, had
heard the lonely cry rising from the
depths, he had set it down TO ghost or
pixy, and had passed on his frightened
way regardless.
And now the night was wearing on.
and no rescue. L could not live till
mOrning-I knew that.
My mind wandered again. Nv
mother waited for me, 1 must hurry
home; but was bound by chain. in
outer darkness, and was going to die.
There was no Christian i'm all the land
to succor mel was forgotten and for
saken, left in the pit-and / would un-
clasp my hands and fall and die.
No. l would call once more. "IIelpl
help! Mercy helpr
As my faintihg voice died i'm the dark
depth, and quivered up to the glim-
mering sky, felt hope die with it, and
| gave up all thought of life. Iturned
my eyes toward my grave below, and
"Out of the depth have | cried unto
Thee, o LOrdl"
The little rill that had saved my life
hitherto trickled on, and its silvery
murmur, rs il dropped on the rock be-
low, was the sole sound that broke the
deathly silence around me.
My prayer was over, and had not
relinquished my hold. l was stronger
than | had deemed myself. l would
cry out again. "IIelpl helpl helpp
81 stopped. listened. A sound
was floating on the wind. Coming,
going, joining the drip, drip, drip of the
rill-then dying, then returning. Lis
tening with my whole being. L recog.
nized the sound.
Bells-church bells-ehimes ringing
in the new year. 20 God, have mercy
on me; have mercy on mep
Bells are ringing i'm the New Year
bells Ginning i'm the ears OF friends,
telling of sadness and of hope-bells
clashing in at merry intervals, between
mUsie and laughter, loving greetings
kisses and joy.
Will no one in my fathers house
take pity on me? Am 1 missed no
where? The bells chime q feastinp
and gladness; and l am here hanging
between life and death. The Jaws OF
the grave rebeneath me, my joints are
broken and the bells chime OH. Would
it not be a good deed OH this New
Years day to save me? Oh. feaster.
and revelers, hear mel
"Helpl helpl 1t is Christmas time
Help. for Christ's sake, good people!'
The bells float nearer, and drown the
drip of the trickling water; and l CITY
"IIelpl helpp saying, "Now will cal
till die" A film grows over my eyes
but my voice is strong and desperate
as shout christmas tidel Fol
Christ's sake, help, good ChristiansI p
A great light-a flash of frel For
moment 1 deem it death; gazing UP
ward see amid a glare of torches
faces-Oh, they were angels to mel
eager faces peering downward int
the depths; its light falls on my hag
gard face-a great shout rends tht
night sky.
"He is herel he is safel-he livesP
cannot speak, though my lips move
and my heart stands still rs l see one
two. three daring men swing them
selves over the abyss-miners, used t,
danger-and in moment stout arm.
are around me, and L am borne up
ward, carried gently like child
placed an instant on my feet, and theI
laid down tenderly on the heath.
am so weary and faint and worn tina
lie with closed eyes, never striving I,
say a word of thanks.
go not so near the brink, madam,
entreatp i heard q voice cry sharply
Then / open my aching lids, and be
tween me and the sky there bends
white face, and tears fall down upol
my brow fast and warm. 1t was m,
betrothed, Florian, but even when shr
stole her little hand into mine-min
so cramped and numb that ii gave N
response TO her tenderness-ald ever
when she stopped and pressed he
lips upon my cheek, 1 could not breatl
a word to thank her.
Yet, Florian, dear wife, let me tel
thee now, that from the depths of m,
happy heart there rose hymn of JOY
and understood from that mOmen
that thou vert mine, and owed m,
life 10 thy love.
Then thy sweet lips breathed word.
that fell upon my soul like mamma
words of tenderness and pity that mad
the tortue of those slow hours i'm tn,
pit fade away, so mighty did this re
ward seem for my sufferings.
was carried to Trevesy, and rs tn
men bore me along, you walking by m,
side, / heard them tell the tale of m,
servants fright when my horses re
turned home alone, and how they cam
to your father for tidings from ne
Then they whispered of the painful
search through the day and night-th
tracking of my horses hoofs upon th
snow, and the story Of the scared peas
ant. who all night long had heard tn
cry OF tortured ghosts issuing from In