Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1892-07-22
MisCellanenMs.
IN A HOLE.

LIN "A HOLE.
: | had been away from the ranch since
daybreak on solitary hunting expedi.
ton for small game, and now, with night
coming on, was endeavoring to find
my way back
Where and how far | was from camp
! knew not, but with general idea Of
its direction, | plodded over the wild
plain. expecting every moment to strike
the trail and get home without either
trouble or danger.
The thoughts of the good supper and
glad greeting | would have from my
Jolly cowboy" companions spurrod me
on while the setting sun warned me that
had no time to lose.
In spite of my wooicraft and scouting
skill and fearlessness in travelling the
Slderness alone began to feel appro-
lensive that | was lost At first | only
Imghed at myself for thinking so, but
Eion mile after mile in the deepening
dusk brought no sign of anxiously looked
for trail began to realize that the smart
est ranchman sometimes can bunder in
his reckonings.
Still wouldn't admit vet | was
wong and, fighting back the dismal
cling of lonesomeness and peril thar
qpressed me, | continued to push on as
i'd as my tired legs would let me.
IN went through the prairie grass,
shining my eyes in the dusky gloom
swing to find the trail-suddenly
M, down tumbled straight 10 tho
TEN of what seemed tc be deep
II.
'tunncd by my fall, luckily broken
~ the heap Of soft rubbish landed on,
( must havsfaln for while unconscious.
When recovered my sepses all was
piteh 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 CROPPED around to discover if
possible what sort of place had got
ten into.
The hole seemed circular and appar-
emily FIVE or six feet in diameter. The
sides felt like hard clay, and tho bottom
was dry and thickly covered with long
accumulation of lie YES and grasses
How deep | was down in the earth
could not tell, but rightly guessed tho
distance was some twenty feet.
How the hole ever got there couldn't
imagine Maybe years ago it was dug
in the hope of striking water for the
cattle which belonged to the discarded
ranch.
At any rate the hole was there and |
was in it. The thing that puzzled me
the most was how TO got out.
AS nothing could be done in that line
till daylight, aud perhaps not then,
laid me down and went to sleep.
When awoko after u refreshing slum-
Der the round of bright, blue sky above
me seemed higher than over knew il
before.
As needful preparation to escape
from my more than likely grave, made
littlo fire with some Of the dry stuff
and managed to cook one of the three
birds | had shot tho day before. On
that with few drops from my water
flask | breakfasted.
Then / started my wits to work out
plan of delivarcnco.
had with me my gun and plenty of
cartridges, pipe and tobacco, small
Ratchet, matches, hunting knife, re-
yoIver also few yards Of rope.
In tho most vain hope Of being heard
I determined 10 frequently fire my gun
and shout. though / knew the sounds
would DO deadeDed
After shooting and hallooing several
times with no answer of course. | OK
AHMED the texture of the sides of nv
tomb. It was rcd clay and firm enough
to cut without crumbling. If had some
strong sticks-ybich hadn't though
| searched through the heap of rubbish
for them Il might drive pegs in the