The Irish standard., 1915-06-12
CHAPTER XIV.
FIRE.

my dismal situation deepened almost
into despair. I had now tried all con-
ceivable devices of getting out Of this
horrible den, and had eaten almost
nothing for SO hours. I did not dare to
pass beyond the precincts of the light
in search of stones. Ny experience Of
being lost, as I had been yesterday in
the darkness, was too terrible. "If am
to perish, I said, "let me perish here in
the light sentiment which I know
was expressed by some one else before
me, cannot now recall by whom,
though I think I knew it then. Every
device had failed. Nevertheless as the
light grew around me determined to
make one more effort to escape by es-
calade. successfully attempted the
two corners Of the incline where it abut-
ted on or approached the rock walls of
my prison, but my efforts were still
more futile than on the first occasion.
I was weak now and strong only in
weakness and misery. drank great
deal of water this day. When night ap-
preached, I was too miserable to sleep.
chewed and even swallowed some to-
bacco, but the succeeding nausea pre-
vented me from doing so again. About
midnight, I fancy, I drank water once
more and fell into a disturbed slumber,
filled with abominable apparitions.
When I awoke. it was twilight and most
still, serene and beautiful about the
family illuminated edges of the caves
mouth. expected this day to be my
last, composed my thoughts to death as
we'll as I could and said my last pray
ers. Nevertheless the strong spirit of
life seemed to flicker up within me
again, and after I had taken deep
draft Of water sat up on my seaweed
couch and searched all my pockets care
fully for any stray crumb which might
yet linger there, conveying anything
that felt like such to my mouth. l was
aware Of certain bitterish taste which
I detected at once as that of gunpowder.
The old canvas jacket which wore on
this occasion was that in which used
to shoot when at home last for the
chums' holidays, and some powder had
escaped from my powder horn, fancy.
However the powder got there, there it
was, and Immediately the thought of
procuring for myself light and fire arose
in my mind. OF timber had ...--.y.
While handling the seaweed I was con-
scious Of perpetually finding my fingers
in contact with bits of wood swept in
thither on the same creste of storm bill
lows which had brought the seaweed.
Though it was still dark, l CROPPED around
industriously, and ere long had collect
ed a considerable quantity of driftwood.
large and small, all exceedingly dry and
brittle, and some cheer touchwood, which
crumbled in my fingers. Choosing q
fat stone, I determined to make it my
hearth and crumbled there little heap
Of the touchwood, making it as fine as
dust. and gathered to the same spot some
OF the timber which had collected.
Then cut from my trousers scrap of
the wooden cloth and after wetting it
rubbed the gunpowder we'll into it's tex
ture. AS soon as I thought it was suf-
ficiently saturated. let it dry, but go
eager was I for the experiment that to
facilitate the drying process, fastened it
to the point Of my rod and held it up
toward the opening of the cave that it
might receive the SUMS rays. When it
seemed to be perfectly dry, took it to
my hearth, and unfolding my strong
claspknife held the rag in my left hand,
and with the right using the knife
struck sparks from the edge of rock.
making them fly onto the powder steep
ed rag. Finding it did not catch fire,
put little dry powder on the surface
of the rag and renewed my efforts. /
felt certain Of success, because at one
time I used to shoot with an old flint
pistol which had accidentally discov-
cred In my fathers bureau, and there
fore knew how instantaneously such a
flying spark will ignite powder. At the
second or third stroke the powder blazed
up with puff and an ascending cloud
Of smoke, and the rag began to burn and
crackle gayly. laid it ON the stone and
sprinkled lightly over it pinches of the
crumbled touchwood, and as this caught
fire sprinlked more in larger quantities.
but still gradually, knowing that too
much fuel would quench the fire. Then
I poured on touchwood less finely bro
ken, and as soon as the glowing mass
seemed large enough breathed upon it
gently and soon had the satisfaction Of
seeing it burst into bright fame. My
delight can be imagined. had now
the means of exploring the whole cave
and Of utilizing all its resources, sdch as
they might be, for the purposes of es-
cape or for food, II haply anything in
the nature of food might be procured
there anywhere. Food indeed had now
become an absolute necessity, if was
not to die. I removed bundle Of my
collected driftwood to distant point
in the interior and made another fire
there. and taking good care not to lose
sight of this proceeded to search all
around for stone such as could remove,
but found none anywhere save large
powders, and in one place the hard,
bare bed of the cave, which here began
to slope downward, not sheer or at
dangerous angle, but very decidedly
downward. I also found a sort Of pock-
ct In the side of the cave-a cave with
in . cave-which was filled with old
timber all very dry and brittle. Here
the cavern seemed to wind and curve
leftward. / made another fire at the
curve and passed onward. Hencefor-
Ward there was nothing but the hard