The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1907-04-10
THE EARLY HISTORY OF melvin
WHITE.
(By u. L. TayIor)
CHAPTER w.

When the prisoners walked from
their sleep, it was still dark. 1t took
them some time to remember their
whereabouts and appreciate fully their
situation. They did not have to wash,
nor eat breakfast. They held a brief
consultation, and in little while COM
menced their search for an outlet to the
outer world. They did not know how
long they had slept; they did not know
whether it was night or day, morning
of evening it was all the same to them
They had both read the description of
storm at sea, by heather poet,
where the darkness was so dense
"E'n Palinurus no distinction found
Between the night and day, such dark
ness reigned around"
They started, but did not know
whether they were going East, West,
North or South. They climb over
rocks, crawled under rocks, and fire.
quently could not go at ALL. Melvin at
one time climb up a rock wall, and
when he reached the top he fell over
the other side into a deep pool of water,
so deep that he would not undertake to
wade it. He got wet up to the neck,
which added very greatly to his dis
comfort. Hunger was gnawing at
their very vitals, but it had to gnaw
on.
The boys had been missed by the
neighborhood, and their parents were
very much distressed at Tabor Sunday
School, Sunday morning. 1t was pro-
posed to organize rescuing party, for
the opinion of the people generally,
was, that they were lost in the cave.
Some man had seen them going in that
direction on Saturday afternoon. Sew
eral brave men and boys volunteered to
Join the party, but Mr.. Oscar Pile told
them there was no use to hunt for
them-if they were in the cave they
would get out-there was no such good
luck as for them not to find the way
ont. Just wait, he said, till Monday,
and they would be out. He knew them
too we'll. Mr.. Piles views prevailed,
and the party did not start. Mean
while the prisoners in the cave were
not idle, In their blunderings and
cravings they finally came to a little
stream of water, and while it was
God-send, it got them into more
trouble. They knew there was
stream that issued from one OF the
mouths of the caue. in great torrents
after heavy rain-they did not know
but it was raining in the outer world,
and that the little branch might be
swelled at any time to dangerous pro-
portions. But they undertook to follow
that stream come what might, if they
could only find out which way the slug
gish little thing was running. They
tried many plans to no purpose, but it
finall occurred to Rollin, who wore
a straw hat, to test it in that way. He
placed his hat on the water, and put
his hands on each side of it, and was
delighted to find it floating down the
stream. They then started to crawl
along along the branch. Sometimes
they could stand up, but generally had
to crawl. Sometimes the ceiling was
so low that they could not get through
at all, but they would back out, and
try again, and sometimes it would re-
ouire hours to go ten feet Thus the
DAYS and nights were slipping away.
Hunger was still gnawing at their vi
tails, and worry and distress were wear
ing their lives away. They became so
completely exhausted they fell asleep,