The Irish standard., 1915-06-05

~
sought to inspect tho fabulous SNUG
gler's storchOusc.
climb the smooth sides of their prison.
My own futile efforts to climb the slope
suggested a ludicrous resemblance to the
frustrated energies of those insects.
Again and again addressed myself to
different parts Of the smooth slope, but
nowhere could secure a purchase forl
hands or knees. LAT revocare gradum
superasque evadere ad awras. Hic la
Dor, hoe opus" murmured. I wasl
not yet alarmed; yet, as If far down inl
the depths of my NATURE was conscioust
of a dim formless emotion which neverI
experienced before.
Still certain that I would in some
way escape, l sought the point where
the incline abutted on the wall of
the cave, sure that could get up in|
the angle so formed by the support
of the craggy sides there. tried first
on the left. Here, however, tho incline
seemed to break of sharp. l found this
out Of course by my sense of touch.
Then, creeping over huge smooth bowl
ders and the aforesaid heaps of seaweed,
reached the other wall and found It'll
ragged indeed and AUDITING on the in
cline, but at this point the incline was|
almost sheer. In short, could not
ascend. Tho farof emotion, scarcely
perceptible when quoted those hack
neyed lines from Virgil, was now fast
getting the upper hand in my mind.
Nevertheless made frantic efforts to|
ascend, but all in vain. Again thought
Of the cockroach in the glass trap-the
wretched insects clambering and slid
ing on the smooth walls of their prison.
But did not laugh this time. was,
too, like them. Yet did not in the
least despair Of getting out-if not to-
night, which was improbable, then to-
morrow. knew that there were many
devices to be tried yet. For ono thing
! thanked God sincerely-the place
where fell was carpeted thick with
seaweed. On each side there was none.
Whatever tho gales or tho crests of
great waves in winter had thrown in
had been washed down through the in.
terstices of the great powders and prob
ably escaped at some lower point in the
cliffs sides. sat down on this provi-
Dental seaweed to collect my thoughts.
l filled my pipe and then searched all
my pockets, hoping somewhere to dis
cover q match, for ! used to keep loose
matches inditferently in all my pockets
and often had found one hidden some
where in the lining. My search was
bootless. had not match left.
1t was growing dark rapidly. I had
no time to lose, for even if were to ef-
feet my escape from this Internal cave
would require daylight for the return
journey along that dangerous cliff road.
I proceeded at once to gather together
all tho seaweed that l could lay my
hands on and piled it up in heap
against tho incline. AS the heap rose
my heart rose with 1t. There seemed
an abundance of seaweed. could feel
it thick under my feet. Its cracking
sounded pleasantly, for it was very dry.
Still had to go farther and farther into
tho cave for each armful or barth, to use
local word, for it did not lie every
where, but, as it were, in line running
inward from the middle of the incline.
Here, then, lay road of 'seaweed few
feet wide, but on either hand only bare
stones. 1t was now getting SO dark that
| at last determined to give over this la
Dor, for it would be sheer madness to at
tempt the return journey in the dark.
A sinister suspicion, too, was growing.
in my mind that the supply of seaweed
was giving out. My last armfuls repre-
sented good deal of cropping. The sea-
weed only seemed to be really abundant
close under the window. l did not wishl
to make my suspicion a certainty by |
putting the facts to too close test. The
thought Of the anxiety and alarm of my
parents and family, as may be imagined.
contributed good deal to my unhsppit
ness. When ceased working, began
to grow cold, and soon very cold. The
seaweed was quite dry and crisp. piled
q great deal Of this over me by way of
bed clothes, and, thanks to youth and
health, ere long fell sound asleep In
spite of my troubles. When l awoke,
it was broad daylight, and the level
rays of the cum streamed far into the
interior Of the cave, which seemed Of
vast extent. Indeed guessed as much
on the previous night as listened to
the reverberations of my voice in it's
abysmal hollows. Starting up, at once
renewed my task of collecting seaweed
with the object of ascending the incline
by its aid.
IT, ha Continual 4