The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1881-03-11
PERILOUS ADVENTURE.

n
1t was past noon when l started for the
home of my betrothed. But my horse
was good, and if I rode hard, / might
be at Trevesy by nightfall. There was q
sprinkle of snow on the ground, and
feathery shower fell lightly around me,
of which L thought nothing till sunset
The short dark day was over at five; and
at that hour q sharp wind sprang up, and
the snow began falling thickly. / felt
somewhat blinded and bewildered 10y the
big flakes, ever flying downwards and
EDWARDS, and around me, like cold,
patient army, whose onslaught could
never be STAYED or driven back.
Sell 1 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, / suddenly perceived,
by the sinking of my horse, even 10 his
TANKS, in heaped snow, that, bewildered
by the Wilderness, he and had lost the
road. 1t was but a rough one at the
best, for was in wild country, where
mines were many, and men and dwellings
few. Extricating my poor steed from
the drifted snow wherein he floundered,
l 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, but no other sound
broke the deathly stiffness of the night
Oh, for a saving light in some charita-
BILE window But there was none
only snow and darkness, darkness and
snow all around. l thought 1t terrible;
and yet in q little span of time from this
| would have deemed il Paradise to be
lying lonely on the heaped snow upon
this drear moor.
put my horse to n sharp canter, and
he went about furlong blindly, then
stood still snoring with terror. strove
to urge hmm on, but he refused to obey
either whip or spur. Seeing no reason
for my horses fright and stubborness, l
spurred him sharply, and urged him
with angry voice to obedience. His
wonderful obstinacy compelled me at
length to dismount, and, with my drawn
sword In my hand, prepared for highway
man or footpad, | dragged him EDWARDS
by the bride. Upon this he made one
hasty plunge forward, then stopped. and
ut Che same instant the earth went from
beneath my feet, and fell-fell knew
not whittier, down, down, into deep
darkness unbelievable, terrible as the
great pit. l can scarcely say whether
dS 4tll, NNt hhtM Il WttS
going to death-kneG / was descending
one of those unused shafts that lie out
ON many a Cornish mpor-knew that my
bones would lie unthought of IN its
depths forever.
But even at that instant my flight was
arrested, and hung in mid-air clinging
by my hands, to what 1 knew not 1t
WAS my sword, which had forgotten
that held BY miracle it had thrust
= itself, as 1 fell, between the earth and
the rocks in the side of the shaft; and
there, iammed fast, it held me up.
/ cannot explain how this occured-I
only know that it was so. As that cry
for mercy escaped my lips, the mercy
came. My sword caught in 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.
It WAS firm as a wedge-L could feel
that in spite of my trembling; yet still
my position was horrible. To remain
thus, to-hold on, was torture unutterable;
Int to yield even for moment was death.
There was no hope Of release for hours
there was no possibility of relief of
posture; there was nothing but strong
endurance and courage to carry me
through. / waited-I suffered
prayed.
1t was night to me of fire. The
winds blew and the snow fell, but the
cold touched me not: L had fallen too
deeply in the shaft for that. even if my
tortured blood could have felt 1t.
Morning broke at last, and hope grew
with it. At intervals had called aloud
through all the night; but now, with
scarcely any intermission, raised my
voice In cries for help. 1 did this till
WEAKNESS stopped me- then rested in
agouized hope of voice in reply. There
was none. No sound reached me l
was in my grave alone. called again,
again, again / hushanded my voice.
drew in my breath, and shouted with
the strength of despair. There was no
answer
The sun travelled upwards, and knew
1t was high noon, though to me the stars
were visible likewise; yet the midday
rays shone somewhat into the shaft and
showed me how hung. The pit here
was not quite perpendicular it sloped
slightly from my feet outwartls, and
had found rest for one foot on ledge of
rock. Oh, the ease to my anguish from
this merciful rest Tears sprang TO my
eyes as thanked God for it.
The sun had shown me that to climb
Icalled for help again, and called till
voice failed me. j ceased to cry, and
night fell down again.
As the hours crept on, kind of mad
ness seized me; phantoms sprang UP
from the pit, and tempted me toplungt
below horrible eyes glared on me
voices Knocked me. But worst of al
was the sound of waters pulling ri
flowing gently In my very ears, trucking
drop by drop IN sweetest music, horribl,
distinct. Water To reach water
would willingly die; but knew it was
madness. so resisted the fiery thirs
that would have me release my hold ant
perish. Water Yes, there was water q
the bottom of the shaft, fathoms dec
below my feet, but L could only reacl
that to die; and there was water ON tin
fair earth, fathoms above me-water
should never see again.
L grew dizzy-sick-b i shoul,
have fainted-have fallen-died but a
l leaned my head against the rock,
felt as though cold, refreshing han,
were laid upon it suddenly
1t wss'water / IL was no madness ii
was water. A tiny stream tricklin,
through the bare wall of rock. like de,
from heaven. / held forth my parche,
tongue and caught the drops as they fell
and rs drank my strength was renewed
and hope and the desire for life gre,
warm within me again. And vet on this
the second night of my horrible impris
onment, / cared not so passionately.
looked not so eagerly for succor. NJ
limbs were nunbed. my brain deadened
life was ebhing towards death; a shado1
at times fell over my eyes; and if | he'll
still TO the hilt of my sword, if my fee
sought still the ledge that rested them
they did it mechanically, from habit, AM
not from hope.
/ think sometimes l was not in m,