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

IL was past noon when / started for
The home Of my betrothed. But my
horse was good. and I rode hard.
might be mt Trevcsy by nightfall
There was n sprinkle of snow on the
ground, and feathery shower fell
lightly around me. of which thought
nothing till sunset. The short. dark
day was over at five; and ut that hour
n sharp wind sprang up, and snow be.
gan falling thickly. l felt somewhat
blinded and bewildered by the bic
lakes ever flying downward and ON.
warl and around me, like a cold, pa
tient army, whose onslaught could
never be stayed or driven back.
Still ! pushed on, though the poor
beast | rode shook and trembled and
strOyc In his dumb way 10 reason
against my headstrOng will. And now
with some dismay. suddenly per,
ccived, Ivy the sinking of my horse
even to his Hanks in heaped snow, that
bCwildored by the whiteness. he and !
hai lost the road. IL was but rough
ono ut best, for was i'm n wild coun
try, where mines were many and mer
and dwellings few. Extricating my
poor stecd from the drifting snow
wherein ho hOundored. / rested him q
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 doathly stiffness of the night
oh, for the saving light in some
friendly window But there was none
only snow and darkness, darkness
aud snow all around. / thought il
terrible; and yet little span of time
from this would have deemed IL para
disc To be- lying lonely ON the heaped
snow upon this droary moor.
put my horse TO n sharp canter. and
hc went about n furlOng blindly, thcr
stood still, snorting with terror. ]
slroyc To urge him ON, but he refused
10 obey either whip or spur. Seeing
40 reason for my horses fright and
stubbOrnes5 / spurred him sharply and
urged him with angry voice TO Obe
dienCc. His wonderful Obstinacy al
length compelled me to dismount, and
with my drawn sword i'm my hand
prepared for highwayman or fOOtpad, !
dragged him onward by the hridle
Upon this hc made ono hasty pIung,
forward, then stopped, and ut the same
Instant the earth went from beneath
my feet md fell knew not whittier
down, down, into deep darkness un
iathOmable. terrible as the great pit
/ can scarcely say whether thought a.
| fell, yet | knew / was going TO deatl
knew | was descending one of thos,
unused shafts that lie on many a Corn
iah mOOr-knew that my bones woulC
Tic unthought Of in it's depths forever
But even at that instant my figh
was arrested, and l hung i'm mid air
Clinging Ivy my hands TO what knew
not. lt was my sword which / haC
forgotten that | held. by n miracle /
had thrust itself as / fell, between Tn
earth and the rocks in the side OF tn
shaft; and there, jammed fast, il ha,
held me up.
/ cannot explain how this occurred
/ only know that il was so. AS tina
cry for mercy escaped my lips, tn
mercy came. Ny sword caught in tn
iutorstices of tho rock, and / was hell
up. my feet dangling over the abyss
my hands clinging To the hilt of m,
good blade. IL was firm ne n wedge
] could lcCl that, in spite Of my trem
bling; yet still my position was horri
bic To remain thus, TO hold on, wa
torture unuttcrable; but TO yield evel
fora moment was death. There wa
no hope of release for hours-ther
was no possibility of relief of posture
there was nothing but strong endu
rance and courage 10 carry me through
/ Waited suffered-I prayed.
II was night TO me of fire. Tn
winds blew and the snow fell, but th
cold touched me not; had fallen to
deeply In the shaft for that even IL m
tortured blood could have felt IL.
Morning broke at last, and hop
grow with IT, At intervals / ha
called loud through the night but now
with scarcely any intermission, raise
my voice in cries for help. / did thi
till wcarinCss stopped me; then reste,
in ugonizcd hope Of a voice in reply
There was none. No sound reache
me. was In my grave alone. calle
again. again, againl husbanded m
voice. | drew in breath, and shoute
with the strength Of despair. Their
was no answer.
Tho sun Travelled upward, and
knew u was high noon, though TO m
thc stars were visible likewise; vet In
midday rays shOne somewhat into On
shaft ami showed me how 1 huns
The pit here was quite perpendicular
it slopcd slightly from my feet upward
and had found rest for one foot ON
ledge Of the rock. Oh. the ease to m
anguish from this meiciful restl Tear
sprang into my eyes rs / thanked Go
for Il.
The sun had shown me that 10 clim
out of the pit unaided was impossibl,
80 ! called FOR help again. and calle
tih voice failed me. ceased 10 or,
AMI night fell down again.
rs tho hours crcpt ON. a kind G
madness seized me: phantoms spran
up from the pit and tempted me [
plunge below; horrible syea glared O
me. But worst of all was the soun
OF Water-a ptUling rill flowing gent
n my very ears, trickling dgrh nv Dire
I'm sweetest music. horribly ,listinc
Wattrl To reach water I would wi
hngly die; but knew Il was madnes
80 resisted the fiery thirst that woul
have me release my hold and peris
Naterl Yes, there was water at q
bottom Of the shaft, fathoms deep b
low my feet, but / could only reas
that 70 die; and there was water ON Il
fair earth, fathoms above me-water
should never see again.