Carrizozo outlook. [volume] (Carrizozo, N.M.) 1910-1945, 1915-03-26

belong TO him; he had appropriated II
elsewhere. | crept about, and across
the body. searching for II In vain, but
I found the rife, and took time TO test
It's flint. and load II.
| was still engaged at this task.
bllndly feeling about In the dark for
everything needed, and always con
ecious OF that dead body beside me,
when / suddenly detected smoke-not
the puff OF powder which still clung to
the passage. but the acrid. pungent
odor of burning wood. Even as | be.
gan to breathe the fumes they In.
creased IN Intensity; the narrow tun.
mel filling rapidly with the smoke
waves, and setting me TO coughing. |
realized at once what had happened.
Mademoiselle's word OF warning com.
ing back to mlnd-they we're burning
the cabin, and through some orllce
the smoke was being swept down into
this underground passage. II there
were no outlet. no way by which It
could escape again 10 the open air, |
must die there In that black hole,
choked and B%unocated. | might Ito
there forever beside this hldeous ne
gro; lie there until our bones rotted.
and We also became earth. The hor-
ror OF tho thought brought me to my
knees. Already tho air was sitting,
my lungs laboring heavily for breath
as the smoke clouds filled the passage.
Only as l bent my nostrils close
against the carthern floor could | find
life.glylng air.
Even In my terror | chung to tho me-
gro's rife desperately. The entrance
leading forth into tho %cave.cellar must
be closed, or the smoke cloud would
never be so dense and suifocating. TO
open II might require strength, tho
blows OF the gun stock. II | retained
power to burst my way through ! must
hurry. Already | felt my head reel
dizzlly, my open lips gulplng for air.
I crept forward recklessly in the dark,
bruising my body against the sides Of
the tunnel, actually feeling the thick
ening smoke swirl about me In dense
clouds. ! gasped for breath, and drew
a bit Of cloth about nose and mouth In
slight protection. ! was p0nic-strick'
en-. overcome by sudden horror, yet
some nature within compelled me Ia
struggle On. Suddenly came to a body
lying %lengthwlse OF the passage, the
head TO the south. This new discovery
was n shock. yet seemed 10 affect me
little.
| crawled over him, as though he
was no more than a stono In the path
yet as ono hand came down In the
dark on the upturned face, | expert
enced n sudden thrill-the flesh wal
warm, the man lived. Barely had MS
numbed mind grasped this helplessly
when my rife barrel, thrust before me
struck the end OF the passage. tho fam
sound OF contact signlfying wood. No
three fc~' extended between the mani
head and this barrier which blocked
us from the outside air. Desperate
half crazed indeed, not only by m!
own situation, but also by the memor!
OF those bodies behind In the dark tun
mel, | found scant knee.room In tn
small space, and fumbled madly abou
for some latch. The surface was o
wood, roughly faced, but smooth, a
Tor what might be n handle In he mid
die. a mere strip, bevelled to give I'm
ger.hold. ! pulled at this In vain; the
pushed with my shoulder against tn
oak, but the wood held firm. Weak n
| was, and IN so crumpled a position,
could bring TO bear but small strength
I To batter the door down was the onl
; hopo left; no matter what noise n
suited, or the possibility OF capture b
+, the savages, | could not lie there an
choke to death In that place OF horro
Better any danger than such a fate.
; drew back and struck, the power {
fear giving strength. TO my arms. Agai
i and again / drove the iron'bound rif
stock against the hard oak. | left III
center and attacked the Sides, feelln
the wood give slightly. Encourage
q by this | %redoubled my efforts, centra
O lzing my blows on one spot. until ce
tain the tightly jammed door was b
ing driven from the groove. II wa
hot and sitting; tho persplratlc
o streamed from me; the smoke was 81
locating, deadly. ! gasped and choke
/. my head swan with dizziness. ! fe
a my strength ebblng away; despa
q clutched me Yet | struck-no long
a with clear intent. but automatlcall
|. driving the heavy gun butt against Il
slowly yielding wood, With every pour
! OF strength ! had left. II seemed rs
I had struck my last blow-l belle
!, now ! had; / believe my body fell wi
/, it, cannot remember clearly-only
"a know the wood gave way, and | Il
~ forward Into lisht and air, my IA
without. my body stlll IN the tunnel.
= Merclful motherl How gulped