Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-11-17

it would he impossible TO get through the
run. that Part uf the shore being complete
j. uuivr water at the flood.
DrDpIir. uu my kuvcs, crawlvl for
ward. entering the first ,a~h. The thick
ooZc WAS h;-h over my wrists, but still if
they were ali fairly on the same level the
passage was Yet sufficiently open. The
oozc might simply be the earth that had
silted through III the course OF Years left in
It's present condition 10y Ii receding tide
But what if it WIS Wet with the rising tide,
This question made me pause despite my
I impatient GeSlrc to 20 On II the tide rose
/ Lciore | could yet Tar;ls out If the cellar
! all escape would e!mpos,ibie, and hemmed
! in we should both be at the mercy of Drigo
/ and Putty. On the other hand, if l waited
/ until the tide had risen and fallen again, it
might be too late to save Taras.
/ backed out Of the run, cialnbered into
/ the cellar and raising myself into the case
meut Of TIE ye..tilator looked out. The
water WAS certainly high, but whether it
was rising or falling ! could not tell. As
/ looked out clock chimed the half hour
past 10 At II the Joy would be closed
Then anything might happen to Taras
One thing was tolerably evident-the two
men would go down into the cellar, if only
to see il Taras was still alive. But they
might h;,ve, AZ! pr badly had, made 1T
engagements with tac 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
by the tide. AT any rate" said TO myself,
Il shall be a prisoner with him"
Without another moments hesitation
dropped down into the run, put my matches
and candle end in a part of my dress where
they We're least likely TO get wetted, and
| then crawled aiong the run through the
slush, which, to my satisfaction, l found
came nowhere above my elbows. When !
reached the farther end, | rose to my feet,
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
q minute to get 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 it
up sufficiently far to get my head and shout
ders through the opening But being now
stretched to my full length. and finding no
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 fagstone pressing cruelty upon my
shoulders, scarcely able to breathe and feel
ing as il my poor chest bones would be
crushed in.
dared not cry for help. lest my voice
should be heard by the men above and l
could only hang there gasping for breath
and despairing Of release. Indeed l think
must soon have tainted under the dread
full pressure, but that Taras, having lis
tened to these inexplicable sounds in the
ground in passive perplexity for some time,
hearing the faint moan that escaped me
when felt that it was all over with me,
CROPPED forward, and finding the opening
set his foot uI,aer the stone and thrust it
right back with one strong effort.
My sense of relief was indescribable In a
moment l had scrambled onto the floor of
the cellar. l struck a match, and raising
1t my eager eyes fell upon the great figure
and noble face of Taras He did not rec
ognize me at first. and the look Of astonish-
ment in his countenance was curious to
see. And no wonder. From head to foot
was drabbled and daubed with black ooze
and dirt. Icould have looked like nothing
human rising out of the earth and thus dis
figured. But he knew me by the time had
lit the candle He murmured some unin-
telligible words of gratitude. and his eyes
were suffused with the tears that sprang
from his sensitive heart.
mo time for jawin about that" said l,
interrupting him. We've got to get out
Of this aforc Putty comes down and the
tide comes up"
He turned round and showed me that his
hands were tied behind him. The hemp
was black with the dried blood from his
wrists. The sight Of it filed me with rage
against the villains who had used him SC
barbarously.
There's knife In my waistcoat pocket. |"
he said.
found 1t and cut the knotted rope, but
It was some time before he could use his
numbed banda At length life returned tc
them. And all the time we stood there
knew that the water might be rising in thd
run to prevent our escape, yet l was uncon
scious Of alarm or fear or even Of impa
tience was with him