The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1919-11-21

said to myself, must mean death.
1t came with sudden crunching pain, Il
swift tightening round my heart, as
though black y were being dashed
tightly about it, squeezing ont my
breath; then entise b~iackness eng,Ined
me and l knew no more.
= r y
How long l lay there in the darkness
| cannot tell. All | remember is
suddenly opening my eyes on intense
biacknesS and vaguely wondering
where I was. My head seemed entire
~ detached from my body. Of which |
so far I was unconscious. But pres
entity the realization of it returned,
and in~voluntarily l tried to move
Ia find with Il sort OF Indifferent mild
surprise that it was impossible.
SO there / lay, oddly content, in the
dark-the pungent smell of he earth
my only sensation, and my heaG use
lessly clear.
The remembrance of what had hap
pened began to grow in force and
keenneSS and, of q sudden. the thought
of Calypso Smote me like q sword
Spurred to desperate effort, l stood
| up on the instant and leaned against
a rocky wall. Miracle of miracles!
| could stand. was not dead. after
ali. / 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 fumhled around
the situation. Then, as by force of
habit, my hand went to my pocket.
God be praised. / had matches, and
| cried with thankfulness, out of very
dark for a while. | felt very tired.
After thinking about it for u long time,
O cut my precious matchbox.
which uncOnsciously l had been hug
ging with my hand. and struck u light,
looking about me in a dazed fashion.
The match burnt down TO my fingers,
and l threw it away, AS the flame
SIuIlS lie. l uuu SttI1 SCIltlHiIS oI
my surroundings. enough to last my
tired brain for Il minute or two. l was
at the bottom of Il sort of CrevaSSe,
Il narrow cleft in the rocks which o n
tinued on in a slanting downward
chasm into the darkness. 1t was a
natural corridor. with Il floor of white
sand. The sand had accounted for
-, a,~,:,. 80 .I .I@
bones.
After another minute or two 7
struck an5ther match, and 10! another
miracle. There was my lantern lying
beside me. The glass of it was bro
ken, but thai was no matter. As | lit
the wick my hopes leapt up with the
flame. At the worst ] had light.
l swung my lantern aloft, seeking
the possibilities OF a climb. but every
where it was sheer, without IA ledge
or protuberance of any kind to take
advantage of. and it was utterly de-
void of vegetatiOn-nOt IL sign of a
friendly shrub or root to hold by.
/ had enough to know that l
was too tired to think profitab!y, and
drowsiness coming over me told me
that an hour or two's sleep would give
me the strength / needed to renew
with u will and more chances of sue
cess my efforts to escape.
Light was O precious to waste, SO
l blew out my lantern. and, curling ny
on the sand. almost instantly fell
asleep. But before l lapsed into I'm.
consciousness / had clutched hold OF
n sustaining thought in he dark.
ness-the assurance Of Calypso's safe
ty. SO confidently announced by hed
father: Don't be afraid for her.
know my daughter Whatever hap
pened to me, she would come out al
right. AS her brave shape flashed be
fore my minds eye, down there unde,
the earth, l could have no doubt OF
that.
My instinct had been right in giving
way to my drowsiness. for | woke uI
from my sleep a new man. How lons
/ had been there, of course. l had nc
means of knowing; hut I fancy | mus
have slept q good while. for I felt $,
refreshed and full of determination tt
tackle my escape in good earnest.
had hardly relit my lantern viel
it's rays revealed something which i
seemed impossible for anyone Will
eyes, however weary. to have over
looked.
In the right-hand corner of thu
/ little cavern, five or six feet above my
l head. IA a dark hole, like the en-
! trance to Il tunnel. or, more properl,
! speaking a gOOd-sized burrow-for i
was scarcely more han a yard in di
ameter. 1t seemed to be somethins
more than a mere cavity in the rock
for, when l flashed my lantern up tt
5 it | could see no end. To climb W
t to it at first seemed difficult bu
p~rOvidentially, / had a stout claSI