Middletown transcript., 1920-03-13
SAW DEATH CLOSE
Circuit Rider Looked Into Eyes Of
Grim Reaper.
Narvelous 4scape From 0estructlo"
q Natural Tunnel In Virginia
Could Almost Be classed
q Z Miracle.

In both the Natural tunnel in Scott
county, Virginia, and the Natural
bridge in Rockbridge county, deep
and narrow deflle between two hills
II spanned by q huge mass of rock.
over which . public highway passes.
The Natural bridge Is more widely
known. Travellers have written about
II for perhaps two centuries. and Elihu
Burritt describes 1t in the "Scene at
the Natural Bridge in Virginia" a Sc
lection that has won many prizes In
youthful contests in defamation. But
the Natural tunnel was once the scene
Of q real incident, that, while 1t last
ed, was Just as thrilling as the imag-
mary one Mr.. Burritt describes in his
defamation.
It was witnessed by no spectators
and It had only two participants.
horse and q Methodist circuit rider.
Yet into a brief space Of time 1t crowd
ed suspense and agony as terrible as
a human being can endure.
Soon after the close Of the Civil
war Rev. Il. q. Neal was sent to
travel a circuit in Scott county, which
included the Natural tunnel within Its
bounds. Returning one Monday morn
ing from a charge where he had
preached the day before. his route led
him over the tunnel, and he stopped
to enjoy the view from its summit.
Now, the surface Of the tunnel on
each side Of the highway is covered
with q low growth Of bushes, ard on
its southern side, from which the view
~ more remarkable, It is comparative
" level to within short distance OF
the edge, where it begins a gradual
but constantly increasing slope down.
ward.
Turning from the highway, the
preacher rode through the bushes, in
tending to hitch his horse and then
proceed on foot. But in winding about
he had gone farther than he had sus-
pected. Feeling the animal slide for
ward, he checked him and saw sud-
denly that the yawning chasm was
only a short distance away. He was
now on the edge Of the downward
slope with only some small bushes
growing between him and the abyss.
Apprehending as yet no real danger,
he quietly gazed into the immense
void, when his horse again suddenly
slipped forward. Rain had fallen the
night before, and the thin coating OF
dirt was soft and yielding. The rider
now attempted to turn his horses
head. Once more the animal slipped
forward. All at once he saw that he
actually was in an extremely perilous
situation. The slope was becoming
sleeper, and as the horse kept slip
ping forward the edge Of the chasm
was getting nearer. The rider, thor.
oughly alarmed, drew hard on the
reins and soothed the horse with soft,
encouraging words. Intending to throw
himself from the saddle, he relaxed
slightly on his hold on the reins; but
at once the animal again began slip
ping. He drew hard again, and for an
instant stopped the slipping. Then.
almost imperceptibly, 1t continued.
Preacher and horse trembled in fear.
It seemed as II the chasm were reach
ing up invisible hands to pull them
down.
At that terrible moment the sliding
suddenly ceased, and the horse sank
to his launches. Cautiously, the rider
slipped from the saddle and seized a
low, stout shrub with Que hand while
he held the reins in the other. Crawl
ing upward the length Of the reins, he
caught another shrub, and turned the
horses head. The animal struggled
to his feet and followed the rider to
the summit. Here the trembling horse
stood painting, and the rider lay on
the ground so overcome with weak
ness that it was some time before he
was able to walk.
Returning on foot to the scene Of
the narrowly averted tragedy when
he had recovered his strength, he saw
that a ridge of flint protruding above
the limestone had caught the animals
feet and had held the weight Of horse
and rider in that perilous moment
Youths Companion.