The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-05-20

must do this systematically. beginning
at the edge OF the stream
On all fours he reached the margin
of the riyulet and felt his way along
the brink till his head struck the OPP
-poslte wall. He turned round, took up
a position that he guessed was three
feet nearer the door and again ira
versed the room, becoming SO eager In
the search that he forgot for the mo
ment the horror OF his situation, Just
as when engaged In a chemical expert
ment everything else vanished from
his mind, and thus after several joar-
neys back and forth he was again re-
minded OF the existence OF the stone
bench by butting against 1t when he
knew he was several feet from the
wall. Rubbing his head, he muttered
some nnfayorable phrases regarding
the immoyable bench, then crawled
round 1t twice and resumed his trans
verse excursions. at last he reached
the wall that held the deor and now
with breathless eagerness rubbed his
shoulder against 1t till he came to the
opposite corner. BE knew he had
touched with knees and hands prac-
tically every square inch Of space in
the door, and yet no bread.
Now, that's disaster" cried he,
getting up on his feet and stretching
himself. "still, a man doesn't starye
In four days. I've cast my bread on
the waters. 1t has evidently gone
down the stream. Now, what's to him
der man escaping by means Of that
water course? Still, IL he did, what
would be the use? He'd float out into
the Baltic sea and Il able to swim
round the rock would merely be COM
PEELED to knock at the front door and
beg admission again. No. by Joye!
There's the boat. but they probably
guard It night and day, and a man in
the water would have no chance
against one In the boat. Perhaps
there's gratings between the cells. OF
course there's bound to be. No one
would leave the bed Of stream clear
for any one to navigate. Prisoners
would visit each other in their cells.
and that's not allowed In any respect
able prison. wonder IL there's any
one next door on either side OF me-
An iron grid won't keep out the
sound. Ill try" And, going again to
the margin of the watercourse. he
shouted several times as loudly as he
could. but only ,sepulchral echo, as
IL from vault, replied to him.
Il Imagine the adjoining cells are
empty. No enjoyable companlonship
to be expected here wonder IL
they've got the other poor devils up
from the steamer yet. I'll sit down on
the bench and listen"
He could have found the bench and
shelf almost Immediately by CROPPING
round the wall, but he determined to
exercise his sense Of direction, to pit
himself against the darkness.
Il need not hurry" he said, 81 may
be long time here"
In his mind he had a picture Of the
cell, but now that he listened to the
water 1t seemed to have changed its
direction, and he found he had to rear
range this mental picture and make a
different set OF calculations to at the
new position. Then he shuffied slowly
forward with hands outstretched, but
he came to the wall and not to the
bench. Again he mapped out his route,
again endeavored and again failed.
This Is bewlldering," he muttered.
How the darkness battles a mani For
the first time in my life appreciate to
the full the benedlctlon OF Gods com
mand. Let there be light"
He stood perplexed for few mo-
ments. and, deeply thinking, his hands
automatically performed an operation
as the servants OF habit. They took
from his pocket his cigarette case, Sc
lected tube Of tobacco, placed it be-
tween his lips, searched another peck
ct brought out matchbox and struck
a light. The striking Of the match
startled Lermontoff as If 1t had been
an explosion; then he laughed, holding
the match above his head, and there at
his feet saw the loaf of black bread.
1t seemed as IL somebody had twisted
the room end for end. The door was
where he thought the stream was,
and thus he learned that sound gives
no indication of direction to a man
bllndfolded, The match began to
wane, and feverishly he lit his cigar
cite.
why didn't 1 think Of the matches,
and. oh, what a pity failed to III my
pockets with them that night Of the
professors dinner partyi To think that
matches are selling at this moment in
Sweden $50 for halfpennyT'
Guided BY the spark at the end Of
his cigarette, he sought the bench and