The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-06-01

wiggle through. How far even this
slight passage extended, or what worse
obstruction lay hidden beyond was all
conjecture. It was a mere chance In
which must risk life in hope Of say.
ing tt might become helplessly
wedged beneath the timbers, or any
movement might precipitate upon me
q mass Of loosened earth. It was a
horrid thought, the death Of q burrow-
ing rat; and l dare not let my mind
dwell upon the dread possibility. Slow
~, barely advancing an inch at time.
I began the venture, my hands blindly
cropping for the passage, the cold per.
SEPARATION bathing my body. The far.
Their l 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; I could scarcely force myself
forward, digging fingers and toes into
the hard earth floor, the obstructing
timber scraping my body. 1t was an
awful, heartrending struggle, stretched
out fiat like snake in the darkness,
the loose earth showering me with
each movement. There was more than
one support down; had to double
about to find opening; again and again
I seemed to be against an unsurpas-
sable barrier; twice l dug through a
mass Of fallen dirt, onos for three sol.
i'd feet, throwing the loosened earth
either side OF me, and pushing 1t 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 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 strove proved my salvation.
For what remained Of the roof held,
and struggled through into the firmer
gallery beyond, faint from exhaustion,
yet as quickly reviving in the freshel
air. had reached the end Of the pas.
sage before comprehended the truth.
It opened in the side of gulley, com.
ing out between the roots Of a 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, 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 &C.
ton. every ounce Of energy having
been expended in that last desperate
struggle. lay painting, with eyes
closed. hardly realizing that 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 I shuddered with hor.
ror, as I recognized that dismal open.
Ing into the side Of the hill. Clinging
to the tree trunk I attained my feet,
still swaying from weakness. and was
thus able to glance about over the
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 the sun, few, white, fleecy
clouds sailing high above, already
tinged with red reflection. I must
have been in that earth prison since
the morning Of the previous day; 1t
seemed longer, yet even that expira.
ton of time proved that those who
had imprisoned me there had left me
to die. God! couldn't believe that
not Of her! Clear az the evidence ap.
peared, I yet fought down the thought
bitterly, creeping on hands and knees
over the edge + 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 a low fence enclosing q
garden. I could gain but glimpses Of
the mansion through the Intervening
trees. but 1t was large. imposing, a
SQUARE. old.fashioned house, painted
white. with green shutters. It up.
peared deserted. and no spirals of
smoke assembled from the kitchen
chimney. Apparently not even the
serveots were yet stirring. However,
there was smoke showing farther to
the right, but had to move before
! could see t. cause clearly-the
smouldering rem aims Of what must
have been large barn. advanced in
that direction. skirting the orchard.
and row Of negro cabins. These
were deserted. the doors open, and
two of them exhibited evidences Of
IRE. A storehouse had its door bat.
tered in. huge timber. evidently used
% q ram. lying across tho threshold.
and many Of the boxes and barrels
within had been smashed with axes.
The ground all about had been tram.
pied BY horses hoofs,~ and only
smouldering fragment Of tho stables
remained. -
I staged about perplexed, unable to
4 -