The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-01-30

at the top and stopped to rest, tn
rope drawn taut under my knees b,
London coming up like a squirrel.
think I was ever slow minded, q know
it, indeed but this time L did at last
for wonder. get my stupid wits to-
Sether; so just as Londons cana
came above the edge 1 snatched out my
knife and with enc desperate stroke
cut the rope. There was lighted
lantern and a basket of food and other
things at the top of the incline. l took
| the lantern on one arm, filled one side
pocket with candles and the other
| with cold meat and cheese, put two
boxes of matches in my trousers peck
cts, tucked a loaf of bread under the
other arm, and ran away into the
cave with all speed. l ought to have
said just now that after I slashed off
the rope l heard London strike the
rocks pretty solid at the bottom of the
pit: but l thought it was good enough
for such a great scoundrel.
l ran on looking with all my eyes
for pit or hole, and soon found one
that was exactly what 1 wanted. 1t
seemed deep. but the sides were slant
ing and rocky, and 1 thought person
might, if he had little care for his
neck, scramble down it. On the brink
of this, then. 1 sat down my lantern
and scattered about a few bread
crumbs. l then lit u candle and start
ed back. as hard as I could run for the
pit out of which l had just come. On
coming up to it and looking about l
spied little bench or shelf above my
head just at the top of the steep in
cline where the wall logged back. It
two feet wide and ten long.
The only way to reach it seemed to be
by leaplng up. and I doubted much if
l were good for it. Just then I saw the
CLEAN of light along the tunnel 1
puffed out my candle and tossed it and
the loaf of bread onto the ledge,
stripped off my coat and sent it after
the bread and candle. Then slipping
my fingers over the edge | gave such
a leap as I had never given before.
landed fairly on top of the coat. and
out on the shelf, fiat as a
founder. All this time I could hear
London roaring below, so I knew he
was not dead.
The man with the light came up,
holding the candle above his head sod
that it shone in my left eye as 1 lay
fattened out on my right ear. Then
he scrambled down the slide, as I could
tell by his giant shadow on the roof.
and called to London and asked what
was the matter.
Get another rope" roared back
London. I'm hurt. Hurry up"
The man rushed away. his shadow
dancing all over the roof and side of
the pit, growing bigger and bigger till
t swallowed up everything. But before
he could get back some of the other
men came down below-Peta and the
one who had gone after him, as I soon
told from what they said
Are you much hurt" asked one of
them.
My left arm is broke and I don't
KNOW what else. Give lirt >->1 T'rr
see if I can walk"
He seemed to find that he could
walk. then suddenly he broke out in a
torrent of abuse of me for cutting the
rope. adding that he would hunt me
down and pitch me headlong from the
top of the highest pit in the cave: and
YOU may perhaps imagine the fit of ter
ror into which this cast me, lying not
four feet from where he would soon
come. and knowing full well that he
would have no least scruple in doing
as he said.
The other man was soon back with
the rope, and after the two below had