The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1905-02-04

ground gave way beneath his feet He
was falling-falling! Thank Heaven!
friendly tree met his frantically clutching
hand.
\ groan was east up to him from the
depths below him-a groan that changed
into a roar of tortured waters being forced
upward-and Charles Corliss knew where
he was
He was down in unnel-spout. which
had been bored upward through the cliff
by the sea, and spout was coming.
''Oh, Father Almighty gasped the
poor fellow, as, with both hands round
the tree, he clutched his sleeves with
either hand, help me- help me. And
then the hideous. mounting column caught
him.
He felt his feet rudely seized, as though
by the hand of giant, and plueked up
ward. Water gurgled in his ears. His
arms seemed about to be torn from their
sockets. Had the strain lasted another
instant he must have loosed his hold; but
with wild. hoarSe Snarl, as though it
were some sea monster baified of its prey,
the column sank. and left him gasping,
half drowned, but alive. 1t was impoSsi
/ ble that he could survive another pulsatiou
of the sea below him, and he knew it.
He loosed his slilfened fingers and pre-
pared himself for his fate As he uttered
4 prayer As iervent as may leave the lips
/ of one who stands on the brink of eternity,
he involuntarilv cast his eyes upward
is the mouth Of the tunnel spout
aiiame! he questioned, in amazemeut, as
a lurid light above him caught his strain
inc vision. ''No, lantern Is being low
cred into this abyss The smugglers are
taking advantage Of this pause TO examine
the sides of this accursed blowhole.. Death
is on every hand
Down came the swinging light, nearer
and nearer
There he Is shouted one Of the
snueglers. he 5 alive. but the water
spou, will look after him, and its coming
new
For below which preceded the fierce
hclching forth Of the torrent came up from
the depth. below.
But Co7ljss scarcely heard it, he was 80
occupied with one last. desperate hope.
About two feet away from him, red As
/ blood in the glow Of the lantern, a round.
shining stream Of water slipped out Of the
rock into the darkness like a serpent from
iis hole
Above this stream \ dark spot dehed the
I light. aud CorItSs gasg+,l intuitively at the
thought that close beside him was one of
I tho~e toriuous drives which had been bored
hy the sea into the heart ot the elf.
/ The below changed into that hiaeous
raar. aud with gust Of wind aud spray,
the .eething sea leaped up out Of the gulf
With the rcd ligh, streaming from the
lantern about him, and the white spume at
his feet. Charles released his hold Of the
[ trer. and thrust himself forward into the
black hole
The immense volume Of water forced
I into tbs, drive struck him and rolled him
/ forward, over and over, and by it, very
I fury saved him from being washed out
+ asaia With the recall Of the wave.
( Collecting all his cncrgiez, CoriisS scrani-
I blsd up a httle incline. and a. he fell for
wsrd IN a swoou, It was with the blessed
. thaaghg ihas be vas ou, Of danger at last
( When Curliss opened his ewes, = soit
Z twilight was ahoa, him, and he knew that
sElm. sweet dAy had ,ueceejei that
( ffsghiful night Of tempest, lie raised
himself and stretched his s,iifened limbs,
( fgr it wss imperative iha, be should bes'ir
Z himself
Crawling A. near o. the edge of the
oridce by which he had entered ,he heart
If the cEF. as he dared, he eraned hts
neck forward aud saw, ffly feet below
him. the ,ilIenly frn,hing water guFsling
haar>ely to itself
No chance 10 get down thene, he
mattered
Turning biz head be gave grateful
glance at the serabby little trees that had
sa,el III lie the night before.
As he dill -, something caught his eye
which caused = cry Of intense surprise and
{uy 10 leap tn hl- Fps
"A rupe Right here at hand, all
tangled up in the branches Of this blessed
httle tree, It must be that the smuggler
who was lowering the lantern by means Of
this rope. dropped it. when the waterspout
rose right up in his very face, aud the re-
eoil Of the wave dragged 1t down among
the branches ct this lite tree, which
caught aud held H. Thank Heaven The
way Is clear now Catching krm hold OF
the snarlei branches, which scratched the
very edge of the oridee Corli>s swung
himself out into the tree
IL waS but few minutes work To dis
enlangle the rope, and then, fastening one
end of it firmly to the tree trunk, he al,
lowed the coils to drop from his hand.
The rope was long enough To allow the
battered lantern frame to sink below tn,
water
Down, hand over hand, went the young
revenue officer, then he dashed ou, through
the narrow arch through which the sea
found entrance TO the tunnel-spout.
Outside placid ocean wrinkled all it
lazy length under the soft touches Of ;
faint breeze.
Not a soul was TO be seen on the cliffs
80, undisturbed. Corliss fioaled around the
point Of Cape Zoar, and out of the reacl
of the men who would have sacrificed hin
on the altar of that great Moloch-Fear
In a few days the revenue cutter OSPREY
swooped down on the smuggler rendezvous
of Cape Zoar, and thoroughly did hel
crew accomplish their mission.
The swift-sailing smuggler craft wa
burned to the water edge, and thirty
ironed, sullen-fa prisoners were passed
up over the side Of the Osprey.
A night of tempest and darkness neveI
fails to bring to Charles Corliss A vivid re
minder of that terrible night.
To Abolish SpectacleS.