Year: 1867

myself InaI escape was lmpoSSIoie.-
A few minutes-ten, twenty, thirty
perhaps, and the black darkness seem
ed to be growing blacker.


"I must be Free" [ muttered; and
dragging Hodson's handkerchief from
his neck, | bound TO my own, and then
making them fast beneath his arms,
felt among the woodwork till could
dnd place where | could pass them
through, so that | could secure him
from slipping down, or being swept
away by the ebbing and flowing OF the
water.
| was not long in finding place
but then the handkerchiefs were not
long enough and had to add one from


my pocket; then | left the poor fellow


quite insensible and half hanging from


one of the timhers. And now [ wa


ded about, searching for the mouth of


the air-pipe, in the hope of shouting up
it for succor; since | felt convinced


that the tide would effectually fill the


tunnel, while the very thought of the


gates being opened half maddened me,


and needless now of who might hear


me, so that they brought succor, l
hunted aimlessly about, yelling and


shrieking for aid


1t was fearful struggle between


reason and dread; and forever dread


kept getting the upper hand; now it


was a floating keg again and again


making me dash away, now one of the


packages hurried in by the tide, while


the strange drippings and hollow whis-


perings were magnified into an infini-


ty of horrors. Every monster with


which Imagination has peopled the sea


seemed to be there to attack me-


strange serpent or lizzard-like beasts,


slimy and scaled, thronging along the


ceiling or up the sides, swimming ar


ound me, or burrowing through the


sand. More than once | actually


touched some swimming object, but the


contact was mOmentary, and the stran-


ger darted of. Then reason would


gain supremacy for a while, and try


ing to cool my throbbing brow with


the water, | thought of my position,


whispered a few prayers, and endcav-


ored to compose myself. There was


even now doubt: the tide might not


rise high enough to cover me; certain


ly 1t was not now at my breast and |


was standing with difficulty in the shall


lowest place | could pick. The next


moment as the waves receded, it wo'd


fall to my waist, but again it was up


to my chest and in spite of CLEANS of


hope, despair whispered truly that it


was now higher up my chest than be-


fore. True, but one wave in so many


always came higher than the others.


The tide might still be at its height,


and this be that particular wave.


Down again nearly to my waist, and


then up, up, up, nearly to my chin.


dashlng away hope and reason. But


stay, another CLEAN, | was standing
upon the soft mud, for here there was
10 sand; my feet must have sunk in.
| moved again and again, but ever
with the same result, and at last, de-
, spairingly, was clingiug to she'll


covered piece of timber at the side,
with the water at my chin.


A noise, a clanking noise as of chains


rattling and iron striking iron, and
now hope fled, for | knew that this
must be the opening of the doors of
the govt; but to my surprise no rush
of water followed, only little came,
, which Tapped against my lips, while a
rush of air smote my forehead.


) Voices, shouts and Hodson'S name


uttered, but | could not shout in reply.
Then my own name, and gave some
inarticulate cry by way of answer
while once more reason seemed to get


the better of the dread, for | knew
that the far doors of the govt had not
: been opened and that they kept up the
5 drainage, while the pair nearest to me
. had only had the pressure upon them
; of the water escaping from the first
} And now good bold swim, and
i. could have been in the big pit like op
: ening between the two pair of gates


but the spirit'wa gone, the nerve was
absent and still clingiHg TO the shelly
piece of timber, closed my eyes, for
( [ felt that near as rescue seemed,
A could do nothing to aid it. As fol-
e Hodson in this time of dread | had
: forgotten him-forgotton all but the
t great horror of the water lap, lap
! tapping at my lip, and again recedine
r its fzzing spray in my nostrils.


Higher and higher, covering my lip
: but by a desperate effort | raised my
| self a few inches, but only to 60 thro
: the same agonies again, as the water
!, still crept up and up, slowly but sure
: ly,~ while in this my last struggle my
/ head touched the top timbers, the weee
e washed and swept over it, and as
= forced my fingers round the timber tc
which | clung, my body foated in the


water.


: Another minute and | felt that al
!, was over, for the water covered my
t face once, twice; and half strangled
b waited gasping for the third time, bu
q If came not Half a minnie nassef
e and then again it washed over my face
d seeming as if it would never leave it
:, but at last it was gone, and too unner
o we'd too hope | awaited its return, bu
n it came not.


g l dared not hope yet, till l felt tina
t, the water was perceptibly lower, anc
l. then the reaction was so fearful tina
+ l could hardly retain my hold till th'
n tide had sunk so that once more
g could stand when my shouts for hell