The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-05-22
The Escape
OUT OF The JAWS OF DEATH
A. Late Pvate 1st Penn VOL and Capt
Co. ID Portage WASH

view. This little manifestation of
their presence above caused immed-
late action on our part. In the star
light we examined our shelf or
rock, but there was no possible way
to get off without gaining the top of
the sloping rock on which we had
slid down to this shelf some 80
feet; it was not steep but there was
nothing to hold to in climbing. 1t
was easy enough to slide down it
but get back up, no. We procured
small stone from one of the inches
and dropped it over the edge of the
shelf, denoting depth. (While lee
turing through the West our escape
was at times pronounced miracu-
lous.) Here certainly was one of
them.
We discovered growing in the
crevics at the end of our rock and
the adjoining one a tree 8 inches
through, some 40 feet high. The
starlight enabled us to see a fiat rock
little lower than the one we were
on. If we could loosen the roots of
! this tree from the dirt between the
two rocks, drop the top across the
abyss it would answer as a bridge
and thereby cut off their following
| in the morning, which we had every
reason to believe they would at
! tempt to do, but might not take the
unsafe slide we did in order to get
where we were. No sooher said,
we went at it with sharp edge
stones, fingers and hands. The dirt
was soon entirely cleared away from
| its roots with one exception, a long
rot was fast between the rocks, but
! we easily pulled the top over, which
extended far across the opposite
rock, making it absolutely secure.
The questions then arose, would
! we have strength to carry our body
| across? Yes, providing we locked
! our arms over the tree, advancing
our arm instead of over hand. The
| difficulty would be for the first one
| across to raise himself from his
! length in the chasm to the edge of
! the rock and get upon it. ] being
| lighter than the others would make
! the first crossing. They lowered
my body down into the deep hole,
! Winding my arms around our bridge
! l soon, over arm and arm, reached
! the other side, where my uttermost
strength was called into requisition.
Not a word, not a whisper, or the
least move on the part of my COM
rades. They stood in mute anxiety,
knowing the least failure of strength
or nerve, the least deviation from the
only course would send me down,
| down to the bottom.
Reader, they were in greater
suspense of fear than l. All my
thoughts were of those murderous
devils behind us, and a willingness
| that never lessened on either trip
to risk all for sweet liberty. Again
l had no doubt of my ability to
reach that opposite rock, otherwise
/ perhaps my bones to-day would have
| been crumbled and molding in the
sands of that pit
The others came in the same man
ner and with my assistance to them
and our help to all my dear COM
rades, Lytell coming last, as he was
| similar in weight to myself and low
cred himself successfully on to the
tree. We had passed this valley of
death. Nor did we forget to thank
our God for strength and the oppor-
tunity of this miracle. All that
blessed night with the north star
for our guide we crawled along the
mountain side not deviating between
the top and bottom of the mountain
to any dangerous extent.
ITO be Continued