Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1885-08-20

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rage in all ITS bearings
an outwit these scoundre.s yet" mnt-
tered. DING to the little opening and trying
to peer outside. was not tai enough, but
gnsping the top plank Of the wall drew
myself up andpeered for h throughan OPEN
ing too narrow TO admit of escape unless
en- aIged.
i realized that time was precious The
tiial was on to-day and might come to a
conclusion without my presence. If it
should prove 10 be the last day of the suit
my absence might result in ruin 10 my em-
| ployer. Such thoughts rendered me des-
perate. must escape. With the fury of
desperation drew myself up once more to
the top of the wall. and attempted TO en-
large the opening through which the light
entered, with my hand.
One effort and then / drew my hand
away. lacerated and bleeding. Rough
stones imbedded in the Garth surrounded
the narrow opening ! fell back to the
| lime was completely unnerved at the out
come of my venture. At length / cried
aloud for help. 1t was forlorn hope that
some one might be passing and come to
the rescue. Vain hopel / was hoarse from
the exertion, and gave over the task.
Directly over the center of the cellar,
some two feet above my head, was a small
trap door in the floor. This made several
Intellectual attempts to raise. / labored
under great disadvantage, since /
could only reach the top by spring
ing upward and striking it with my
hand. The solid concussion led me to be-
lieve that the tap was weighted down.
was indeed prisoner without hope OF
esclpe. Sinking down at last IN one cor
ner of the narrow cellar, l meditated long
and seriously upon the situation. / had
| been basely deceived by those slippery viii
| lains who pretended to be members of the
bar; that they were not what they professed
| TO be was now self-evdent fact. If l ever
made my escape would revenge myself on
the smooth -tongued scoundrels, inwardly
vowed.
Hours passed Time sitter time l essayed
| to break from the bondage of that accursed
cellar, to no purpose. With each renewal
of effort came added weakness, and as my
strength failed me, feeling of despair en-
tered my heart. Was il possible that these
demons in Johnson's employ would leave
me here to starve?
While thinking upon this, n sound fell on
my ear that startled me as nothing had ever
done in my life before.
listened, then sprang TO the middle of
the cellar, with shudder of horror, while
beads of perspirItion oozed forth from ev-
cry pore of my body.
listened. The sound was not repeated,
but on gazing back at the spot / had lately
occupied, caught the gleam of two bloody
| eyes. Then glitter of shining sc lies,
and knew that / was face to face with a
horrible death. Starvation would have
been terrible, but to de under the fangs of
| a venomous serpent was more so.
The heavy eyes held horrible glenn as
| the head rose and pushed itself forward
over the edge of the wall into the cellar
Insinctively / glanced about for some
weapon of defense; nothing not even n
pebble was in sight-Cnly my loose hands
| to contend with the wrath of nttlesnake.
Reader, put yourself in my place at that
moment, and imagine if you can the hor-
d6e do IT. R"ibHJ5e bJf 4f ny fsssipRs VQ not
move or utter cry. There We were, face
to face, the mttlesnake and /. / never want
again to pass through such an experience.
/ kept my eye fixed on the serpent, not
daring to look away. until it seemed as
though was fascinated, as l had read Of
birds becoming, under the gaze OF SER
pent.
The eyes of the serpent grew into mon
strous size-great round orbs, full of min
gled colors and scintillatng CLEANS. The
4 yeilOW unu BItell pTeuOhuinutSi, AiiSu thO
whole atmosphere in fact Dizziness, and
strange ringing filed my brain. Gradual
ly yielded to that horrible fascination,
and began to move toward the serpent-go-
ing to my doom.
Would nothing break the spell?
Something did break it, At the moment
when all my senses seemed lost in terri
BILE fascination, q sharp report filled the
outer air, followed by scuITying around.
and a slender animal darted under the floor,
and the next instant fell to the damp floor
of the cellar in the coils of the rattlesnake.
With a shudder and gasp / came 10 my
self NV presence of mind returned to me,
and glanced at the struggling objects on
the foor-a rabbit in the embrace Of rat
tlesnake. The poison of the serpent would
soon finish the poor hare; but 1 realized
that this was my opportunity, and at once
proceeded to improve it.
/ soon succeeded iu setting my heel upon
the head of the serpent, crushing it into
the gravelly soil. I breathed easier when
the venomous reptile ceased to squirm.
Dad blast the luck, anyhow"
was interrupted in my work of destroy
ing the serpent by the sound of voice,
and glancing ut the little opening above the
cellar wall l caught the CLEAN of pair of
eyes human eyes this time-and the glow
of an honest face.
"Ther rabbit darted under here. Go In,
Brisk, an fetch i'm out !"
The face disappeared, and on the instant
the sharp yell OF dog greeted my ear. The
four footed brute thrust his nose into the
aperture and barked, but did not venture
to modest me. l lifted up my voice then
and made my presence known.
"DNd blast it, who's in thar2"
"Im in the cellar" shouted, "and can't
get out. Will you help me?"
Come, Brisk"
Dog and man disappeared, but after the
lapse of q minute / heard welcome steps
above. The crash of falling boards greet
ed my ears, and then the trap opened and
two faces peered down upon me-one a
mans. the other dogs.
Goodness graciousl What you down
here for2" exclaimed the young hunter.
Help me out and will explain, / an-
sswered, quickly,
The fellow thrust plank down, by the
aid of which gained the floor above, TO
find myself in a large log shanty which
proved 10 be on, that had been long since
deserted by the loggers. l found my res.
cuer a stout young woodsman, po ssessed Of
considerable intelligence. He listened to
my story with his chin resting on the open
muzzle of hIs long rife. When had fin-
ished he expressed his feelings In short
ejaculation.
"Well, I'll be doggoned!"
The rabbit and rattlesnake we're left in
the cellar, the trap closed, and together we
sought the open air.
"fts six mile TO Pine Creek" explained
Sam Orton. "but il you feel strong enough
we'll cit there inside of two hours. ]
reckin twill be most night then. Lucky