Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1919-11-20

swift Tightening round my heart, as
| though black ropes were being dashed
| tightly about 1t, squeezing out my
breath; then entire blackness engulfed
me and / knew no more.
How long lay there in the darkness
cannot tell. All I remember is
| suddenly opening my eyes on intense
blackness and vaguely wondering
| where was. My head seemed entire
| ly detached from my body, Of which
so far / was unconscious. But pres
emily the realization of it returned,
and involuntarily tried to move
to find with a sort of Indifferent mild
surprise that it was impossible.
So there lay, oddly content, in the
dark-the pungent smell Of the earth
my only sensation, and my head use
lessly clear.
| The remembrance of what had hap
pened began to grow in force and
keenness and of a sudden, the thought
| of Calypso smote me like a sword
| Spurped to desperate effort, I stood
| up on the instant and leaned against
a rocky wall. Miracle of miracles I
1 could stand. / was not dead, after
all. was not, indeed, so far as /
could tell, seriously hurt. Badly
| bruised, of course-but no bones bro
ken. (. 1t seemed incredible, but it was
SO. The realization made me feel
weak again. and / sat down with my
back propped up against the rock, and
waited for more strength.
Slowly my thoughts fumbled around
the situation. Then, as by force of
habit, my hand went to my pocket.
God be praisedl / had matches, and
cried with thankfulness, out of very
weakness. But / still sat on in the
dark for while. felt very tired.
| took out my precious matchbox,
which unconsciously / had been hug.
| ging with my hand, and struck light,
looking about me in dazed fashion.
The match burnt down to my fingers,
and / threw it away, as the fame
stung me. / had seen something of
my surroundings, enough to last my
tired brain for minute or two. was
at the bottom of a sort of crevasse,
q narrow cleft in the rocks which con-
tinued on in slanting downward
| chaSm into the darkness. 1t was a
natural corridor, with floor Of white
sand. The sand had accounted for
my coming off without any broken
bones. M
| After another minute or two 7
struck another match, and 10 another
miracle. There was my lantern lying
beside me. The glass of it was bro
ken, but that was no matter. AS I lit
the wick my hopes leapt up with the
flame. At the worst had light.
I swung my lantern aloft, seeking
the possibilities of climb. but every
where it was sheer, without ledge
or protuberance of any kind to take
advantage of, and it was utterly de-
void of vegetation-not a sign Of a
friendly shrub or root to hold by.
had sense enough to know that /
was too tired to think profitably, and
drowsiness coming over me told me
that an hour or two's sleep would give
me the strength / needed to renew
with will and more chances of sue
cess my efforts to escape.
Light was too precious to waste, so
| blew out my lantern, and, curling up
on the sand. almost instantly fell
asleep. But before I lapsed into I'M
consciousness I had clutched hold of
one sustaining thought in the dark
ness-the assurance Of Calypso's safe
ty, SO confidently announced by her
father: 'Don't be afraid for her. /
know my daughter" Whatever hap
pened to me- she would come out all
right. AS her brave shape flashed be-
fore my minds eye, down there under
the earth, could have no doubt of
that. s
My instinct had been right in giving
way to my drowsiness, for woke up
4 from my sleep new man. How long
had been there, of course, I had no
means of knowing; but fancy l must
have slept good while, for / felt so
refreshed and full Of determination to
tackle my escape In good earnest.
had hardly relit my lantern when
It's rays revealed something. which it
seemed impossible for anyone with
+ eyes, however weary, to have over
4 looked. s4.
In the right-hand corner of the
little cavern, five or six feet above my
head, was dark hole, like the en-
trance to tunnel, or, more properly
speaking good-sized burrow--for it
was scarcely more than yard in di-
ameter. 1t seemed to be something
more than a mere; cavity in the rock,
for, when / flashed my lantern up to
1t / could see no end. TO climb up
to 1t at first seemed difficult; but
fprovidentialIy, had a.. stout clasp
1 knife in my pocket. and with this 1
4 cut a step or two in the porous rock.
land So managed it, Lying fat on my
1 stomach, looked'in.
4 1T was, las had thought, narrow