Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-10-25

Dragged, lime covered clothes NAV
give you some idea | cut Il passage
for myself up those perpendicular
walls as the boy did up the face of
Ile natural bridge in Virginia. DO
you remember that old story in the
reader? 1t came to me like an in
spiraton as | stood looking up from
below and, Though | knew that /
should have to work most of the way
in perfect darkness, l decided that Il
mans life was worth some risk and
that | had rather fall and break my
neck while doing something than to
spend hours in maddening inactivity,
only to face death at last from slow
starvation.
Il had knife, an exceedingly good
knife, in my pocket, and for the first
few steps | should have the light of my
electric torch The ditficulty-that is,
the first difficulty was to reach the
shaft from the floor where | stood
There was but one article of furniture
in the room, and that was something
between table and desk. No chairs
and the desk was not high enough to
enable me to reach the mouth of the
shaft If / could turn it on end, there
might be some hope But this did not
look feasible. However, l threw off
my coat and went at the thing with a
vengeance, and, whether | was given SUI
perhuman power or whether the clumsy
thing was not as heavy as it looked, |
did finally succeed in turning it on its
end close under the opening from which
the shaft rose. The next thing was to
get on its top. That seemed about as
impossible as climbing the bare wall
itself. but presently l bethought me
of the drawers. and, though they were
locked, did succeed by the aid of my
keys to get enough of them open to
make for myself very good pair of
stairs.
Il could now see my way to the
mouth of the shaft but after that.
Taking out my knife, | felt the edge.
1t was a good one. So was the point
but was it good enough to work holes
in plaster! 1t depended somewhat
upon the plaster. Had the masons in
| uulSHlllS lIdl SHAFT any lIOuShl VI
the poor wretch who one day would
have to pit his life against the hard
ness of the final covering: My first
dig at it would tell. | own | trem-
bled violently at the prospect of what
that first test would mean to me and
wondered ii the perspiration which
felt starting at every pore was the re
suit OF the effort had been engaged III
or Just plain fear.
inspector. do not intend to have
you live with me through the five NOR
tai hours which followed. | was en-
abcd to pierce that plaster with my
knife and even to penetrate deer
enough to afford n place for the tips OF
my fingers and afterward for the point
Of my toes, digging, prying. sweating
painting, listening. first for suddel
opening of the doors beneath. then fOI
some shout or wicked interference,
from above az | worked my way NJ
inch 10y inch, foot by foot, to wha
might not be safety after it was at
tanned.
Five hours-siX. Then | strucl
something which proved to be win
dow. and when ! realized this anC
knew that with hut one more effort
should breathe freely again, | came a
near falling as | had at any time he
fore | began this terrible climb.
"IIappily, | had some premonition o
my danger and threw myself into 20
sition which held me till the dizzy min
ute passed. Then I went calmly OF
with my work, and in another hal
hour had reached the window. which
fortunately for me, not only opened in
ward. bih was or the latch. 1t wa
with a sense of ineXpressible relief tina
| clamhercd through this window an,
for Il brief moment breathed in tn