Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-10-18


Il from tie oas rl1At szn burned. as oar
matches were al wet and useless. AZ
last l stood u the chamber next shs
faEal barrier.
" hat a moment Of suspense, Of dread,
! suffered while waiting for Dad %
come npi l hastily scanned the walls q
this the highest ceiling available. and
my hsart SANK as l saw Ihs uEl1.staz-
aole sigma OF overflow Oh every side and
overhead. bud soon joined me, mud
begrimed and painting. he looked the
hend incarRats dragging himself forth
from hi- home OF oozs and nlta. but !
dld not laugh al my terrified gaze rested
on bis pals and troubled face, Jon may
DC sure / remember feeling great
pity for hiIn. however
Tremblngly We advanced few rods
a1d came upon ths wall. but, 10. no exit
Wa visible. NOW It was concealed by
a small pool with a swift maelstrOm that
swallowed. with evident gusto, those bits
of wood and leaf which came near lis
hungry gullet. Weak and overcome
with excitement, we sat down on little
knoll. and with the protruding eyes If
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 az II 20 extinguish our feeble lights.
Both OF our heads were hatless. and a
small stream Of crimson trickled from
Dntfa Tl.r-.ha.1 .srrtsrA k.r hn hu
received from "A juttins 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 II ali his past life was hur-
rying before him in review, rs | had
often heard il said mems lives would do
when death seemed inevitable. Silently
and steadily. hike 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 II was inching up
4DHAt our lCCb ouE were
against the highest part Of the rock
roof, 50 it would be better TO keep our
places than TO move back TO a more
trying position which would be no safer.
To my dying day shall never forget
the feelings that crept over me at the
water stole up along my body cold and
Shiny. Ii seemed that l 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 n 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 petriied owner.
For my part ! became strangely quiet
after time, while q sense Of indifter-
encs possessed me. A sort Of resigna-
ton b the inevitable. 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 il seemed as
| II 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. IL can't stand it any longer he
said simply. Tell them goodby at home
for me il you ever get out" and he rose
az if to launch himself forward. saw
his object at once and reached oct to
grasp him. "Hold on, Dud," said; al
don't believe II is going 10 get any high
err" lit doesn't mako any difference"
he repeated. 1--WE both can't live long
In this small space anyhow" and he
sank from view. felt him touch me-
"a he rolled over, and clutched at his
| body to lift him TO the surface. but IL
escaped my grasp and succession OF
| bubbles told me that further effort was
| rseiess-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 il
was fast exhausting the oxygen that
was an absolute necessity TO my life.
But could not decide TO snuff out that
feeble light. 1t was almost like life itself.
| cannot describe TO you my feelings
rs | 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. 1t seemed as il
this mental torture lasted for hours.
when. 10, great JOY seized me-the food
had ceased 10 rise. But its abatement
must be far swifter or I would perish mis-
1 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. II
was about I o'clock in the afternoon.
and | found that tremendous rain had
fallen. which accounted for the torrent
in the cave.
| hurried OF 10 the village as fast az
my stiff limbs could carry me and told
my story. a score Of men went back
with me aud recovered the body of my
comrsde.
In that fearful race for life he had
saved mine at the cost Of his owu.-A.
b. n. in Short Stories.
IL Protection Responsible for Chclers'