St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-16
which in the midst of the profo und dark
1nacc II ,r-nr irn,,ncrihIn N aUnid

1t was nearly 2 o'clock in the morning
before the speed of the current and con-
sequently that of the tree began sensibly to
Slacken. Evidently the channel was getting
wider and the waters, finding a freer passage
between the walls were travelling at a more
moderate pace. And it was not mreason-
able to expect that the end of the subter-
ranean pass was close at hand.
but IL the walls were widening the roof
was closing down on them. By raising his
manu- Count Sandof could skim the surface
OF the irregular Schists which stretched
ABOVE his head. Frequently there came a
grazing noise as the roots of the tree ground
against the roof. Then the trunk would
! Stagger as it recOiled from some violent
cOlilSlon and swing off in a new direction.
And then it would drift across the stream
and twiStand writhe till the fugitives feared
they would be wrenched away. That dam
ger oyer-after it had been experienced SOW.
eral timeS-there remained another of
which SandOrf coolly calculated the conse-
quenceS. What was to happen if the roof
continued to close down? Already his only
way OF escape was to fall backwards the in
slant his hand felt a projecting rock.
Wonld he have to take to the stream? AS
far as he was concerned, he might attempt
it; but how could his companion keen
afOat? And if the channel kept low for a
long distance how were they to come out
of it alive? How indeed-and was death
to be the end after so many escapes from
death?
Sandorf, energetic as he was, felt his
| heart wrung with anguish. He saw that
the supreme moment was approaching. The
tree roots ground against the overhanging
rocks more violently; and at times the
trunk was driven so deeply into the current
that the water entirely covered it.
| N'RUt - said SaO1Orf 10 OTfIat
be far off"
And then he looked to see if some vague
! streak of light did not filter into the dark
ness ahead. By this time was the night
advanced enough for the darkness outside
to have lifted? Was the lightning still
flashing beyond the Buco? If so a little
light perhaps would show itself in this
channel which threatened to get too small
to hold the Foiba. But there was nothing.
Nothing but absolute darkness and roaring
waters of which even the foam remained
black.
| Suddenly there was terrific shock. By
his forward end the tree had dashed against
an enormous pendant from the roof. As it
struck it completely turned over. But San
dOrf did not let 60 of it. With one hand
he desperately chung to the roots, with the
other he held his companion. And the tree
sank, and with it the men sank into the
mass of waters which then filled the chan
mel to the roof.
| This lasted for nearly minute. Sandorf
felt that he was lost. InStinctively he
stopped breathing, so as to ecOnomize the
/ little air that remained in his lungs.
Suddenly through the liquid mass, ale
| though his eyes were closed he felt the i'm
preston of vivid light. A lightning flash
it was, followed by the noise of thunder.
1t was the light, at last
The FOiba had emerged from the subter-
ranean channel and was flowing III the
open. But whittier was it flowing? On
what Seacoast was its mouth? That was
| still the insOluble question: question of
life or death.
| The trunk of the tree had flOated to the
surface again. Bathory, by strong effort,
was dragged up and took his place at the
end. Then SandOrf looked before him,
around him, above him.
Up stream dark mass was being left be-
hind. This was the huge cliff of the Buco,
in which the underground channel opened
which gave passage to the waters of the
Foiba. Day was already showing itself by
| the scattered StreakS of light overhead.
vague as the nebul5e which the eye can only
| just see on winters night. From time to
| time few pale lightning flashes lighted up
the background amid the dull roll of occa-
SiOnal thunder. The storm was slowly go
ing or else dying away.
To the right to the left. Sandorf threw
q glance of keen anxiety. He saw that the
river flowed between two high cliffs, and
that its speed was terrific.
They were in rapid which was taking
them along amid all its races and eddies.
But above their head now was the infinite,
and no longer the narrowing vault with its
Lodges threatening each instant to crush
them. But there was no bank on which
they could set foot, no slope on which they
could diSembark. Two steep high walls
shut in the narrow FOiba, and it was really
the old channel with its vertical walls, but
without its roof of stone.
The last immersion had greatly revived
BathOry. His hand had sought Sandorfs,
who clasped it as he whispered
Saved
But had he right to use the word?
Saved. when he did not even know whera
the river ended or what country it traversed,
or when they would be able to abandon
their raft? Such, however, was his energy
that he sat upright on the tree aud three
times shouted the words aloud,-
Saved! Saved! Savedr'
Who could hear him? No one on these
rocky cliffs whose boulderS and schists had
not mould enough to bear even bramble.
The country hidden by the high banks
would be sought by no human being A
desolate country through which the Foba
runs imprisoned like an artificial canal be-
tween Its rocky walls. Not a brook flows
i'll to feed it. Not a bird skins its surface,
not even fish ventures into its too rapid
waters. Here and there huge rocks rise in
its bed, and their parched SUBMITS show
that the WatercOurse with all its violence is
nothing but sudden overlooking due to
heavy rain. AT ordinary times the bed of
the FOiba is simply a deep ravine.
The only danger now was lest the tree
should be hurled onto the rocks. 1t avoided
them of itself as it kept in the middle of the
currents which swept round them But
it was impossible to check its speed to get
to shore in case a suitable landing-place was
noticed.
An hour passed and no immediate danger
appeared. The final flashes had died out in
the distance and the storm onlymanifested
itself by the heavy laundering which re-
verberated among the lofty clouds whose
long narrow bands streaked the horizon.
Day was breaking and the gray was rising
over the sky that had been cleared by the
tumult of the night. 1t was about o'clock
in the morning.
Stephen lay in SandOrf's arms.
A distant report was heard towards the
southwest.
what is that?" asked Sandorf, who was
still on the lookout. rs that gun an
nOuncing that harbor is open? If so we
cannot be far from the sea. What port can
it be? Trieste? No. for there is the east.
where the sun is rising! Can it be Pola at
the extreme south Of Istria? But then"
L