Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-03-21
Gerald's Narrow Escape =
Eunice WhittOn

| u,
almost the size of baby elephant, ant
not very tall, was called Shorty, start
ed on a certain Tuesday morning lr
June, to go camping near Parks Forks
| for week.
The day after they arrived they de.
| cided to go fishing, take their dinner
with them and spend the day.
They didn't have very much success
at fishing, so started home early, eacf
| taking a different route to see whicf
would arrive at camp first.
Shorty and Ed arrived almost at the
same time but Gerald did not come
Half an hour went by. An hour gone
| and still Gerald had not come.
At last they became so anxious as Il
was now almost dark and the boys hat
planned always to be together as the
sun went down. They started out tt
find Gerald if possible.
They went in the direction from
which they thought he would come
back to camp. The boys stayed within
calling distance Of each other because
they were afraid they would become
| lost.
After searching In vain for almost
two hours they returned to the camp
| trying to decide what to do, let Gerald
find his way back alone, or, as soon as
it was light, start again to hunt fol
him.
We will now leave Ed and Shorty
and go with Gerald.
When Gerald started from the stream
he decided to find something interest
ing to tell his chums when he arrived
at camp.
Seeing a snake dart across his path
he decided to follow it but as it ran sc
swiftly, he only followed it a short dis
lance When he stopped he found ne
was standing near a wall Of stone on
hillside and on. this wall was heavy
growth Of vines and In one place II
looked as if they had been torn apart
by frequent opening Of that place. In
vestigating he found a door and by
slipping stick in it he could take hold
of it and open it, so he entered.
The door closed with a bang after
him and he was in the dark. Oh, how
unlucky that he had left his flash
light at camp. Thinking that If he
looked around a short time he would
have sonnet nc to tell the boys about
He felt along the wall and and soon
came to a standstill because he had
he thought he ran against it with
enough force to knock anything that
was less solid than the wall over He
turned and continued his wandering In
different direction.
Still feeling along the wall he
found knob. He tried to open the door
but 1t was locked. Looking in the key
hole he saw it was light behind the
door, Listening he heard people talk
| in room somewhere near the. one in
| which there was light. $500
Realizing that he was in danger OF
being found by the owners OF those
voices and thinking it probably would
be much more pleasant to be outside
than with those people. for he was GER
tain they were outlaws or something
of that sort, turning around he start
ed back toward the door.
Finally he reached the door, but alas
it was locked by some means which he
with his few matches, could not dis
cover. He was very uncertain what tc
do but thinking it over he decided thai
as his life was limited to only few
hours or perhaps a few minutes, it die
not matter much what he did.
He sat down. leaned against the wal
and thought Being so tired, because OF
the days fishing and drowsy, because
the air was so warm, he went to sleep
He did not know how long he slept but
when he woke up he decided to take
another walk and see if he could moi
find some other opening. Everything
did not seem so blue now Is when hi
| first found that the door was locked.
While walking and thinking he rar
| into a door which opened very quickl!
and quietly. He stood very still for q
few moments which seemed hours tt
him but finally, hearing nothing tc
alarm him he began investigating
, Striking a match he looked around the
| room. He saw no one and also no 9TH
er entrances except the one by which
he entered In the door was key, sc
now. he thought, I can lock myself ir
here and no one can enter.
But he sat down and returned tc
| thinking. But listen. he hears voice!
| approaching so he jumped up ant
concealed himself behind the door. The
two owners of the voices passed by the
| door.
Gerald suddenly thought that per.
haps these men were going out and b,
following them he could escape, 81
| followed the voices. While following
the voices he turned so many corner:
and went so many different direction:
that he was afraid that he would e
so far from the room in which he was
| going to stav concealed, that he coulC
not find his way back.
| Suddenly no longer could he hear thu
voices. but there in front Of him wa:
| the daylight.
Oh, how welcome was the SUNSHINE
to Gerald who thought he would neve
see 1t again.
AS soon as he could become accum
toned to the light he tried to find on
where he was. To his Amusement h
found that he was at the same place
| that he had entered.
| TIe started back to camp and was 81
happy that he had to shout and the1
commence running When he came IL
sight of the tent he began to fly or a
least he thought he was so nearly fly
i ing that the birds were racing witt
| him.
I Darling around the corners Of tn
tent he shouted to the Respondent boy
i "Hello boys, I'm back
! The boys were very much excite
and Of course were very anxious t
| know where he had been and all tn
particulars.
He told them to bring something t
ct because he was hungry. They hast
ened to do his bidding and while h
was doing Justice to the food he toll
them all about his visit to the cave
his escape and return home.
! Eunice Wilton,
Mnra1-io