The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1901-08-21
TOM CORNWILER'S TUMBLE]

BY L. T. Bates.


| calmly down his wooden well. but he
could work only by feeling about with
his hands. He felt exhausted, hungry
and weak, but he kept on working till
he managed to stand erect. Then,
after feebly kicking and pushing de.
bris TO fill up the hole where he had
been, he curled himself as comfortable
as he could. and slept blessed though
troubled sleep.
He dreamed that he heard n rife.
| shot, and that Ban was barking excit-
edly and his father hallooing. But his
sleep was so profound that a dream
could not rouse him.
After n long time he stretched out.
| His sore heels hit one wall. his sore
head the other. This time the pain
reused him to q renewed sense of his
situation. He sat up, stiff, lame all
over, weak, gnawed by hunger and
thirst, but still undlsmayed and re-
sourceful. A little thought and n trial
convinced him that, weak and sore as
strength to try to climb up the difficult
| inside of his prison.
There's always more than one way
to skin n cat" he reflected. 'I've got
! to get out of this somehow; that's all
| there is to It," He ran a thumb over
the edge of his hatchet. Pretty sharp
| yet. Too light to chop easy, and no
room to swing it but it'll cut hole,
| give 1t time"
Scraplng away the rotten wood, he
selected place where the wall seemed
thin, and began hacking. Progress
was slow. At first his stiff muscles
| and sore body hurt acutely, but this
pain wore away as he went on. The
wood, charred outside and very dry,
was hard and tough. Although II was
a sunny day, and his eyes had adjust
ed their vision TO the dimness of his
pit, he could hardly see where to
strike. He dared not pry out large
sllvers, for IL edge or handle Of his
hatchet should break, he might never
get out. His awkward position and
the one-hand work tired him rapidly,
and he suffered occasional cramps.
During one of his frequent rests he
heard Ban barking loudly outside.
Good dog! I'm coming!" he shout
| ed.
The dog bayed frantically, leaped
against the tree, scratched, whined,
tore the wood with his teeth. and be-
gan digging furiously between two
great roots, evidently intending to tun.
mel under to his young master.
When Tom did not appear for sup
per, Mrs. Cornwiler began to fret, but
not much, for he was often late. After
supper, with no Tom TO do the chores,
Mr.. Cornwiler grumbled, but did them
himself, saying:
Come, now, wife, the boy probably
has a good excuse. He's pretty regu-
lar. considering"
By bedtime Mrs. Cornwller was
anxious.
I'm sure he's lying hurt somewhere
in the woods, fallen from tree; or
maybe he's got lost"
"Pshaw, now, Edith! Tom couldp' I
lose himself anywhere in this county
the darkest night that ever was; and
he doesn't know how to fall from n
tree. He'll be home all right pretty
soon. Likely he's hindered by some
thing he thinks important"
At ten o'clock Mrs. Cornwilcr was
insistent and Cornwiler less confident.
He proposed to take the dog and
search.
Maybe he's at one of the nelghbors.
He'd stay, of course, If he could be of
any use. Anyhow, Ban'll track him.
Blow the horn If he comes home while
I'm gone"
Ban. being told to go find Tomr'
set off joyfully, waggng his tail. He
led Cornwiler straight to the charred
stub, and barked, leaping against it.
Cornwller looked the stub all over.
There were no signs of Tom. He
called. and fred his rife. There was
no reply. He supposed the stub solid
but thumped it. Unfortunately the
blow struck where the shell was thick
and where Tom had packed the debris
hardest inside. 1t sounded solid. Mr.
Cornwiler thought that Ban had fool.
ishly tracked n squirrel UP it. or per
haps a coon had been,there and gone
He dragged the dog away, ordering
him again to Find Tom" Ban in
stantly ran back to the stub, and
whined and scratched, but Mr.. Corn,
wiler pulled him away.
Ban then led into thicket. an6
here were signs-a slender pole cut ant
trimmed. bitternut sapling peeled OF
two strips Of bark. Tom had beer
there. The sapling was slender for 9
fish-pole, but Mr.. Cornwiler thought
that must be 1t. The strips of bark
meant strings, but what Tom wanted
of strings he could not conjecture
Having concluded 1t meant fishing, h,
J hurried to the river his anxiety con
slderably increased. Tom was
strong, cool swimmer and knew ever,
foot of the river. There We're few deeI
places. and no really dangerous places
, Mr.. Cornwiler searched q long time
' but found no trace of Tom, aud Bar
| seemed puzzled and not much tntor