Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1902-12-04


the rock like a mollusk. Twas saving
my own life. A man performs wonder.
full feats of strength under those Cir.
cumstances.
At last 1 stood OH fiat table-rock
1t was bare and barren. l had found
a resting place, but no more. Not 9
sign of sustaining food. I could not
eat rock, and 1 saw nothing else. J
saw in my future nothing but a linger.
ing death from starvation. Had | any
kind of contrivance with which ]
could fish, T would gladly have de-
voured some of the fnny inhabitants
of the deep without any cooking, but
l had nothing.
began to despair.
1t is not pleasant thing to look
death in the face at any time. 1t is
simply horrible to see it staring you
out of countenance when you are in
full possession of health, strength and
faculties, and especially so when that
death will certainly be of lingering
kind, preceded by the pangs of hunger,
shooting pains of the most violent
kind through the body, frightful
mental excitement and even madness
itself, then exhaustion and death. All
this l thought of, and resolved, if it
came to the worst, that before my
mind gave way | would leap from the
rock and destroy myself before the
suffering was too great to bear.
But | was calm, wonderfully calm,
as it seems to me now as ! look back
upon the awful situation. I even
smiled, with grim sort of CHASTITY ap.
probation of my predicament.
eff / can't eat, )" / said to myself
aloud, my voice echoing from the high
rock behind me, 81 can at least rest
and will
stretched myself on the fiat rock,
with no covering bnt my wet clothes
and the brilliant stars above me.
] was exhausted. l fell asleep.
When | woke the sun was high and
the rock was warm. Ny clothes had
dried and | was covered with a coating
of salt. My arms and legs were stiff,
and | ached in every inch of my body.
The rough stone had not been n com
Portable bed, but the long sleep had
refreshed me mentally, at least. /
got up and Strengthened ont the kinks
in my joints.
/ was yery hungry.
This was the beginning OF my slow
death. realized this, and the bitter.
ness of despair was upon me. | even
contemplated casting myself into the
sea to end it all.
1 had read OF Robinson Crusoe. His
was luck, indeed. compared to my
miserable outlook. / would find here
no man Friday to keep me company;
no goats to give me refreshing milk;
no grain to SOW and reap in the future;
no ground to sow it in if | did. Here
was none of the good fortunes of the
famous Swiss family Robinson, who
were east away on Il supposed desert
island. and found ready for their
teaching all the adluncts of n success.
full stockfarm ! would train no Ze'
bra to carry me. | would find no
bread-fruit-tree to give me life. |
would fin! nothing but death. To all
intents aud purposes / was dead.
Nothing known of man could save me,
But even dying man abandons
hope grudgingly. determined before
the end came to thoroughly inspect
the rock, hoping | knew not what
possibly to find some food swept there
from passing ship; possibly to find
something left by a wayfarer like my
self; possibly to penetrate and solve
the mystery OF the presence of the
iron rings.
/ picked my way from the flat rock
upon which | stood, over a ledge of
limestone leading around the little in.
let of water. The ledge seemed hewn
by hand, but not of recent date. II
was above highwater mark. No ac.
ton of the tide had done it, And 1t
was too rough for that. What was
more, I thought could see the marks
of cutting tools. / carefully followed
the ledge, which led to IL crevice
in the rock, down into which-oh,
joy!-some rude steps were cut.
Down into this pit they led, and
my heart bounded with hope. The
interior of the pit WAS securely above
the waves, sheltered by the high sur.
rounding rock. An overhaneing wall
kept out the rain. Now ! began to
think of Monte Cristo. What if l
found there vast treasures in gold or
silver or precious stones? Well, what
if did? ] asked myself again. |
would simply die in the midst of it all
unless the lawful or unlawful owners
of it came there and succored me.
There was greater danger of them
killing me. SO the discovery of what
might prove to be the hiding place Of
the famed and feared pirates of the
South Seas was not going to help me.
Gingerly l went down the stone
steps. There were at least one hun
dred of them, and / knew, when I
reached the bottom, that was below
the level of the sea-
CHAPTER V.