Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1899-07-14

* ~ X
HE BEGAN TO WRITE HIS MESSAGE WITH
HIS KNIFE BLADE
hoarse that his voice did not pass
through the crevice in the rock. He
tried again and again and at last gave
! up in despair.
! Then another thought entered his
brain. Feeling over the floor, he final
; ly found a pebble and tried to throw
it through the assure, but this was also
an impossibility. The opening was too
long and irregular for anything to be
| thrown through it, and it sloped down
ward SO gradually that the pebble
would not roll.
Then Gielow thought of something
else. He took off one of his white
linen cuffs. He coiled it tightly, and
| tied it with a thread from the lining of
; his cravat. He believed he would be
able to push it through the crack by
certain contrivance he had in mind.
Then he paused to reflect, and finally
decided that he would write some mes
sage on the cuff, some appeal to the
world at large for help. But>how to
; write it was the first thing to be decided.
for, on going through his pockets, he
: could find nothing but his penknife.
He believed he could, if his hand were
; strong enough, cut the letters into the
linen, but would they be noticed by a
casual observer? Then thought came
to him, which may have been suggested
by an incident in some romantic novel
he had read in his youth He would
write it in his own blood.
Gielow did not finch as he thrust the
knife blade into his wrist. Compared
to the agony of his whole being, the
slight pricking sensation was not4 hing.
Then, when the blood had flowed out
and stood in big drop on his left wrist,
he began to write bis message with the
knife blade. It was difficult work even
for skiflful artist, for his hand shook
as if with ague, and his strength was al
most gone. Here is what he wrote,
economizing in words, for his space was
limited:
Innocent: Confined by e. Bantinni l.
Take rake to p po.ce AR SrH re' G1E a.oEy.ne
Then, rolling the cuff tightly and
tying it with the thread, he hurriedly
pushed it into the crack. He was
afraid the couple would rise and walk
on. According to his calculations the
roll lodged just beyond the reach of his
fingers and then he set about to COM
plete his operation.
He tore his handkerchief into shreds
and tying the ends together he made
long string. Then holding pieces of
straw to his hand he tightly wrapped
them with the strings till he had con-
structed rod of straw about four feet
in length. With this, after many fail
ures, he finally pushed the cuff through
the crevice. He saw it fall from the
rock, strike something and leap into the
sunlit space. For an instant it. was
lost to sight: and then he saw it roll
into the roadway about 20 feet from the
pair on the bench. They happened to
be gazing into each others eyes and did
not see it. Then a carriage, the driver
OF which wore high hat and blue
; coat with brass buttons, whirled past
The hoofs of the horses knocked the
blood-stained messenger out of Gielow's
! sight.
His heart sank within him. Trem-
blingly he took off his remaining cuff,
!, but the blood drop had become smeared
and dry on his wrist, and his right
| hand shook pitifully. -.. g..
? Its no use," he said, with groan.
! Again he peered through the crevice.
The sun seemed to be going down. The
! lovers had risen. and, arm in arm, were
! strolling away. For a few moments
G1elow lay motionless on the straw,
then he tried to replace the wedge of
stone to hide the opening from Ban
tinni, but he was so weak that it fell
from his nerveless fingers: ~..
All at once it grew dark about him.
/ He felt as if he were being tossed on the
bosom of an angry sea- ~ . > ~ 81 \ - l.
/ Twenty-four hours later there was a
! hurried step outside. The door opened
and Count Bantinni came in, holding
lantern over his head. He brought pen,
ink, q pad of paper and an envelope.
The darkness outside and the shine Of
! his lantern prevented his seeing the
crack in the rock Is 4 =.5 .s= $500. ...s
Z Putting the lantern down by the ar.
fist, he shook him violently. Is
Wake up" he said, gruffly II want
you to write. Write! Write, I say
But Gielow did not stir: 81.