Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1893-01-27

exactly what they were at, and though
we retired into the drift again, we had
but little hope. There was enough soil
and rock to ill tho ravine ten feet deep,
and of course we should be blocked in.
There were crevices in the ovcrhang.
Into some they drove wedges and into
others they put powder, and at about 1
o'clock the whole mass came tumbling
into the ravine with mighty crash. In
an instant all light was shut out, and
both Of us felt that it was good by to the
world. The rush OF air had blown out
our candle, and we sat there in the awful
darkness for quarter of an hour before
either spoke. had expected the fall to
shut off the air, and finding that it did
not do so 1 relighted the candle and
crept to the opening. 1t was not blocked
by a rock, as feared would be the case,
but by brush and dirt, and there was
enough air coming in to flare the light.
There was something hopeful in that,
and yet we were in bad fix. We had
each slaked our thirst from the water
dripping down the rocks before entering
the drift, but there was none to be had
inside. Our provisions consisted only Of
-four and raw pork, and we had from
eight to ten feet to go to get to the sur
face of the debris. We had pick and
shovel, but the drawbacks were so
serious that it was hours before we set
to work in earnest.
Our drift was hole not much larger
than a -four barrel. While one worked
at the mouth Of it the other had to pull
back the dirt. The Indians had dragged
up lot Of logs and limbs and piled
them on the overhang before blasting
it off. Almost the first thing we came
upon was the trunk of green tree the
size of telegraph pole. We had to cut
through it with our knives, and the
work was painfully slow. Thomas had
a watch, and go we kept track of the
passage Of time. We worked until 10
o'clock at night, and then went to sleep
without daring to eat mouthful. The
dry -four or the salt pork would but have
added to the thirst which was already
parching our threats. At o'clock
next morning we began work again. It
was high noon before we got through
the log. Then came rock aud dirt and
small limbs. The rocks were Fortunate
ly small enough to be rolled into the
drift, an6 the other refuse had to be
stored there as we'll. We did not suffer
in the slightest for fresh air, but by
night of the second day hunger and
thirst had used us up. We had simply
made beginning toward escape. It
was all we could do to restrain ourselves
from eating the pork, and we had d.
vided candle and begun nibbling at it
when something happened to brighten
and overjoy us at the same time. Water
appeared at the bottom of the raviue,
coming from the north end. It was lit
tie better than liquid mud, but it
quenched our thirst. It began to flow
faster and faster, and also to drop down
from above, and pretty soon we con-
Guided that it was raining outside.
1t had not only been raining all the
afternoon, as we subsequently ascer-
tanned, but toward night there was some
thing like cloudburst. Our ravine was
a natural drain from the high ground at
the north to bit of valley at the south.
It being INSTRUCTED, the water damned
back until it was several feet deep over
five acres of ground. As soon as it
began running along the bottom we sus-
pected what might happen, and got
into the drift and blocked up the drift
as we'll as possible. At about 9 o'clock
in the evening after the dirt had been
loosened up, the dam gave way with
great crash, and the waters poured
through the ravine like a millrace. It
was deep enough to food into our drift
until it was up to our ears, and for ten
minutes we expected to be drowned like
rats in hole. When we could crawl
out into the ravine we found a foot of
water running through it, as it was still
raining, but the rush had cleared it OF
everything which had fallen from above.
Rocks weighing half a ton had been
rolled into the valley like pebbles.
We did not leave our shelter till
morning, and then it was to find the
Indians gone. No doubt they felt sure
they had put an end to us, and but for
the cloudburst we should have left our
bones there. We got away TO Austin and
offered our mine fo- a thousand dollars
five hundred-one hundred. No one
wanted it at any price. Years after,
when rediscovered and properly entered,
it sold first for SIS, 900, then for SIS
900, then for $50, 900, then for S125,-
900, and three months later an offer Of
half a million was refused. We saved
our scalps, but the wealth was left for
others.-New York Sun.