Potosi journal. (Potosi, Mo.) 1894-1929, 1917-04-11
JUST MISSED DEATH
Mi9SfOkARYrs FEARFUL ExpERt.
ENcE m OLD VAULT.
Co~asclee o. His Two zuiu ~aor~
Nearly Led 10 Diaastsr--v&fe
Helped Eeacpe Him in tho
Nick cf Time,

"A missionary hax TO ~ Il Jacg-y.
lli-sraces," remarked Rev. Ya1s4e
! Collns, who was hcnae ari a fa-ahag.
after twenty years Ia Sa51th Africa
There was an underground room
about e;gh. feet deep ~ s!ght sgaay re
walled With brick and rIAste-ets w.tl
taTed cement, beneath the chiidran'
bedroom IN our mission house st Mo
I,1la; IL was for storing corn. q. rzss-aNe
. as they call II IN Natal ] didn't ik.
TO use II because 1t was 90 damp. and
Tor year had beeu using gatya asz44
Iron tanks that ryetesi and soi6ere<
myself. had almost forgotten Ii.
existence Of the old co-r cellar wh-a
toward the close o. the next rainy sea-
son, We noticed strange. s!cKe-.:ue
o1or pervhding tie house Wien
removed the square wooden Id ore-
one end Of the Old vault. the stencil.
was enough TO knock YOU d0wa. 4
few quarts II nodded Inealie had
been left On the cellar 1a-or; rats Lad
enlarged crack IL one corner &. or
Ger TO s@t at This Icove,6er. and tie
heavy rains haa seep-i through The
rat hole and le.t abcu: SIX Inches of
water, wherein some Of the rats had
drowned themselves, You can i'm.
aGine what The sLae, was Ike.
y ordered MallA and Mu,ya,i. two
gigantic Zulus. 10 clean OF: ,tsa,
vault: bu, they refused. unless I
would Go doHn 6rs. They firmly b.
Eevei that demon dwe,t Ia tia,
black hole,
50 got the .To boys 80 stand over
the trai'door while prepared to de-
scend the short ladder that leaned
ca!lst the wall foot from the open.
Ing. l lowered ra!l On the ezd ot
Il stout rope, which I made Ns!ul
take hold Of, ard then. with E lighted
candle IL one h@11 ard shovel in
the ether, sw-un- down on nv elbows
urtil my feet found the ladder. I
tested II, found II apparently firm.
took another step dovnwaryi; and then
with one last long breath | lei 90 Iny
bold on The door and trustee. my whole
weigh, IL the ladder.
The Ladder was rs rotten as every.
thing else tn that p!. had not taken
n1ore than one step when 1, gave way
with s soft heading scra sh; lily cn--
Gle aickered o0t, and SGT down with
d mighty splash In six inches os muck
Il felt SICK al over. and when I
tried to rise could hardly sagrer 10
my knees. ! touched the rope lied to
.Ae pas!. and graspet 1t a-mly.
pull or the rape cried, and I
gave the cord an anxious jerk. 'Malus..
Mu'yaai, Pull" The whole length Of
rope slipped and Sslashe-t down beside
me. The TWO boys had run OF In a
panic,
Mary, get soEle help quick. I ar,
being poisoned. = l cried 70 Ely wife !
ssu; 90; no answer.
MY temples throhtec. as II they
would burst, my ears res -ed, s:ra nse |
igh,s danced before iry eyes and a !
rso~er,u! hand seemed 10 BE cons,rsc,. |
Ing my :hrnat and ches: 50 .ha. I
could not breathe, was being poi. |
sone! by The noNious cas,s. With q |
tremendous effort drasCe~. myself 70 !
,ly feet, ; 'ast .hen hes ri my wise's
'oloe above the. Can. you ge, ou,Y |,
She called.
''Ths sasuri.,y of the question had |
stimulating eject ui-,n me.
No, os course not" ruarcd nn-
,rtly. THE ladder is h-uken. fe,,
ny knees rNoc away. and | enac,, |
st,h a cry Ike that of 8 sick child, |
Help"
lrn'. sct mad she soo,hed. 4
,aNe been Sf'r- those boys H,-c's
aalus!. Where's the roy, y She hxJ
'r-saade<! 'hS; hig 2u!u baby 10 r,~
urf. He was as strong IS au OK. rs,
had droDpcd the rope uhcu | had
i'rusE,ey! ~ my feet. It's here a, my
,s't, hu, doar dare 10 ~ after It.
sewer ess : called
What =" MY w-:te sSsls~.: then she
allied out csc~,rclly. Well, nevs-
a;nd; st~sp w your courase. III
Stch snothcr rope
"1--rr- a!rs:! can, last much
.strer' fal't->}.
My wife answered promptly, 'Herc.
aen. MaiUs, vii! r,ach dow Il his hand.
ialuI. reach Gown yo0r hand Grab
old"
As she siSSe fel, the hand of the
attve touch my hair. I clu.ches. Il
AID then | p-tssg hEiH all
yer. huV | fcl' him e., his other
aaa In tie cVala- III lay shirt, Wtaca
cstIc s,'. wa> yang ou,&saors un the
ss>>, and the r',a:it neNSsr st~a.,d 81,
rssat ana fair aS Il ID shea Yoa
~, aS s4%sn IS Ms|usl Rad ~. bis
Tsaws C,s ire | w=.s safe: hu,
: = mystery ta sas sssw he evnc
rs1reD>i rsse out q ;hSt hale. srr,',a.
< he is NJ wffe says size hssy,~i.
~. whsca. u c<Srs.'. cx,AlAsas every.
Itpc'
THAT aste.Gcoa- With nca ladder
"a plenty ~ Nr.~-s The Zasus cleaned
~ the ~ al'. sni ,Ae seXt day lwent I
c@n rySsh and cvt,nie~i the rat,
n,,'. aud s,,lasAci lot ~ sySod. ei.nsn.
~ tar raund. ag3 ~, Jos Mas d.slc.-
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