Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1893-12-02
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When had bought halfpeSny candle
and a box OF matches out OF the money
given me by Putty. the trembling OF my
knees and feeling of faintness reminded
me that | had eaten nothing all day, SO
bought a small loaf and some cold fish and
treated myself to cup OF coffee with my
last halfpenny The hot coffee set me up
wonderfully, and with revived energy re
turned to the yard and hiding the bar
under my dress sneaked back to the stairs
Then after another cautious look around,
finding the coast clear. slipped the stok
inc iron through the ventilator and fol
lowed 1t almost as swiftly
1t was a harder job than | expected to
move the 1agstone and get 1t out OF the
way But stuck to it, with the perspra'
tion running down my face. until. the SEN
sation of sickness seizing me again, had
to give over for time till had eaten my
loaf and regained strength At length,
having worked the stone aside. about q loot
out of its place. knelt down to feel If the
opening was large enough for me to pass
through flor had not lit the candle to DO
this work.. and then to my disrnay dis
covered that the too careful watchman had
filled the hole with rubbish Sinking
down on the ground, ! could have cried
appointment. but thinking of Taras des
peration overcame these sentiments. and
springing up on my knees tore at the rub
bish with my hands vehemently, like dog
in a warren, determined to reach Taras,
though had to dig my way to him through
the solid earth.
Happily the rubbish was loose and yield
ed readily to my hands, and still more hap
pily there were not above four or five feet
of il. or might never have got down to the
tub run with all my determination. An
empty box thrown down had got jammed
I'm the hole about third of the way down,
and below that the space was empty. New
ertheless it took me many hours to get the
rubbish out, having nothing to dig with
but my hands and nothing but my apron
to carry it up in when got down certain
distance, and then the box, which at first
b sight seemed to have been set there by the
hand of Providence, appeared after awhile
to have been wedged in by my worst enc
my. for it defied all my efforts to loosen it,
until my patience and strength were well
nigh exhausted, and then had to get to
the top and drag 1t out, which was even
|. more difficult. Ten o'clock struck before
this task was accomplished.
| had been compelled to light the candle
to get the box out, and there was now not
more than an inch left.
blew out the light and put the end in
nv pocket. could feel my way along the
tub run, and the light would be needful
when | got into the cellar of the Joy.
The were iron staples in the side OF the
shaft placed at intervals to serve as steps
! The descent was easy enough, but at the
bottom fresh obstacle presented itself |
! If tha Ia atx-nu IN
/ It would be impossible to get through the
run. that part of the shore being complete
ly under water at the flood.
! Dropping on my knees, | crawled for
/ ward. entering the first cask. The thick
ooze was high over my wrists. but still if
; they were all &lirly on the same level the
! passage was yet sufficiently open. The
ooze might simply be the earth that had
silted through in the course OF years left in
its present condition by receding tide
| But what il 1t was wet with the rising tides
| This question made me pause despite my
| impatient desire to 90 on. Ii the tide rose
before | could get Taras out OF the cellar,
all escape would beimpossible and hemmed
| in we should both be at the mercy of Drigo
and Putty On the other hand, il waited
! until the tide had risen and fallen again. IL
might be too late to save Taras.
| backed ont of the run. clambered into
the cellar and raising myself into the case
ment of the ventilator looked out The
water was certainly high, but whether it
was rising or falling could not tell. As
looked out a clock chmed the half hour
past TO- At II the Joy would be closed
Then anything might happen to Taras.
One thing was tolerably evident-the two
men would 20 down into the cellar, if only
to see if Taras was still alive. But they
might have, and probably had, made ar
rangements with the other man to take
him away from the Joy, in which case,
| if waited till the tide had risen and fallen,
should find the cellar empty when
! reached it.
This reflection and belief that the tide
was yet some distance below high water
mark decided me to make the attempt at
once and run the risk of being imprisoned
hy the tide. "At any rate" said to myself
Il shall be prisoner with him.
Without another moments hesitation
dropped down into the run, put my matches
and candle end in part of my dress whert
they were least likely TO get wetted, and
then crawled along the run through the
slush, which, to my satisfaction, l found
came nowhere above my elbows. When
| EcdCucu VIC SItIs EOoC " my ACSo,
and finding the irons in the wall mounted
up by them until my head struck the flag.
stone above, and here, knowing that
should need all my strength, paused for
minute to ,et breath. Then, bending my
head, rose another step, and setting my
shoulders against the flag strained every
muscle to straighten my body and push up
the stone.
For some time it resisted all my efforts
but at length the matted earth above Civ
Ing way it yielded slowly, and pushed il
up sufficiently far to get my head and shout
ders through the opening. But being now
stretched to my full length, and finding nc
iron to set my foot on and get fresh pur
chase, could go no farther and stopped
there, unable to get either up or down, the
heavy fiagstone pressing cruelty upon my
shoulders, scarcely able to breathe and feed
ing as if my poor chest bones would be
crushed in.
dared not cry for help. lest my voics
should be heard by the men above, and