Year: 1862

Ionly upon getting under the lee OF some
bulkhead that would protect me against
the wind. In passing out l kept my
arms stretched forward to feel my way
lin the dark, but my feet came in con-
tact with heavy iron lid. stumbled,
and as 1 fell, one Of my hands struck
into the 'manhole' l think this was the
name he gave to the oval shaped open
ing in the head of the boiler, through
which the smith entered to make his
repairs. 1 fell with my arm so far
thrust into the aperture that l receiver
pretty smart blow in the face as it
came in contact with the head of the
boiler, and l did not hesitate to drag
my body after it, the moment l re-
covered from the stunning effects and
ascertained my whereabouts. In a
word l crept into boiler. resolved to
pass the night there. The place was
dry and sheltered. Had my bed been
softer, would have had all that man
could desire; as it was, slept, and
slept soundly.


81 should mention, though. that be-
fore closing my eyes, l several times
shifted my position. I had first gone
to the further end of the boiler. then
again had crawled back to the man.
hole and put my hand out to see if it
was still open. The warmest place
was at the further end, and there l
finally established myself. and that /
knew from the first. 1t was foolish in
me to think that the opening through
which l had Just entered could be
closed without my hearing it, and that,
too, when no one was astir but myself.
But the blow on my face had made me
a little nervous, perhaps, and besides,
/ never could bear to be shut up in any
place--it always gives wild-lik feel
ing about the head. You may laugh,
stranger, but believe l should suffo-
cate in an empty church, if l once felt
that was so shut up in it, that could
not get out. Ihave met men before now
Just like me, or worse rather, much
worse. Men that it made sort of furi-
GUS to be tied down to anything, yet so
soft-like and contradictory in their ma
lures, that you might lead them any
where so long as they did not feel the
string. Stranger, it takes all sorts OF
people to make world; and we may
have a good many of the worst kind Of
white men here out West. But have
seen folks on this river-quiet looking
chaps, too, as ever you see-who were
so teetotalIy cOrdnkteronkterous that
they'd shoot the doctor who'd tell them
they couldn't live when ailing, and
make die of it Just out of spite. when
told they must get well. Yes, fellows
as fond of the good things of the earth
as you or l. yet who'd rush like mad
over the gang-plank Of life, if once
brought to believe they had to stay in
it whether they wanted to leave it or
not. Thunder and bees 1! II such a
fellow as that had heard the cocks as l
did, awakened TO find darkness about
him--darkness so thick that you might
cut it with knife--heard other sounds,
too, to tell him that it was morning,
and scramble to tumble for that man
hole, found it, too, black--closed--
black and even as the rest of the iron
coffin around him--closed, with not a
rivet hole to let Gods light and air
in--why-why, he'd swoonded right
down on the spot, as l did, and amt
ashamed to own it to no white man."


The big drops actually stood upon
the poor fellows brow, as he paused for
a moment in the recital of his terrible
story. He passed his hand over his
rough features, and resumed it with less
agitation of manner.


"How long I may have remained
there senseless, l don't know. The


doctors told me that it must have been
a sort of a ft-more like an apoplexy
than a swoon, for the attack finally
passed off in sleep. Yes, slept
! l know that, for dreamed-dresmed
heap O. things afore l woke. There
! is but one dream, however, that have
, ever been able to recall with distinct
. ness, and that must have come on short
" before recovered my consciousness
Ny resting place through the night hat
S been as | have told you, at the far enc
a OF the boiler. Well, ] now dreamed
t that the manhole was still open, anc
:. what seems curious, rather than laugh
o able, if you take it in connection will
t other things, l fancied that my leg
e had been so stretched in the long wal
e 1 had taken the evening before, tha
o they now reached the whole length @
t the boiler, and extended through th
t opening.


y cat first, in my dreaming reflections
= it was a comfortable thought that n
t one could now shut up the manhol
e without awakening me. But soon


seemed as if my feet, which were O.
! the outside, were becoming drenche
J. in the storm which had originally driv
u en- me to seek this shelter. l felt th
e chilling rain upon my extremities.-
n They grew colder and colder, an
" their numbness gradually extended t
e other parts Of my body. 1t seemed
l. however, that it was only the unde


side of my person that was thus strange
n ly visited. l laid upon my back. an
e il must have been a species of night
h mare that afflicted me, for l knew g
d last that I was dreaming, yet felt
= impossible to rouse myself. A violer
Is fit of coughing restored, at last m