Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-05-03

died in the socket. leaving me in .
blackness 30 profound it was like q
weight. For the moment | was prac-
tically paralyzed by fear, my muscles
limp, my limbs trembling. Yet to en-
deavor to push forward was no more
to be dreaded than to attempt retrac-
ing my steps. In one way there was
hope; In the other none.
With cropping fingers I verified the
situation, as that brief glance ere the
candle failed had revealed II, A beam
had fallen, letting down q MAS Of
earth, but was wedged in such 4 way
as to leave q small opening above the
floor, barely sufficient for q man to
wiggle through. How far even this
slight passage extended, or what worse
obstruction lay hidden beyond was ell
conjecture It was q mere chance in
which I must risk life in hope OF saw
ing it might become helpkssly
wedged beneath tho timbers, or any
movement might precipitate upon me
a mass Of loosened earth. 1t was a
horrid thought, tho death Of a burrow-
Ing rat; and / dare not let my mind
dwell upon the dread possibility. Slow
ly, barely advancing an inch at a time,
l began the venture, my hands blindly
cropping for the passage, the cold per-
spiration bathing my body. The far
Their / penetrated amid the debris, the
greater became the terror dominating
me, yet to draw back WAS next to I'M
possible. The opening grew more con-
tracted; / could scarcely force myself
forward, digging fingers and toes into
the hard earth floor, the obstructing
timber scraping my body. 1t was an
awful, h~eartrendlnS struggle. stretched
out fiat like a snake in the darkness,
the loose earth showering me with
each movement. There was more than
one support down; l had to double
about to find opening; again and again
/ seemed to be against an unsurpas-
sable barrier; twice I dug through q
mass Of fallen dirt, onoe for three sol
i'd feet, throwing the loosened earth
either side of me, and pushing it back
with my feet, thus utterly blocking all
chance OF retreat. Scarcely was this
accomplished when another fall from
above came. half burying head and
shoulders, and compelling me to do
the work over The air grew foul and
sluggish, but I was toiling for life, and
dug at the debris madly. reckless Of
what might fall from above. Better
to be crushed than to die Of sufoca-
ton. and the very desperation with
which l strovs proved my salvation.
For what remained Of the roof held.
and I struggled through into tho frmer
gallery beyond. fa!nt from exhaustion,
yet as quickly reviving in the fresher
air. I had reached the end Of the pas-
sage before I comprshended the truth.
1t opened in the side Of q gulley, com
ing out between the roots of 4 great
tree,
was q wreck In body and mind, my
face streaked with earth, my hair
filled with dirt, my clothing torn and
disreputable. Laboring for breath, my
fingers raw and bleeding, I lay there,
with scarcely enough strength remain
ing to keep from rolling to the bottom
of the ravine. For some moments /
was incapable Of either thought or ac-
ton, every ounce Of energy having
been expended in that last desperate
struggle. l lay painting, with eye
closed. hardly realizing that I was in
deed alive. Slowly, throb by throb,
my heart came back into regularity of
beat, and my brain into command. My
eyes opened, and %shuddered with hor-
ror. as l recognized that dismal open
ing into the side OF the hill. Clinging
to the tree trunk ! attained my feet,
still swayins from weakness. and was
edge Of the bank, and gain some con-
ception Of my immediate surroundings.
1t was early dawn. the eastern sky
that shade Of pale gray which pre-
cedes tho sun, q few, white, deecy
clouds sailing high above, already
tingsd with red reflection. I must
have been In that earth prison since
the morning Of the previous day; 1t
seemed longer. yet W. that e1pira-
ton of time proved that those who
had imprisoned mo there had left me
to die. God! couldn't believe that
not Of her! Clear a. tho evidence ap-
peared, I yet fought down the thought
bitterly. creeping on hands and knees
over the edge Of the bank, to where
I could sit on the grass. and gaze
about In the growing light. The house
was to the left, an apple orchard be-
tween, and Z low fence enclosing =
garden. / could gain but glimpses Of
the mansion through the intervening
trees, but 1t was large, imposing, =
square, old-fashioned house. painted
white, with green shutters. 1t ap-
pearsd deserted. and no sp!rals of
smoke ascended from the kitchen
chimney. Apparently not yer the
servants were yet stirring. However,
there was smoke showing farther to
the right. but I had to move before
! could see the cause clsariy-ths
smoulderng remains Of what must
have been . largo barn. advanced IN
that direction, skirtinS the orchard.
and . row Of negro cabins. These
were deserted. the doors open, and
two Of them exhibited evidences Of
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