Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-09-30
A MOUSE IN A JUG.

A MOUSE IN A JUG.
| Sol you want to know how happen to be
SO bald when 1 am still a young man. It
is not long story, but never like to tell
it; in fact, have never told it but once in
all these years. Yes, you may write it out
| if you wish; it is not that dislike to have
people know it, but that it is painful for
me to recall that terrible hour. This is the
story:
In the spring of 1875 brother Fred and l
broke away from the old homestead and
went west to make our fortunes. After
drifting about for some time, we found
ourselves ON the banks of stream in
southern Kansas called the Medicine river
Here we found rich land, plenty of timber,
| little danger from Indians, and it seemed
likely that we should be directly in the
path of railroad which was slowly ex-
tending westward. This was what we had
been seeking, SO without more ado we
staked off two adjoining quarter sections
and began the term of our residence"
We erected double shanty on the line
between our claims, so that we lived to-
gether and yet each was on his own land.
Other men seeking homes soon came, many
bringing their families, and before long
/ we had several near neighbors. Better
houses than dugouts and sod shanties be-
gan to be in demand, and as Fred and I
were handy with tools we soon had plenty
of work.
Among the cliffs in our vicinity were
vast quantities of gypsum rock, which,
when burned in a kiln, is finer and better
I for plaster than lime. Our supply of gyp-
@oI
Dor called on us to build house for him.
Thus it was that while Fred went to see
about the timbers he sent me to find a fresh
deposit of gypsum, and if possible one
more easily got at than an any we lad yet
found.
Combining pleasure with business,
took my rifle, and having easily found the
deposit of gypsum 1 sought I determined
to explore the hills to the southwark more
thoroughly than l had yet done. All day
tramped through the woods and over the
hills, enjoying the early summer weather
and learning much of the surrounding
country.
Late in the evening I found myself in a
part of the country where had never been
before, and several miles from home. l
climbed slight eminence to take an out
look and determine the easiest way home.
Tired with my days tramp and heated by
| the exertion of climbing l sat down TO
| rest. While was resting became deeply
| interested in the antics of small cloud
| in the southwest. Though the air about
me was perfectly calm the cloud was MS
ing and falling, writhing and twisting, as
if in great pain. Suddenly other little
patches of cloud came skurrying up, ap-
pacently bent on finding the cause of so
much disturbance.
''That fellow has the colic," said to
myself, land these are the doctors"
The fancy tickled me exceedingly. APP
parently it was very bad fit of collie, for
the little cloud soon swelled to enormous
proportions and grew very black in the
face.
sThey'll have to bleed him or he'll have
fit" chuckled.
This went on for some minutes, the
cloud growing bigger and blacker, till the
| lightning began to flash back and forth
and awoke to the fact that terrible
storm was rapidly bearing down upon the
very spot where I sat. It also dawned
upon me that had been watching the
formation of a genuine cyclone, or "twist-
err" as we called it, and had acted very
foolishly in not seeking shelter before.
A huge oak stood on the hill near me,
but knew too well the danger incurred
by seeking shelter under it. A hundred
yards down the slope to the east was an
immense bowlder, behind which hastily
concluded to crouch if nothing better
offered. Down the hill dashed, hearing
| in the distance the dull crashing of the
storm. Nearly at the foot of the hill lay
the rock, close by a little gully. On
rounding it I was agreeably surprised to
I find hole in the rocky ground large
enough to admit my body. l knelt and
J peered in. 1t seemed to be cave some
| ten or twelve feet deep, but I could see
little of the interior. 1t would afford me
| shelter from the storm-but suppose
should find in it a bear OF mountain lion!
A sudden darkening of the air and a
deafening crash from the timber on the
other side of the hill decided me. Even a
mountain lion was better than cyclone,
so gently lowered myself, feet first The
hole by which I entered was in the roof of
the cave near the east side. The wall I
found to be rugged and slightly sloping,
SO that / climbed to the floor without acct
dent. There was also circular hole in the
center of the roof which answered the pur-
pose of a skylight, though only about two
feet in diameter.
This was all 1 had time to notice when
the storm broke in awful fury There was
a terrible roar as the wind swept over the
openings; then there was heavy jar and
the cave grew suddenly dark. Looking up
to note the cause I was horror struck. A
single glance showed me that l had found
something worse than mountain lions.
The oak on top of the hill had been torn
| = Id clio he
bowlder, which it had rolled over the hole.
thus imprisoning me.
Hastily l climbed up the sloping wall
and strove to roll the stone away, though
knew well that dozen men could not
| stir it. All in vain. Daniel in the lions
den was not lore securely Gagged than |.
His cave was sealed with the seal of King
Darius, while mine bore the seal of the
storm king.
Giddy and sick at heart climbed down
to the floor and looked up at the skylight.
Part of the tree lay across the hole and a
limb hung temptingly inside as if to taunt
me with an offer of help that was several
feet beyond my grasp. was mouse in
a jug.
As stood there gazing wistfully at the
mouth of my jug, my ear caught the sound
of running water, hurried to examine this
new feature, remembering that had not
yet explored my cell. 1t was quickly done.
I was in cave about twelve feet each
way, with neither stick nor stone to build
scaffold to raise me to the opening in the
roof. A goodly stream of muddy water
was pouring in at the side of the cave next
to the little gully which had noticed.
found crevice in the rock by which thu
water entered, but it was not nearly large
enough to allow me to escape.
The wind had died away as suddenly a:
1t had arisen, and rain was pouring in tor
rents, Soon 7 noticed that the water was
coming In much more rapidly than it went
out. Here was a new horror. Not only
was mouse in Jug, but some one was
pouring water into the jug.