Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-02-01

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Suddenly there was terrific shock.
A; 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 filed tie channel to
the roof.
This lasted for nearly a minute. San
dorf 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,
although his eyes were closed, he
felt the impression 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 SUBJ
terranean channel and was flowing in
the open. But whittier was it flowing?
On what sea coast was its mouth? That
was still the insoluble question: ques-
ton of life or death.
The trunk of the tree had foated 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 a dark mass was being left
behind. This was the huge cliff OF the
Brico In which the underground channel
opened which gave passage to the waters
OF the Folba Day was already showing
itself by the scattered streaks of light
overhead, vague as the nebule which
the eye can only just see on winters
night From time to time q few pale
lightning flashes lighted up the pack
ground and the dull roll OF occasional
thunder. The storm was slowly going
or else dying away.
To the right, to the left. Sandorf threw
aglance 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 infin-
lite, 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 wordl
saved, when he did not even know
where the river ended or what country
1t traversed or when they would be able
to abandon their raft? Such, however,
was his energy that he sat upright on
the tree and three times shouted aloud:
"Saved Saved! Saved :"
Who could hear him? No one on
these rocky cliffs whose boulders and
schists had not mold enough to bear
even a bramble. The country hidden
by the high banks would be sought by
no human being-a desolate country
through which the Foiba runs imprisoned
like an artificial canal between its rocky
walls. Not brook flows in to feed it.
Not bird skins its surface, not even O
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 deep ravine.
The only danger now was lest the tree
should be hurled on the rocks. It
avoided them of itself rs it kept in the
Is 4 =
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. "Is that a
gun announcing that harbor is open ?
If so we cannot be far from the sea,
What port can it be? Triestes No, for
there is the east, where the sun is rising.
Can it be Pola at the extreme south of
lstria 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 Z"
He might fear so. Assuredly the
authorities would neglect nothing to
keep the fugitives from getting away
from the coast
Heaven helpus - 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 a 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 chartered.
Toward five o'clock the cliffs had given
place to long low banks, and the country
on each side was fat and naked. The
Foiba had widened to about half a mile.
and become a stretch of stagnant water
which might be called lagoon, if not a
lake. In The distance towards the west
there were a 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
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