The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-06-19
a good deal of those edges into fluff,

olIuCh tuo TUCK dSdAA Will my knife,
and at the first spark which went right
ly into the tow the latter caught fire.
spluttering and fixing up gloriously.
I had my little heap of crumbled touch
wood ready at hand all this time. In
short, after very few minutes stood
beside large and brightly burning fire.
There was plenty of timber at hand for
the feeding of it. The whole cave was
brilliantly lighted up-roof, sides and
the level floor of dark but cleaning
water. So much of the cave as was lust
above the water was nearly quite round
and presented the appearance of an in
verted bowl. After short observation
of the blowhole, turned my attention
to the pocket. The entrance was not
wide, but the cave within expanded into
great dimensions. As knew, however,
that this pocket, huge pouch or what.
ever it might be termed, was no better for
me than q blind alley, leading l knew not
whittier, postponed its exploration. l
was not here to make discoveries, but to
make my way out it by Gods grace
and my own swimming and diving 1t
might in any way be effected. 1t was
now low water, as I judged by the ap.
pearance of the ledge. Then, unfasten.
ing my clew and commencing myself
to the protection Of the Almighty, ]
swan across the pool to the place wher,
knew was the entrance of the tunnel,
and dived. AS had knots all along
the line marking the yards. knew on
actly the rate of my progress. had
not gone 10 yards when, feeling moth
Ing above me with my right hand,
slowly rose and presently found my head
above water. This was an unexpected
good fortune. I had found my second
blowhole. I was certainly 10 yards
nearer to the sea, and how many more
besides would depend on the size of this
second cavern. swan round it's edge
and found that it was of exceedingly
small dimensions, only about three yards
in diameter-in fact, quite literally a
blowhole and nothing else. 1t had
this advantage, however-that the en-
trance of the continuation of the tunnel
was apparent, or, more correctly, palpa-
BILE. l felt the edge of the tunnel quite
distinctly with my feet and the move
ment of the water there, for the tide had
turned. Again I dived and continued
cropping forward to distance of IA
yards, but still felt the rock above me.
Most reluctantly turned back at this
point, for knew that good half of my
power of retaining breath was exhaust
ed. My return journey, however, was
the easier, for I assisted myself by draw
ing on the line, which was excellent,
strong whipcord. Yet even SO, was
almost at the farthest limit of my
powers when I reached the small blow
hole. There remained for few min
utes, blowing and painting My return
thence to the cup shaped cave where my
fire burned was easy. Moreover. could
see before me- the reflection of the light
in the water, which had upon my mind
the effect OF friendly reckoning and
welcoming hand. Cla,nbering up to
my fire, sat down beside it, brooding
and pondering. 1t was now plain to me
that escape by the seals tunnel was only
possible on one condition-viz, that i
should stake my life on the chances,
they being enormously against sue
cess. knew that in my dive from the
Second blowhole toward the sea had
done my very best-sone forward to the
last yard, exhausting the full half OF
my power of holding my breath. True,
there might have been a breathing place
one yard beyond the point at which l
had turned back, but then again there
might not be any such blowhole at all
between the second of my breathing
places and the sea, and from that point
to the sea on the assumption that the
tunnel ran quite straight there was a
distance of more than 100 yards accord
ing to the most favorable computation.
Were to dive again from the second
blowhole with no intention of returning,
only with the intention of pushing for
ward till should lie drowned or find
another breathing spot, I might make "a
yards, or even by desperate determine
ton and such power as God might gra-
ciously give me make even 80 yards.
Then, should I meet with no breath
ing place. would be miserably
smothered and drowned. 1 knew that
if were to make this desperate stroke
for freedom the sooner delivered it the
better, tor my physical strength, owing
to diet of fish repeated day after day,
was failing. In mind was still vigor-
GUS, but physically I was decidedly
weaker than when entered the cavern.
A few days before this endeavored to
move a pebble which the day after my
Imprisonment had been able to raise
a little, though not SO far as to turn it
right over. On this second occasion
could only just stir it in its place. Aft
er awhile I got up and explored the cav
ern, lighting new fires at convenient in
tervals. It was indeed great and au-
gust chamber of rock, fit to be the tenn
pie Of some gloomy superstition, but l
discovered there nothing of any impor-
lance, not even sound timber. This
pocket, like the great cavern, had not
been visited by tho sea for many years.
The drift timber there, though abundant
enough, crumbled as I handled it.
covered up the embers Of the fire near
the blowhole with ashes to keep it alive
and returned through the tunnel to my
own cave. That evening I brooded long
and earnestly over the dreadful prob
lem. The making of steps along the
slope up to Curry's Window would be
the work of years. If I adopted
that other desperate alternatives de-
spairing, headlong and rushing dive
through the tunnel would either es-