The advocate., 1895-08-28


hollerin worse'n er -year-old bull.
Dare, you Dare, my chile, come way
I'm dar, 1 tell yo'." "
Black Nanny shrieked as Dare ran
swiftly forward, stopped abruptly and
looked intently into something at her
feet. In a minute she called: NANNY,
come here, quickl Some one has fallen
into the big sinkhole We emust get him
out before it rains, or he will drown.
'Take keer. Don't you fall in, too, )"
nanny shouted, waddling up at her
best speed. Dare indeed knelt perilously
near the verge Of the earthen pit, up
whose smooth, straight, crumbling sides
its occupant had been vainly trying to
climb, despite the drawback Of badly
Sprained arm. At sight Of Dare he
said ferVently: "Thank the Lordl I
Shall not have to die in this hole, after
all"
GLOW came yo' darp" asked nanny
suspiciously.
Spite of his i'll condition the prisoner
answered, laughing: Because Of pig,
auntie. I was riding along the road
there just after daylight not dreaming
of such pitfall close at hand. All at
once master piggy got up from his pud-
die at the roadside. My horse shied Vio-
lently this way, stumbled, broke the
girth and pitched me and my saddle to
this depth, from which had begun to
fear should never escape. "
''Dat dar place des broke in las week.
'Twould er bin fenced an kivered ef
master had mowed hit wus dar; but, po'
man, he got SO much on his min. But
say, mister gentleman, yO' mus come
out or dar or be- washed out. Rain er
comm. When hit do come, dis yere sink
hole runs er ribber. "
"Only tell me how / can. d"
'Lemme see. Is you hurt bad?'
"Only my arm. Otherwise / think /
could have managed to scramble out. J."
The problem Of rescue was no easy
one. There was not house within
mile Of the spot--no place indeed where
help could certainly be got. And the
storm was coming on so fast that long
ere aid could be summoned the earthly
cavern would be flooded, for sharp hills
drained into it, from which the heavy
rainfall would run at racing speed. The
pit was about four feet across at the top,
widening to five at the bottom, where
the mellow top soil still lay in testi-
mony to the freshness of the cavein. If
it stood for year, clay would settle on
and around it till it took on a funnel
shape, from which escape would be
more than easy. In its present estate it.
was as awkward trap as even good in
tention ever led a young fellow into.
Dare looked into it to say: 1--WE will
get you out somehow. Don't be un-
easy"
What wonder if to its prisoner she
seemed a very angel Of deliverance,
though there was nothing the least an
gelic in what she set about doing.
Wherever nanny went her pocket held
always a barlow knife. By help Of 1t
her checked cotton apron and striped
linsey petticoat were cut into strips, then
twisted into q rope long enough to
reach quite to the bottom Of the cavern
By notting three or four stout sticks
rosswise in it and making the upper
end fast to a fencerail laid at the top
it gave the stranger the foothold he had
SO vainly sought and brought him safely
out Of the miry pit.
As Black Nanny brushed the earth
from his sleeve she said, nodding to-
ward Dare: "Hit beats me how she
thunk erbout dat dar easy way. I Iwus
studying bout maxim 20 ketch holt er