News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-03
SAVED BY A BIRD.

The old Bottsford Mine had proved q
failure not, however, until somo eight
cen or twenty thousand dollars were ex-
pended on it. Now the deserted shaft,
800 feet deep, and long tunnel in
BottsfOr1 Mountain, were the only
visible signs of what had been done.
Newman Higborn, while crossing this
very mountain, strayed away from the
rest of his party, wandered in the di-
rection of the deserted shaft, and, before
he discovered it was too late, had tripped
and fallen into the terrible pit. His
walking stick, catching here and there
against the jagged sides, helped lessen
the speed, but down, down, down he
went, and struck the bottom, bruised,
-Jut alive.
While smarting with pain, feeling
of thankfulness came over him for the
preservation of his life. After all,
thought he, there is no good in it down
300 feet in the earth. He had only
been saved to die of starvation.
All through the long night he tried to
conjecture some possible way to got ont,
but nothing could be thought of. He
must simply stay there, aud die.
The next morning, after devouring a
bakers loaf, which, fortunately, he had
in his pocket, he waited. His room was
only n few feet across, and all the curl
osiLies there he soon examined as we'll
IS he could, by the faint light of few
matches.
Higborn was not one to be discour-
aged under ordinary circumstances, but
now the terrible situation that he was in
was gradually making strong impress
sion on him. The more he thought about
il the more it unnamed him.
He was getting thirsty; no water was
in the place-not even the drops that so
frequently trickle down the sides of just
such places.
The day went on. Night came. Weak
and hungry, he laid down, and fell into
a deep sleep. He dreamed about the
"Woolen Stocking" over and over
again.
1t was an old story that he had read
very many times in childhood, about
the workman af England who was left
alone on the top of high chimney, aft
er the scaffOlding had been taken down :;
and ne unraveled his stocking and let
to the ground the tiny thread, by which
by which he was able to pull up strong
string, and by that a small rope, and
finally a rope strong enough for him to
slide down on; so the story went, and so
went his dream. He awoke,
Why should he have such a dream2
He had known that story by heart SO
long. Eo wasn't on the top of q chin
ney; down in the earth was quite diff
erent thing. While he was musing over
this curious story and dream, swallow
futtered down the shaft, and dropped
at his side. The poor bird was fright
ened but not dead.
Suddenly thought possessed New
man Higborn, and he put the swallow
under his hat. Eager, weak, ray of
hope. He tore off his shoes and stock
ings, which he carefully unraveled,
making a-circular pile of the threads
which would not snarl
He worked eagerly yet patiently, un-
til both stockings formed one long
thread. This he care'ully-how very
carefully tied to the birds tail feath-
ers, and put the bird under the hat once
more; then, taking his pencil, he wrote
on bit of paper, by the light of matches:
81 am starving at the bottom of the shaft
on Bot sfCrd Mountain. pray you send belD.
''NEwMNN HIGBORN."
Then, folding it up, and tying it care
fully ON the other end of the string, he
set the bird at liberty. It futtered
about his head moment, and then went
slowly up.
Now a faint, glad hope stole into his
heart; it grew stronger as the bird still
ascended. Yes-noble little swallow
the string was growing less every mo-
ment. Perhaps a life hung by that
thread. The bird disappeared out of
the mouth above.
How many chances, after all, had hel
He shuddered when he thought how
slight they were. Should the bird go
to the right or to the left after reaching
open air. how easily, by the friction on
the shafts outer edge, would the thread
be worn off.
Little Birdie found, after getting ont,
that it was harder to fly one side, and
80 sailed high up into the air.
Highborn could now see it again, the
sun shining brightly on its wings; he
knew it must be far above the surface.
The party of three, with which Hig-
born started, had missed him some time,
and now were giving anxious search.
They had passed and repassed the old
shaft, and it had not occurred to them
that he might have fallen in there.
They had looked down into it once, out
of mere curiosity, but saw only black
ness below. AS they were discussing
what should be done next, one said:
"What is that by you, Fits? ?"
"Where :"
"There, not three feet to your right;
a string, yarn, or something. Why, it
lays long way to the bushes"
"Pull it" said Sam Higborn, New
mans brother.
IN