The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-02-12

bed, and their parched submits show
that the watercourse with oil its violence
is nothing but sudden overHowing due
TO heavy rain. At ordinary times the
bed of the Foiba is simply deep ravine.
The only danger now was lest the tree
should be hurled on 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
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
only manifested itself by the heavy
laundering which reverberated 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 four
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. us that
gun announcing that IL harbor is open
If 80 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"
A second report was now heard, and
this was almost Immediately followed
by third.
| Three cannon shots?" said Sandorf
"That is the signal for an embargo
| placed upon ships that are anxious to
sail Has that anything to do with our
escape %
| He might fear so. Assuredly the
authorities would neglect nothing to
keep the fugitives from getting away
from the coast
"Heaven help murmured Sandorf.
And now the lofty cliffs which shut in
the Foiba began to shorten. Nothing
could be seen of the country Sudden
bends marked the horizon and bounded
the views Il hundred feet away. To
| take the bearings was impossible.
| The much widened river bed, silent
and deserted allowed the current to flow
more slowly A few trees brought down
| by the stream were floating near them.
The June morning was quite chill In
their wet clothes the fugitives shook till
their teeth chattered.
Toward five o'clock the cliffs had given
place to long low banks, and the country
on each side was fiat and naked. The
Foiba had widened to about half mile.
and become stretch of stagnant water
which might be called lagoon, if not
lake. In the distance towards the west
there were few vessels. Some at
anchor, some with their canvas set wait
ing for the breeze, and these seemed to
show that the lagoon was haven cut
well back into the coast. The sea then
was not far of, and there would be no
difficulty in finding it. But it would
not be prudent to seek shelter with the
fishermen. To trust themselves intheir
power, supposing they had heard of the
escape would be to chance being handed
over to the Austrian gendarmes who
were probably now securing the country.
Sandorf knew not what to do, when
the tree struck O stump on the left side
of the lagoon and stopped dead. The
roots got entangled with clump of
brushwood and the tree swung round
parallel with the bank as il it had been
q boat under the control of steersman.
Sandorf got ashore and looked around.
He wished to make sure that NO one saw
him.
AS far as he could SEQ there was no
one, fisherman or otherwise, within
sight on the lagoon.
And yet within a hundIed yards of
him there was man stretched at full
length on the sand who could see both
him and his companion.