The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-08-06
IN A HOLE.


with night coming on. / was endeav.
oring to find my way back.
Where and how far was from camp
] know not but with general idea
OF its direction l plodded over the
wild plain expecting every moment 70
strike the trail and get homo without
either trouble or danger.
The thoughts OF the good supper
and glad greeting would have from
my Jolly cowboy" companions
spurred me on. while the setting sun
warned me that l had no time to lose.
In spite OF my woodcraft and scout
ing skill and fearlessness in travelling
the wilderness alone l began to feel
apprehensive that was lost AT first
] only laughed at myself for thinking
so. but when mile after mile in the
deepening dusk brought no sign of
the anxiously looked for trail began
to realize that the smartest ranchman
sometimes can blunder in his reckon
ings
Still ! wouldn't admit yet I was
wrong and. fighting back the dismal
feeling OF lonesomeness a.>i peril that
oppressed me- continued to push on,
as fast as my tired legs would let me.
On ! went through the prairie grass
straining my eyes in the dusky gloom
striving to find the trail-suddenly
down. down tulnbled straight to the
bottom OF what seemed to be deep
we'll.
Stunned by my fall luckily broken
by the heap of soft rubbish / landed
on l must have lain for while un.
conscious
When recovered my senses all
was pitch blackness about me and
looking upwards | could see few
stars family glimmering from the
sky.
After pinching and examining my
body and thankfully finding that all
my bones were intact / struggled to
my feet and grouped around to dis.
cover il possible what sort Of place
] had gotten into.
The hole seemed circular and APP
parently five or six feet in diameter.
the sides felt like hard clay. and the
bottom was dry and thickly covered
with a long accumulation of leaves
and grasses
How doep l was down in the earth
/ could not tell but rightly guessed
the distance was some twenty feet
How the hole ever got there l
couldn't imagine. Maybe years ago
1t was dug in the hope OF striking
water for the cattle which belonged
to the discarded ranch.
At any rate tho hole was there and
] was in it The thing that puzzled
me the most was how to get out
AS nothing could be done in that
line till daylight and perhaps not
then laid me down and went to
sleep.
When l awoke after q refreshing
slumber the round spot OF bright blue
sky above mo seemed higher than l
ever knew it before.
AS needful preparation to escape
from my moro than likely grave l
made little fire with some dry stuff
and managed to cook one OF the three
birds had shot the day before On
that with few drops from my water
flask breakfasted.
Then / started my wits to work out
q plan OF deliverence.
l had with me my gun and plenty
OF cartridges pipe and tobacco Qn-
valuable in such position). small
Ratchet matches. hunting knife re-
volver. two birds and pint OF water;
also few yards OF rope
In the almost vain attempt OF being
heard determined to frequently fire
my gun and shout though knew the
sound would be deadened.
After shooting and hallooing several
times with no answer. OF course ex-
amined the texture OF the sides OF my
tomb. 1t was a very red clay and firm
enough to cut without crumbling. II
had some strong sticks-which
hadn't though l searched through
the heap of rubbish for them-I
might drive pegs in the side Of my
prison and maybe climb up on them.
Perhaps could chop spaces there to
answer the same purpose.
Taking the Ratchet l commenced to
do it und for awhile 1t appeared to
succeed. but after rising few feet in
that way gave it up.
Had the we'll been narrow so L could
brace myself by using my gun against
the opposite side | think ! should
have accomplished the feat
Then attempted shooting with a
light charge OF powder bullet from
my pistol to which / attached my
watch chain fastened to an end OF the
rope. thinking it might somehow
catch on bush outside and bear my
weight while / climbed on stepping
places should dig.
But that plan proved failure. too.
BY this time 1t was high noon and
the hot sun was shining for q few
moments straight to the bottom OF my
awful tomb
Like Gagged beast was becoming
furious In my vain efforts to gain
liberty and the harder tried the
more difficult grew the task.
kept firing my gun and calling for
help. for now 1t seemed that that was
my only chance for life.
The afternoon passed slowly away
and night appeared again and des-
pairing. but not giving up hope l ate
my last bird drank nearly my last
drop of winter. and managed to fall