American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1912-09-12

DSNCAIS hClpIGoGlI
wedged beneath the timbers, or any
movement might precipitate upon me
a mass of loosened earth. 1t was a
horrid thought, the 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.
began the venture, my hanG RNlindly
cropping for the passage, heyhA per-
SEPARATION bathing my body. Nx&n-
Their l penetrated amid the de khe
greater became the terms dc ing
me, yet to draw back w1s. ne h
possible. The opening rev kon-
tracted; l could scarcdY los be- ksele
forward. digging ingep gap~ fto
the hard earth floor, theS%H $uetinE
timber scraping my body a ali
awful, heartrending 6kruS!S 4retehea
out fiat like a snah6 yinySRle, darkness.
the loose earth sAowefing 1pe With
each movement. There was more than
one support downy l had to double
about to find opening; again and again
seemed to be against an unsqrpas-
sable barrier; twice dug ,through q
mass of fallen dirk once for three sol
i'd feet, throwing the loosened earth
either side Of me, and p2shing it back
with my feet, thus utterly blocking all
chance Of retreat. Scarcely was this
accomplished when another fall from
above came, half bdrying head and
shoulders, and compellings 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 suffoca-
ton, and the very desperation with
which l strove proved my salvation.
For what remained of the roof held,
and l struggled through into the frmer
gallery beyond, faint from exhaustion,
yet as quickly reviving in the fresher
air. | had reached the end CT the pas
sage before l eomprehended the truth.
1t opened in the side of a gulley, ON
ing out between the roots of a great
tree,
l was a 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 I
was incapable of either thought or ac-
ton, every ounce of energy having
been expended in that last desperate
struggle. | lay painting, with eyes
closed, hardly realizing that l 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 | recognized that dismal open
ing into the side of the hill. Clinging
to the tree trunk | 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, a few, white, f1eecy
clouds sailing high above, already
tinged with red reflection. l must
have been in that earth prison since
the morning of the previous day; it
seemed longer, yet eve 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 as the evidence APP
peared, l yet fought down the thought
bitterly, creeping on hands and knees
0ror +hn adna Of tho karl 10 Whorn T.
l 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 a
garden. l could gain but glimpses Of
the mansion through the intervening
trees, but it was large, imposing, a
square, old-fashioned house, painted
white, with green shutters. 1t sp-
peared deserted, and no spirals of
smoke assembled from the kitchen
chimney. Apparently not wen the
were yet stirring. However,
there was smoke showing farther to
the right, but l had TO move before
/ could see the cause clearly-the
s~mouldering remains of what must
have been a large barn. advanced in
that direction, skirting the orchard,
and a row Of negro cabins. These
were deserted, the doors open, and
two of them exhibited evidences of
fire. A storehouse had its door bat
in, a huge timber. evidently used
as a ram, lying across the 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 a
.smouldering fragment of the stables
remained.
l stared about perplexed, unable to
decipher the meaning Of such de-
;truction. Surely Grant would never
iare such a deed with his unarmed
Besides Elmhurst was the
property of a loyalist, ay! the colonel t
If his regiment. Not even the mad |
less of anger would justify so wanton t
IN not Whatever tho mystery I could =