Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-02-17

after the fury of noise and destruction
of little while ago.
'God save us" | prayed, with sud-
den CLEAN of hope in the blacknesS OF
my despair.
experienced sudden, intense long
Ing for light.
l CROPPED in my pocket for matches,
struck one, and fortunately found my
lantern where it had been Knocked
from my hand by stone. Relighting
it, turned an anxious gaze around me.
Poor Elsie lifted her weak head and
gaZed about her with dazsd eyes.
I'VE are safe, dearest. The earth
quake is over" l told her, reassuringly,
although my heart was still heavy with
dread.
The cave was one stupendouS ruin!
1t had fallen in entirely in the rear,
and sunk so low where we sat that il
was impossible to stand upright.
Before us the passageway To the ca in
was blocked with huge stones so that
We would have to crawl over it. II was
a miracle that we had escaped death in
their fall.
l thanked heaven for its mercy in
saving US and for the blessed light that
remained to US. Without its use~we
might never have found our way out.
Courage, my darling; my brave
girl" l cried fondly to Elsie, and en-.
couraged by my cheerfulness, she tried
to recover herself Little by little her
strength returned and we began our
rough journey TO the cabin.
I will not describe that painful
trip on our hands and knees over the
rough stones that wounded US both 80
cruelty Ere we reached the cabin door
we heard something so Distressing that
it made us almost forget our own
misery.
From the old cabin now crushed to
splinters aud buried under the great
landslide OF the mountain, came to our
startled ears the dying groans OF a wo-
man.
"Old Druzy" I exclaimed, and in a
short time we found her piDioned under
some fallen tmbers in the sleeping
room. After some arduous toll, extri-
Gated her, and laid her on the bed which
fortunately remained intact although
strewn with plaster and splinters from
the ceiling.
Then l made careful examination,
and concluded that although no injuries
were apparent she was hurt internally
to Judge from her awful groans.
We made her as comfortable as we
could and gave her little whisky that
seemed 10 ease her pain for she dozed
of into a restless sleep.
Then | went TO see what chance Of
escape we had from the cabin.
Oh, horrors, we were literally en-
tombed alive by the dreadful land
slide!
The doors and windows were entirely
covered by the earth and stones.
Not single ray OF light cleaned
through anywhere!
l should have TO turn myself into a
miner and dig passage through to the
outer world.
l did not want to add to the burden
of Elsie's despair, so | explained the
situation to her as calmly as possible,
hoping against all my disbursements
for final success. Then | left her
watching by Drugs death-bed, aud
set TO work with a spade that | found
in the cabin.
| wrenched off the door, and began to
dig a tunnel, putting the e1cayated
earth aud rocks inside the cabin to give
me more room, aud l told Elsie cheer
fully not to mind the discomfort as we
wonld soon have our liberty.
Looking at nv watch, l found that it
was now FIVE o'clock in the morning.
Outside Of US aud about us the beau
tiful summer world was waking up TO
life and love and beauty while we were
entombed alive in the mountain. We
might never escape from our prison,
and the lofty mountain we had loved so
well might be our tomb, towering above
us in its awful majesty, and holding in
its breast the secret Of our fate as it
had held so long the mystery Of the
Tory's treasure.
1t was a grim thought, and the cold
dew beaded my brow as / wondered II
indeed my ancestors wicked curse had
fallen on the discoverers Of his treasure.
TO BE CONTINUED.