The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1938-11-24
CHAPTER -IV-Continued

3
Holding my torch in my teeth, I
inspected the four holdings care
fully, one by one There was nothing
to choose between them: all were
apparently sound. I put my torch
away, and tested the bars them
selves. The first was not rock
steady: the second, however, might
have been part of the tower.
Clinging to the cage like some
ape, 1 fought to loosen the first,
and when I stopped to take breath,
could move it an eighth of an
inch.
But for the cage, I could never
have done what I did. AS it was,
I could work with freedom, and,
when I was tired, I could rest: and
this without the dragging, deadly
oppression of what I will call self
support. Never at any time was I
holding my own weight up.
Without the mallet, the chisel was
of no use, and could not have used
them together, because I had to
hold on: but by working the bar to
and fro, I gradually crushed the
cement which was lying within the
sockets between the bar and the
stone.
After nearly half an hour this bed
ding was gone, and I could move the
bar sideways a full two inches each
way: but wrench it out, I could
not, and after a little I knew that
its ends had been purposely bent
to defeat the very object I had in
view. I could loosen, but could
not displace it, unless I had the
strength to pull a stone from the
tower.
Now the bars had been set in the
wall four inches apart. By hold
ing my bar to one side, I now had
a space of six inches between that
bar and the next. But that was not
wide enough After a moment
or two, began to try to loosen the
second bar.
AS well try to shake statue-or
so it seemed. AS I have said, the
thing was a part of the tower. But
after ten frantic minutes ] felt it
stir.
I stopped for a moment to rip off
my tie and collar and let them drop.
Then fell upon that bar, like man
possessed.
twenty-five minutes went by be-
fore I had the sockets clear of ce-
ment.
If I moved the two bars I had
loosened as far apart as I could,
I now had a space of eight inches
through which to pass: but, short of
displacing a bar, / could have no
more, for the iron of which they
were wrought was not to be bent.
I have sometimes heard said that
where mans head will enter, there
his body can pass. On that exact
ing night I proved that saying I'M
true. I could put my head into
the cage, but, do what I would, I
could not pass my body between the
bars.
Three feet below me, / saw Eliz-
abeth's upturned face. She was
standing on Herrick's shoulders,
leaning against the wall.
what is it?" I whispered. "What
is it?"
leave it, Richard. You must.
No man could do any more, but it
can't be DONE"
IT was the phrase she used that
opened my eyes.
"No man could do any more"
Perhaps. But a woman could.
Listen" I said, you've come in
the nick of time. Can you see these
bars? The two middle ones are
splayed: but I can't move them far
Their apart, and I'm too big to get
through. But you can pass easily
and the window is open beyond !.
Very well. In a minute I'm going
to lean down and pick you up, but
not by your hands-by your belt.
Put your hands above your head, as
though you were going to dive: and
when you come up to the bars, just
wriggle your way between them and
get knee on the SILL"
Without a word, she put up her
hands as said, and I disposed my
self as well as l could.
Holding fast with my left to a
cross-bar, I reached my right hand
down till I touched the small of
her back. Then I took her by the
belt of her breeches and lifted her
up.
She could not have played her part
better, if we had rehearsed the ma