The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1913-03-27

nv NSoAS W lSpCaNs dAlhOu6h - "a 49,
no actual danger for some distance.
Old Mortimer had built his TUNE! well,
and through all the years 1t had held
safely, except where water had soaked
through, rotting the timbers. The
candle was sputtering with a final ef-
fort to remain alight when l came to
the first serious obstruction. had
barely time in which to mark the ma
ture Of the obstacle before the flame
died In the socket, leaving me In a
blackness so profound it was like a
weight. For the moment i was prRc-
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 n way there was
hope; in the other none.
With cropping fingers l verified the
situation, as that brief glance ere the
candle failed had revealed 1t. Al beam
had fallen, letting down a mass of
earth, but was wedged in such a way
as to leave a small opening above the
floor, barely sufficient for a man to
wiggle through. How far even this
slight passage extended, or what worse
obstruction lay hidden beyond was all
conjecture. 1t was a mere chance in
which must risk life In hope Of saw
ing tt might become helplessly
wedged beneath the timbers, or n
movement might precipitate upon me
a mass Of loosened earth. It 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,
l began the venture, my hands blindly
cropping for the passage, the cold per-
SEPARATION bathing my body. The far
Their ! penetrated amid the debris, the
greater became the terror dominating
me, yet to draw back was next to inn
possible. The opening grew more con-
tracted; l 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 a snake in the darkness,
luC iOO0O SuAlh u lie III VAIN
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 / dug through a
mass of fallen dirt, once for three SOL
Id 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 suffoca-
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 fresher
air. l had reached the end of the pas
sage before ! comprehended the truth.
1t opened in the side Of a gulley, com
ing u between the roots of a great
tree,
/ was a wreck in body and mind, my
face streaked with earth, my hair
filed with dirt. my clothing torn and
disreputable. Laboring for breath, my
fingers raw and bleeding. l 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. Ny
eyes opened, and I shuddered with hor
ror, as / recognized that dismal open
ing into the side of the hill. Clingint
to the tree trunk / attained my feet
still swaying from weakness, and wa,
thus able to glance about over tn,
edge of the bank, and gain some con
ception of my immediate surroundings
1t was early dawn. the eastern SKI
that shade of pale gray which pre-
cedes the sun, a few, white, fieecy
clouds sailing high above, alread,
tinged with red reflection. / mus
have been In that earth prison sine.
the morning Of the previous day: 4
seemed longer, yet even that expira
ton OF time proved that those VIII,
had imprisoned me there had left m
/ to die. God! I couldn't believe that
I not of her! Clear as the evidence an
peared, ! yet fought down the though
: bitterly. creeping IN hands and knee
over the edge of the bank, to wher
t0aId sit on the grass, and gaz
: about In the growing light. The hous
was to the left. an apple orchard bs
Z tween. and a low fence enclosing
+ garden. / could gain but glimrses q
the mansion through the i~nteryenin
trees, but 1t was large. imposing.
square, old-fashioned house. painte
white. with green shutters. II a,
peared deserted. and no spirals I
smoke assembled from the kitche
chimney. Apparently not even n
servants were yet stirring. Howsxs
tAsrp ~ smoke shoving saxtAss +,