The Portland daily press., 1892-10-21

fOunu bHo Wauol 0pout our n6CKS DIS We
stopped to pass along. I was in the
lead. and though I set telling pace
bud in his fright managed to keep up.
Those few hundred yards seemed in
Vulnerable miles, with the floods swell
aag behind us and the ominous roar
overhead gathering volume. Now and
then one Of our candles would go out.
and we were forced to stop and relight
it from the one that still burned, as our
matches were all wet and useless. Al
last I stood in the chamber next the
fatal barrier.
What a moment OF suspense, of dread,
I suffered while waiting for bud to
come up! / hastily scanned the walls of
this the highest ceiling available, and
my heart sank as I saw.the unmistak-
able signs of overflow on every side and
overhead. bud soon Joined me, mud
begrimed and painting. He looked the,
fend incarnate dragging himself forth
from his home of ooze and filth. But ]
did not laugh as my terrified gaze rested
on his pale and troubled face, you may
be sure. | remember feeling a great
p1UV IOT Hill, IlOWOfCI.
Tremblingly we advanced few rods
and came upon the wall, but, 10, no exit
was visible! Now it was concealed by
small pool with swift maelstrom that
swallowed, with evident gusto, those bits
Of wood and leaf which came near it's
hungry gullet. Weak and overcome
with excitement, we sat down on little
knoll, and with the protruding eyes of
doomed men watched the steady up
crawling of the stream, so different from
the song whispering brook Of an hour ago.
The awful silence was oppressive, while
the heavy darkness gathered on every
side as if to extinguish our feeble lights.
Both of our heads were hatless, and a
small stream of crimson trickled from
buds forehead wound that he had
received from a jutting rock or some
obstacle overhead.
The situation was terrifying.
was almost certain that death was
inevitable, but singularly enough my
whole attention was conferred on my
miserable companion. | gazed steadily
at him, wondering what his thoughts
must be, and if all his past life was hur-
rying before him in review, as had
often heard it said mems lives would do
when death seemed inevitable. Silently
and steadily, like some great yellow ser
pent, the brook crawled into the mar
row chamber and coiled fold on fold
We had already moved back to higher
ground once, and now it was inching up
about our feet again. Our heads were
against the highest part of the rock
roof, so it would be better to keep our
places than to move back to a more
trying position which would be no safer.
Tony dying day shall never forget
the feelings that crept over me at the
water stole up along my body cold and
Shiny. It seemed that was being grad
ually swallowed by some foul mon
ster The submerged portions of my
body seemed severed from the trunk,
while sure death enveloped me. A SEN
sation of insufferable closeness almost
choked me, while the very helplessness
of the situation added thousand terrors.
Dudley sat as one in a profound stu
por, one hand grasping the two inches
Of tallow yet left, his other scraping pit
eously along the rough wall, as though
seeking an exit for its petrified owner.
For my part | became strangely quiet
after time, while a sense of indiffer-
ence possessed me. A sort of resigna-
tion to the inevitable, I suppose, for the
floods continued to press upward. Our
shoulders were now just above the
waters, while my hand grew so weary
of holding the candle that it seemed as
if about to sink below the surface de-
spite my every effort.
Neither Of us had spoken for some
time, when Dudley suddenly turned to
me. IT can't stand it any longer" he
said simply. "Tell them goodby at home
for me if you ever get out, and he rose
as if to launch himself forward. I saw
his object at once and reached out to
grasp him. ssHold on, Dud," I said; 81
don't believe it is going to get any high.
err" "It doesn't make any difference"
he repeated. eve both can't live long
in this small space anyhow" and he
sank from view. I felt him touch ME
as he rolled over, and clutched at his
body to lift him to the surface, but it
escaped my grasp and succession of
bubbles told me that further effort was
useless-he was drowned. His candle
had of course gone with him, and
questioned whether it would not be best
for me to extinguish my own, since it
was fast exhausting the oxygen that
was an absolute necessity to my life.
But could not decide to snuff out that
feeble light. Itwas almost like life itself.
I cannot describe to you my feelings
as / sat hundred feet underground,
with only breathing space of five or
six feet about my head, the water at my
chin and the cold form of my dead
companion at my feet. It seemed as if
this mental torture lasted for hours,
when, 10, great joy seized me-the food
had ceased to rise. But its abatement
must be far swifter or would perish mis-
erably from mere exhaustion. In half
an hour the water sank so low that |
managed to get under the rock, and
with loudly beating heart saw once
more the bright, sweet light Of day. 1t
,.,.s o1,o11t a o'clock in tho afternoon