The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1906-10-10

for rescue from some outside source.
Thus buoyed with hope l began to
move cautiously forward on my
hands and knees in the direction of
what l thought to be the larger part
of the cave, judging from the sounds
emanating therefrom as l shouted
from time to time.
The floor of the ave was here al
most level and l made rapid pro-
gress. Losing some of my timidity
as l advanced l had arisen to my
feet and was walking without diff
Guilty. l had proceeded thus for prob
ably a quarter of a mile seemingly
in almost a straight line when l sud-
denly became aware of a faint sound
from the direction in which l was
travelling, and my next step brought
me against a solid stone wall. Care
fully feeling my way along the wall,
which seemed to curve to the left at
this point l had proceeded only a few
steps when my foot dislodged some
small stones, which went rumbling
downward, and after the lapse of a
second or two l could distinctly hear
the chug! chug! as they struck the
water. The sound 1 had heard then
must be that of running water, pos
sibly of Lost Creek, where it disap-
pears in the rocks, just after skirting
Blackburn's Bluff. If this was the
case l would be more than 100 feet
below the top of the bluff, and half
that distance below the bottom of the
deepest pit | had ever looked into on
that bluff.
With my hands against the wall
and by carefully reaching out with
my feet l found l was on a narrow
ledge, on which it was very difficult
to retain my footing. l worked my
way along this narrow shelf, which
was at some points alarmingiy steep,
for possibly 100 feet, when my path
way came abruptly to an end. Evil
IDENTIFY l could proceed no farther in
this direction, and was on the point
of turning back when that befel me
a calamity, was in reality the guiding
hand of providence.
l vas sitting on the narrow ledge
throwing pebbles into the water be-
low and mentally calculating the dis
lance, when l suddenly felt the grav-
ely bench begin to slide, and in that
awful moment l realized the extent
of my peril. If l missed the rocks
and struck the water the chances
were that l would be stunned and
s%trangled before l could regain my
breath. l clawed madly at the
treacherous gravel, and as | went over
the bank caught a projecting rock
and held on with the tenacity of des-
peration. My feet were dangling in
the air and my hold was weakening!
| shut my eyes and prepared for the
inevitable plunge. / thought how
my body would be sought in vain. l
prayed!
My fingers slowly relaxed, and l
dropped-six feet below to a fiat
rock! Joy unspeakable! Shortly
before l was bewailing my fate and
now l was sobbing with very joy So
overcome vas l that it was several
minutes before l gained sufficient
strength to enable me to learn the
extent of the friendly rock ON which
l had alighted.
| found it was but the entrance to
a small cave, running at right angles
to the ledge above, and so close was
| to the ledge, that had l swung out
six inches farther l would have gone
into the water as did the pebbles
which had easily bounded over the
rock. This projection was only a
few feet long, and the only way l
could proceed now was by going into
the small cave. I proceeded slowly,
having to go on my hands and knees
at times, so low vas the roof.
At length the passage widened and
the roof became higher, SO that l
could stand erect, and consequently
get along faster. 1t was always up
hill. The floor was a series of ter
races, in places several feet apart,
but always easily climbed by aid of
the jagged stones.
After making my way from one of
these terraces to the next higher by
feeling my way over a path more
difficult than usual, l became family
aware of a peculiar sensation. /
could see? Yes, there was actually
a faint glimmer of light discernible
by no eye save of one who had been
in total darkness for a long time.
| still had to feel my way, for
while the delicate organism of my
eyes felt the sensation of light it was
not enough to guide my footsteps.
However, the light was steadily grow
= ing brighter. / was going toward it!
5 After passing up a slight incline, l
r could see the floor of the cavern and
/. far ahead a small spot of light was
~discernible. / shouted with Joy. ]
t half ran toward my beacon light,
which gradually grew larger. Now, ]
3 was beholding the beautiful light OF