The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-01-15
TaR MlDLANn JOURNAL.

the raft if it happened to crash up
against the rocks which in the midst of
the profound darkness it was impossible
to avoid
It was nearly two o'clock in the morn
iny before the speed of the current, and
consequently that of the tree, began
sensiblt to slacken.e Evidently the
channel was getting wider and the
waters. finding % freer passage between
the wallis. were travelling at more mod
crate pace And it was not unreasonable
to expect that the end of the subter-
raneau pass was close ut hand.
But if the walls were widening the
roof was closing down on them. By
1aising his hand Count Sandorf could
skim the surface Of the irregular schists
which stretched above his head. Ere.
quently there came grating noise as
the roots Of the tree ground against the
roof. Then the trunk would stagger rs
it recoil 4 from some violent collision
and swing off i'll new direction. And
then it would drift across the stream,
and twist and wrlthe till the fugi,ives
feared they would be wrenched away.
That danger over after it had been expe-
riencel several times-there remained
another, of which Sand ,rf coolly calcu
lated the consequences. What was to
happen if the roof continued to close
down? Already his only way OF escape
was to !all backwards the instant his
hand felt projecting rock Would he
- al rs No ca, Ac for
he was concerned he might attempt it ;
but how could his companion keep afoat?
And if the channel kept low for q long
distance how w..re they to come out Of
it alive? How indeed-and was death
to bt, the end after so many escapes
from death {?
Snndorf, energetic rs he was, felt his
heart wrung with anguish. He saw that
the supreme moment was approaching.
The tree roots ground against the over
hanging rocks more violently, and at
times the top of the trunk was driven so
deeply into the current that the water
completely covered it.
But said Sandorf, 1.-The outlet can
not be far off
And then he looked to see if some
vague streak of light did not filter into
the darkness ahead. BY this time was
the night advanced enough for the dark
ness outside to have Lifted? Was the
lightning still flashing beyond the Brioo !?
If so, 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 nbso-
lutte darkness and roaring waters, of
which even the foam remained black
Suddenly there was terrific shock.
AT its forward end the tree had dashed
against an enormous pendant from the
roof AS it struck it completely turned
over. But Sandorf did not let go 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 channel to
the roof
THIS lasted for nearly o minute. San
dorf felt that he WIS lost. lnstinctively
he stopped breathing SO as to economize
the little dir that remained in his lungs.
Suddenly through the liquid mass,
although his eyes were closed, he
felt the impression of a 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 sub
terranean channel and was flowing in
the open. But whittier was it flowing
On what sea coast was It's mouth? That
was still the lnsoluble question: ques-
ton of life or death.
The trunk of the tree had foa ed to
the surface again Bathory by strong
effort was dragged up and took his place
Mt the end. Then Sandort looked before
him, around him, above him.
Up stream Il dark mass was being left
behind. This was the huge cliff o! the
Brico i'll 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 nepulm which
the eye can only just see on winters
night. Fro time to time few pale
lightning flashes lighted up the back
ground amid the dull roll of occasional
thunder. The storm was slowly going
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 is races and eddies.
But above their head now was the intin-