The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-23

| of the stars shining through the trap-dOor.
| / stood under this, gazing wisfuly into the
| heavens so hign above me. After time
| my eyes grew heavy, my head fell forward
| on my breast. and, strange as 1t may appear,
| / dropped into a gentle dOZe.
| l was awakened by slight breeze fan
| ming my cheeks. | opened mp eyes dream
| lily. Overhead / could hear deep, rumb-
| ling, grating sound; something was gong uD
| and down, up and down, ike a monstrouS
| churn IN motion.
| "What can that be?" was my ejaculation.
! l was not left long in suspense. A per
! feet deluge of the coolest kind Of water
/ came pouring dOWn, dTenchlng me 10 the
/ skin. giving NE a regular shower bath.
| The stream continued vii hOut abatement,
! ana l soon recovered sufficiently from my
! mOmentary confusion and aStOnlshment 10
move cut Of the way. No one should say
| that l ala not know enough to come IN when
/ il raiued.
As yet I was hardly awake. I stood
/ Stupidly staring at the supply pipe, which
/ was pouring forth the water a a great rate.
| Then the solution Of the problem flashed
! through my bralE-Ihe windmill was
pumping.
/ was too startled at first to realize my
! peril; but quickly 1t dawned upon me that
| the water was using fast, and that If l aid
! not escape or rel Ell did not come IN t-W
/ hours at the most l should be drowned like
/ rat IN a trap.
thrust my hand into my trousers pocket
and pulled out my knife. The large blade
! was open in a second and | was at work
| with all MY might trying TO dig hole
through the de Of the tank. quickly saw
that my task was hopeless. he wood was
soft, but the planks were thick. and II
would De hours before l could produce the
smallest opening.
l must have something to occupy my at
/ tenti0n. else | should 20 wild. So l dug on
/ until broke my blade off short.
dropped the useless knife into the tank;
it sank with a dull splash. l felt the water
slowly creeping upward. ! calculated that
l had about al hour aud a half Of life left
me-
The water reached my waist. I threw
myself agalnStthe walls of my prison, shout
Ing for help, but none came. The sound OF
my voice echoed again and again in my ears
1T reached no others. 1 thought The reYer-
beratlUnS would never cease. 1t seemed to
me that the whole world must have heard
that despairing cry.
listened, every nerve strained TO catch
some eChOiug shout. But the only sounds
that broke the stiffness were the splash,
splash, splash OF falling water, and the
heavy noise Of that great pump working
overhead
My past life came up before me as in a
dream. L could see my muthtr-my good
mother-as plainly with my MAIDS eve as l
had ever seen her with the flush of life upon
her cheek Should we soon meet in heaven?
The water was up TO my neck. L Oh, how
icy cold Is was. In another moment it
would be at MY mouth. turned and furi-
0usly beat upon my prison walls. What
madness My hands fell neryeless 20 my
sides They struck upon something hard
in either pocket of my coat / thrust them
in almost UuCousciOus.y and drew forth the
hammer ana the chiSel!
! uttered cry OF delight aud began to
Chlsel away for dear life under water. In
no time l had hacked from the soft wood
two rude steps. / formed another Just
above the surface of the water another still
hi-heT, and another as high as l could
reach. ! dropped nay tools and, by the d
OF nails and hands managed to draw myself
up, step by step, until l could grasp the edge
Of lie tTap-d0ur. Thus much accomplished
IL was an easy matter 10 lit myself out. l
fell. painting and trembling in every limb
upon the rough board covering OF the tank.
Mr.. Eiler had not heard my shouts for the
simple reason that he had been called 10y
business into Fresno The men slept in q
house too far distant from the windmill for
my cries to reach them.
had pretty thorough scare, ii must be
confessed; So thorough, indeed that ! have
ceased forever 10 emulate Don QuiX0te IN
any more adventures with windmill.