The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1896-08-19

here?" 1t was comfort to think aloud
in the dead silence of the place. "Now,
if can wedge this so twill hold me-"
A half-dozen trials went for nothing,
and he sat down to worry 1t out in
theory. "It's too long-that's what's
the matter with it; but if cut it off it
may be too short for the next place, and
that won't do. Let me see; wonder it
couldn't dig little step for the lower
end"
He was on his feet again in moment,
picking q shallow hole in the soft sand
stone. The expedient answered the
purpose, and when the log was adjusted
he tried it, first by Titles and then by
climbing up and jumping upon it. 1t
held, and he forgot his aches and pains
in the exultant joy of success.
"That demonstratesit it: if can fit one,
/ can fit the others. And I'll get the
hang of it presently, so l can work
faster. 1t oughtn't to take more than
six of these TO carry me to the top; six,
or possibly seven"-scanning the cleft
above him-"and I've got five hours or
such q matter to do it in. At that rate
it'll be dark when get back to Lud-
lows; but that won't matter. An hour
will give me all the time wantat Toms,
and we can figure safely up to ten
o'clock" Then the folly of planning
80 far ahead while he was still in n
prison that for two days and half had
resisted all his efforts to break it
struck him like the rebuke Of a task
master, and he slid down from the log
with a mild imprecation pointed at
his own vagaries. That's just like
me-" he muttered, "sending my imagin-
alton across the river before the bridge
is even planned. Work is the word you
speculative idiot! Do you hear that?
Work."
TO his great astonishment, the word
seemed to bring an answer from the
upper world, and he ran to the other
end of the cavern to listen. The halloo
was repeated, and he answered it with
all the strength of his lungs; once again
he heard the cry, but this time it was
fainter, and after that the silence was
undisturbcd. Alive to the Importance
of utilizing every moment of time, Ring
brand returned to his work; but the eX-
piring glimmer of the hope raised by
the answering shout left feeling of
depression which would have un,
manned him had he known that one of
the searching miners had actually
looked down into the cavern at the
moment when he was climbing down
from the first step of his problematical
stair.
Fitting the first round of the ladder
from the solid standing ground offered
J, by the bottom of the cave was much
!, easier than the adjustment of the sec
>, ond, but Ringbrnnd had his plans well
thought out now, and he worked care
!, fully and methodically, saving the pre-.
u cious moments in every possible way
Climbing to seat upon the round al
ready placed, he hoisted the other
/ piece of wood after him by means o1
: the rope; and, balancing upon the pre-
!, oarious footing, he succeeded after
many cautious trials in hcwing out {
, resting place for the second step il
: his stairway. With the fixing of this
:. round, however, the difficulties immcdi
ntely doubled, because the subsequen
{ steps must be fitted each from the Sigh
. scnffolding afforded by the other. Max
t ing final trip to the floor Of the cavern