Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-07-25
SHE'S ALL THE
WORLD TO ME-.
By HALL GAME,
Author of "Thc Manrman." "7he Deem
ster," etc.
PRoEM
CHAPTER XIV.

yet he was not killed. he was not even
hurt. At the bottom was Is feet OF water,
and this had broken his dreadful fall. On
coming to the surface, one stroke in the
first instant of dazed consciousness had
landed him on narrow ledge of rock that
raked downward with tho seam. But what
was his position when he realized it? 1t
seemed to be worse than death itself; it
was q living death; 1t was life in the arms
of death; it was burial in an open grave.
He heard steps overhead, and in the
agony of fear he shouted. But the steps
went by like swift breath of wind, and
no one answered. Then he reflected that
these must have been the footsteps Of the
police. Thank God, they had not heard
his voice. To be rescued by them must
have been ruin more terrible than all
| Doubtless they knew of his share in to-
nights attempted crime, Knowing this,
they must know by what fatality he was
buried here. Christian now realized that
death encircled him on every side To re-
main in this pit was death; to be lifted out
Of it was death no less surely; to escape
was hopeless. He looked up at the sky.
1t was a small square patch of leaden gray
against the impenetrable blackness of his
prison walls.
Standing on the ledge of rock and steady
ing himself with one hand, he lifted the
other stealthily upward to feel the sides of
the shaft. They were of rock and were
precipitous, but had rugged projecting
pieces on which it was possible to lay hold.
AS he grasped one of these sickening
pang of hope shot through him and wound
cd him worse than despair. But it was
swift. 1t was gone in an instant. The
piece of rock gave way in his hand and
tumbled into the water below him with a
hollow splash. The sides of the shaft were
of a crumbling stone.
Now indeed he knew how hopeless was
his plight. He dare not cry for help. He
must stand still as death in this deep tomb.
To attract attention would of itself be
death. To remain down the shaft would
also be certain death. To climb to the
surface was impossible. Christians heart
sank. His position was terrible.
This conflict Of soul did not last long
The heart soon clung to the nearest hope.
Cry for help he must. Be dragged out of
this grave he should, let the issue be what
it could or would To lie here and die was
not human. To live in the living present
was the first duty, the first necessity, be
the price of life no less than future death
Christian reflected that the police, when
he heard their footsteps, had been running
to Lockjaw creek. 1t would take them
Eve minutes to reach it, When they got
there and saw the boats on the shingle
they would know that their men had es
capped them. Then they would hasten
haalr Tn taT1 mi N Y1tac thav xvo,1Id yocc tho
mouth of the shaft again. Five Of these
ten minutes must have gone already. If
he were to be rescued, he must know
about when they ought to return, SO that
he might shout when they were within
hail. He remembered that their footsteps
had gone from him like the wind. The
long shaft and go feet Of dull dead rock
and earth had carried them off in an in
stant
Christian began to reckon the moments
His thoughts came too fast. He knew they
must deceive him as to time. Minutes in
this perilous position might count with
him for hours. He took out his watch,
meaning to listen for the beat of Its Sec
onds. The watch had stopped. No doubt
1t was full of water. Christian s heart beat
loud enough. Then he began to count
one, two, three. But his mind was in
whirl He lost his reckoning. He found
that he had stopped counting and forgotten
the number. Whether five minutes or so
had passed he could not be sure.
Harkl He heard something overhead
We're they footsteps, those thuds that fell
on the ear like the first rumble of a distant
thundercloudP Yes, some one was near
him. Now was his time to call, but his
tongue was cleaving to his mouth. Then
he heard words spoken at the mouth of the
shaft They rumbled down to him like
words shouted through hollow black pill
Lar.
"Here men," said one, "let's tumble
him into the lead mine. No harm will it
do him now, poor craythur."
But another voice, laden with the note
of fearful agony, cried, "No, no, noP'
"We must do something No time to
lose now. The facs is agen us. Let's
make slant for it, anyway. Lift again
upl'
Christian shuddered at the sound of hui
man voices. Buried, as he was, 60 feet
beneath the earth, they came to him like
the voice that the wind might make on
tempestuous night If, as it reached your
ear, it whispered words and fled away.
The men were gone Christians blood
was chilled. What had happened? Was
some one deadp Who was itp Christian
shuddered at the Thought Of what might
have occurred If Eae dead body had been
tossed over him into the pit. Had the po-
lice overstepped their dutyP We're they the
policep Did he not remember one of the
soices or both? Christian entempest soul
was overwhelmed with agony. He could
not be sure that in very truth he was con-
scious of anything that occurred.
Time passed--he knew not how long or
Shorthand again he heard voices overhead.
They were not the voices that he had heard
before.
"They have escaped us" said one.
Their boats are gone from the creek
now"
These, then, were the police, and with
fresh flood of agony Christian realized
that the other men had been his friends.
What fatality had prevented him from cry
ing aloud to the only persons on earth who
could in very truth have rescued and saved
him? The voices above were dying away.
"Stopr' cried Christian. Despair made
him brave Fear made him fearless. But
none answered. Then he was conscious
that footstep approached the top of the
shaft. Had he been heardp Now he prayed
to God that he had not.
"What gulf" said one. Lucky we
didn't tumble down. The young woman
warned us, you remember"
There was a short laugh at the mouth of
Christians open grave. He did not call
again. The voices ceased; the footsteps
died off.
He was alone once more, but death was
with him The police had gone. Kisseck
and his men had gone They were no
doubt out at sea by this time II, as the po-
lice said, the boats had been taken from the
creek. Christian remembered now that
the voices he had heard first were those OF
Corteeu and Danny Fayle. This recovered
consc lousness enabled him to recall the
fearful memory of what had been said.