The Dolores star., 1919-12-19

I said to myself. must mean death.
1t came with sudden crunching pain. a
swift tightening round my heart. as
though black ropes were being lushed
tightly about It. squeezing out my
breath; then entire blackness engulfed
me and l knew no more.
How long lay there in the darkness
1 cannot tell. All remember Is
suddenly opening my eyes on intense
blackness and vaguely wondering
where l was. My head seemed entire
iy detached from my body, of which
so far l was unconscious. But pres
emily the realization of it returned,
to find With sort Of Indifferent mild
surprise that it was impossible.
So there l lay, oddly content, in the
dark-the pungent smell of the earth
my only sensation. and my head use
!essly clear.
The remembrance OF what had hap
pened began to grow In force and
keenness and. of sudden, the thought
of Calypso smote me like a sword
| Spurred to desperate effort. stood
up on the instant and leaned against
rocky wall. Miracle of miracles
l could stand. was not dead. after
all. l was not. indeed. so far as
could tell, seriously hurt. Badly
| bruised, of course-but no bones bro
| ken. 1t seemed incredible, but 1t was
| so. The realization made me feel
\ypaR AGAIN I ~
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 praised had matches, and
| cried with thankfulness, out of very
weakness. But still sat on In the
dark for while. felt very tired
After thinking about 1t for long time,
took out my precious matchbox.
which unconsciously l had been hug,
ging with my hand, and struck a light,
looking about me in daZed fashion.
The match burnt down to my fingers,
and l threw 1t away, as the flame
stung me. l had seen something of
my surroundings, enough to last my
tired brain for minute or two. I was
at the bottom of sort Of crevasse,
narrow cleft in the rocks which con-
tiaued on in slanting downward
chasm into the darkness. 1t was
natural corridor, with floor of white
sand. The sand had accounted for
my coming off without any broken
bones.
After another minute or two
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 lit
the wick my hopes leapt up with the
flame. At the worst l had light.
swung my lantern aloft, seeking
the possibilities of climb. but every
where 1t was sheer, without a ledge
or protuberance of any kind to take
advantage of, and 1t was utterly de-
void of vegetation-not sign Of a
friendly shrub or root to hold by.
l had sense enough to know that I
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 l 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 lapsed into un-
consciousness l 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, I could have no doubt of
that.
My instinct had been right in giving
way to my drowsiness. for woke up
: from my sleep a new man. How long
l had been there, of course, / had no
means of knowing; but fancy must
have slept good while. for felt SO
refreshed and full of determination to
tackle my escape In good earnest.
1 had hardly relit my lantern when
Its rays revealed something which II
seemed Impossible for anyone with
eyes, however weary, to have over
looked.
In the right-hand corner of the
little cavern, five or six feet above nv
head. was dark hole, like the en-.
trance to a tunnel, or, more properly
speaking good-sized burrow-for 1t
was scarcely more than yard in d.
ameter. 1t seemed to be something
more than mere cavity In the rock,
for, when 1 flashed my lantern up to
1t could see no end. To climb up
to 1t Mt first seemed difficult; but
providentially, had a stout clasp