Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1883-01-27

sea monster baffied of its prey, the
column sunk, and left him gasping,
half-drowned. but alive.
1t was impossible that he could sur
vive another pulsation of the sea be-
low him, and he knew it.
He loosed his stiffened fingers, and
prepared himself for his fate. AS he
uttered a prayer as fervent as may
leave the lips of one who stands on the
brink of eternity, he involuntarily cast
his eyes upward.
els the mouth of the tunnel-spout
afame?" he questioned, in amaze, as a
lurid light above him caught his strain
ing vision. "No; lantern is being
lowered into this abyss. The SNUG
glers are taking advantage of this
pause to examine the sides of this ac-
cursed blowhole. Death is on every
hand ~
Down came the swinging light,
nearer and nearer.
There he is" shouted one of the
smugglers. Hes alive; but the
water-spout will look after him, and
it's coming now"
For a below which preceded the
fierce belching forth of the torrent
came up from the depths below.
But Corliss scarcely heard it, he was
so occupied with one last desperate
hope. About two feet away from him,
red as blood in the glow of the lantern,
round, shining stream of water
slipped out Of the rock into the dark
ness like serpent from its hole
Above this stream dark spot de-
fiend thelight, and Corliss grasped intui-
lively at the thought that close beside
him was one of those tOrtuous drives
which had been bored 10y the sea into
the heart of the cliff.
The below changed into that hide
Gus roar, anf with a gust Of wind and
spray the 5 ething sea leaped up out
of the gulf
With the d ligh1 streaming from
the lantern ali ut hi n, and the white
spume at his f, ct, larles released his
hold of the ire nd thrust himself
forward into the bla k hole at his side.
The immense olu ne of water forced
into this drive St uck him and rolled
him forward, over and over, and by it's
fury saved him from being washed out
again with the recoil of the wave.
Collecting all his energies, Corliss
scrambled up a little incline, and as he
fell forward in a swoOn, it was with
the blessed thought that he was out of
danger at last.
When Corliss opened his eyes a soft
twilight was about him, and he knew
that a calm, sweet day had succeeded
that frightful night of tempest. He
raised himself and stretched his stiff
ened limbs, for it was imperative that
he should bestir himself.
Crawling as near to the edge Of the
oriiice, by which he had been enabled
to enter the heart of the cliffs, as he
dared, he craned his neck forward. and
saw fifty feet below him the sullenly
frothing water creaming and gurgling
hoarsely to itself.
mo chance to get down there" he
muttered, disconsolately.
Turning his head. he gave CRATE
full glance at the scrubby little trees
that had saved his life the night be-
fore.
AS he did so, something caught his
eye which caused cry of intense sur
prise and joy to leap to his lips, al
though it was strangled before it left
them for fear that unfriendly ears
might hear it.
"A-rope, Right here at hand. all
tangled up in the branches of this
blessed little tree 1t must be that
the smuggler, who was lowering the
lantern by means of this rope, dropped
it, together with the lantern, when the
water-spout rose right up in his very
face, and the iecoil of the wave dragged
it down among the branches of this
little tree which caught and held it.
Thank heaven The way is clear
now."
Catching firm hold of the gnarled
branches which scratched the very
edge of the orifice. Corliss swung him
self out of his rocky refuge into the
tree.
1t was but few minutes work to
disentangle the rope. and then fasten-
ing one end of it firmly to the tree
trunk, he allowed the coils. weighted
with the battered frame of the lantern.
to drop from his hand
The rope was long enough to allow
the lantern frame to sink below the
water.
Down, hand-Over-hand, went the
young revenue officer, then he dashed
out through the narrow arch through