Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-07-15
Then / started my wits to work out

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 I 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. I ex-
amined the texture of the sides of my
tomb. 1t was a very red clay and firm
enough to cut without crum bling. If
had some strong sticKs-which l
hadn't though I 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 l could chop spaces there to
answer the same purpose.
Taking the Ratchet 1 commenced to
do it. and for awhile it appeared to
succeed. but after rising few feet in
that way I gave it up.
Had the we'll been narrow so l could
brace myself by using my gun against
the opposite side I think l should
have accomplished the feat
Then I attempted shooting with a
light charge of powder a bullet from
my pistol to which l 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 Oh stepping
places should dig.
But that plan proved a failure too.
By this time it was high noon and
the hot sun was shining for 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 I tried the
more difficult grew the task.
kept firing my gun and calling for
help for now it seemed that that was
my only chance for life.
The afternoon passed slowly away
and night appeared again, and dos
pairing. but not giving up hope, | ate
my last bird, drank nearly my last
drop Of water and managed to fall
asleep
1t came morning at last. had my
| gun raised to fire signal when l
detected a something alive peerin g
from the ground above me into tn e
| hole.
| Could it be human beingP Even
an Indian in his war paint and GER
tain to scalp me l should have hailed
with 10y.
The OBJ 'ect showed itself again
plainly. 1t was the head of wolf
Taking quick aim fired and hit
it squarely. With howl of pain the
wounded brute plunged forward and
into the hole. landing on my
| shoulders.
In a moment it recovered from its
surprise and before l could draw my
pistol it was crouching to leap upon
me. Ratchet in hand l nnet its on
slaught AS it jumped with bleeding,
open mouth ducked my head and be-
| fore it could turn lucky blow buried
the blade in its skull and finished it.
| Now with its flesh to eat and its
blood to drink could exist for week.
at least and if help came in the mean
time | wouldn't perish.
For three long. weary days and
nights | lived Oh my providential sup
| ply OF wolf meat. firing my gun and
yelling till my voice gave out but all
| for naught.
On the fourth day | completely de-
| SPARED of assistance from outside and
resolved to make a last struggle to
get out of my horrible living tomb.
| While frantically chopped with my
Ratchet at the sides of the hole trying
to heap up dirt enough to rise on even
though | undermined and brought the
earth to bury me. | remembered a
picture of the tower of Babel that l
had seen in the big. family Bible at
| home.
| 1t had spiral road running around
its outside on which the workers
assembled as the tower was growing.
| Why couldn't cut out a similar
path on the inside of my underground.
turnedover tower?
With glad shout Of JOY and won.
dering why the idea hadn't come be.
| fore. | commenced at once the cork
screw road. Starting as high as |
could conveniently work cut into the
hard. clay wall OF the we'll until l had
dug out d space big enough to hold
me. BY shelving the roof of the ex-
cavation and curving it to the back
part Of it's eighteen inch wide floor |
prevented the earth from caving.
| laid out this open. half tunnel to
ascend on rather steep grade so its
winding road bed would be sufficient
| ly supported. and after some hours
hard and careful work. | finished the
first circle and found that my ongi-
neering calculations promised to be
| successful providing the earth as it
neared the surface would keep from
crumbling.
| Not daring to continue digging as
evening and darkness came. / lightly
crawled back to the bottom of my
| prison. ate some more wolf meat and
went to sleep with hope renewed and
comparatively happy.
Bright and early in the welcome
morning l began my toll for deliver
ance. The higher dug my way the
more hazardous it be came. l almost
feared to go ahead for knew that a
break now would be fatal to my only
chance of escape from horrible
death. When night once more caused
me to stop / was within about six
feet Of the end of my agony or-alas
| Il might be only at its beginning.
Tie awful uncertainty Of being SO
uoor opd vat an fap from life and the