Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-03-09
Lost ON Dhu-COrrig.
BY sTANDIsH 0'GRADY
copyright, 1854, by American Press Associa-
CHAPTER Xxx.

-
One night about three weeks after my
entombment, as l sat beside the fire
thinking mournfulIy Of home and what
they were all doing there now,
thought. after looking at my watch,
that this was Charley's bed hour, and
the child's singular cuuntenance and
/ large eyes-indeed he seemed all eyes,
/ like young crow--rose before my mind.
| Then / remembered having read some
/ where, think it was in one of Bulwer-
| Lyttun's novels, that there were some
/ persons so firmly and scnsitively organ
| lied that person with whom they were
/ en- rapport might. though at distance,
! by sustained exercise of the will and
concentration of thought, impress i'm
ages or thoughts upon their minds, the
| patient being at the time in receptive
\ or passive mental state Charley, said
is now in bed and not yet asleep. l will
/ at least try. l did so and remained for
/ half an hour or So endeavoring with the
utmost concentration of thought to con-
| vey to Charley the knowledge that l
| was here. For about Il week l cuntin-
| ued to do this and then gave over. |
! believed all the time that it was absurd
| and probably only went through these
mental gymnastics for want of some
thing else to do. Once as 1 awoke l
heard a slight thud somewhere in the
long gallery as of something falling. l
did not attach any Importance to it. |
thought it was Il stalactite falling from
the roof. However, after l had break
tasted and played with my seals,
thought l would explore that gallery
once more. Something might have fall
IN or been thrown in from the outer
world. Coming to the spot where
had discovered the bones of animals,
and searching around in all directions,
1 found something at which 1 cried out
in Il passion of delight and joy. 1t was
one of the great brown soda cakes which
were such familiar spectacle morning
and evening on the family board at
home. 1t was grievously bruised. crack
ed and capped. bat nevertheless real
bona fide homemade cake. felt a once
that it was the result OF my absurd ex
pertinent. Perhaps Charley had thrown
in another whose fall l had not heard.
l searched again and was about to leave
OF when the light of my TORCH fell upon
large fragment Ct Il second. The re-
maindcr no doubt WAS lodged Above IL
some cleft of the winding, rocky descent.
The delight with which | consumed these
dainties may be imagined, but infinite
ly greater was the joy caused ly the
consciousness that some one on the out
side. no doubt Charley, was aware of
my presence here.
In cutting that fragment of a cake to
which l have already referred my knife
seemed To be resisted by something I'M
usual. Looking for the cause. l found
hit of paper, which, having unfolded. 1
found To Ge Il letter to me from Char
ley. 1t Ian as follows:
EIY DEAR JACE-I know that you are alive
AID think that YOU are in the Devils Parlor.
send You loaf and hope it will do YOU good.
saw You quite clearly, but they said | was
dreaming. will send you cake once every
second day. Your affectiOnatc brother,
CHARLES FREEMAN.
All doubt was now at an end. Char
ley knew where | was, and though they
called his vision dreaming saw at once
how | could communicate with the up
per world and convince folks there of
my presence here. The cake had been
flung down at 1880 in the morning. On
lLc StCNlIltl IiOIHlIlS, 1OllS D61OIS lIllS
hour, L was at the place and continued
to shout at intervals. Half past pass
ed, :. 9 passed, but no sign came from
above and no cake. AS | afterward
learned. Charley had been sent away for
change of air under the suppOsition that
his mind was deranged. l seemed now
as badly off As ever. and for some time
was in a frame of mind in which, but
for the seals. | might have killed my
self. The gayety, pranks and affection
of these poor dumb creatures prevented
me f1Om utterly losing heart, and grad
ually my spirits returned, or rather my
fortitude and determination to endure
all that it might please God that should
endure rather than do a deed so cow
ardly and wicked. Like Robinson Cru
soc. of whom 1 often thought, l remem-
bered that. though 1 had suffered and
might suffer a great deal. l had also a
great deal to be thankful for. | might
have starved miserably. whereas | was
in an almost miraculous manner sup
piled with daily food. and instead of ut
ter and maddening solitude was blessed
with the society of these innocent, intel
hGent and affectionatc animals. They
would now wriggle and flap themselves
up the rock to my fire, and noticed
that whenever my mood was unusually
low they then particularly sought to at
tract my attention and provoke my ca
resses. l called the big male Mr.. Jones,
his mate, of course, Mrs. Jones, and the
jriant Scamp. They knew their names
quite well. The little one, which was
the most teacha bic, even learned from
Inc many tricks, which gave me. in spite
Of my trouble, many a hearty laugh.
About this time had an increase in
my family. One day 1 noticed at the en-
trance of the fissure which commune
Gated with the sea a fourth pair of
round, wondering eyes. 1t represented
a strange seal. which Mr.. and Mrs.
Jones. by various motions and frolics,
seemed to be enticing into our society.
Confidence is plant of slow growth in
the breast of seal. and this seal was not
drawn inward by parental affection like
Mr.. and Mrs. Jones. However, not to
be too tedious, | succeeded i'll provoking
the confidence and affection of this ami
NAL also and subsequently of others, so
that before my liberation l had in all
nine friends, while there were three
more shy ones, to which 1 was making
advances. l was often surrounded by
the whole nine together and likened my
self to old Pruteus, the old man of the
sea, upon whom Ulysses bounced while
taking his siesta in the midst of his
seals. l did not, however, at all remark
the very disagreeable odor which Homer
describes as arising from them. When
too many of them came about Inc, l
used TO drive some back into the water,
for theft smell, though by no means in
tolerable, was not quite pleasant.
CHAPTER XXI.
ATTEMPTED ESCAPE VIA THE SEALS TUN-
MEL.