English
WhenMarkfelthimselfflyingfromhishorse’sbackthroughtheair,heofcourseexpectedtostrikeheavilyontheground,andnervedhimselffortheshock.
Tohisamazement,insteadofstrikingonsolidearthhefellintoamassofshrubberythatsupportedhimforamoment,andthengaveway.
Hegraspedwildlyatthebushes;buttheyweretornfromhishands,andhefelthimselfgoingdown,down,down,andinanotherinstantwasplungeddeepintowaterthatclosedoverhishead.
Hecametothesurface,stunnedandgasping,onlytofindhimselfbornerapidlyalongbyaswiftcurrent.
Hedidnotforamomentrealizethefullhorrorofhissituation,andwiththenaturalinstinctofaswimmerstruckoutvigorously.
Hehadtakenbutafewstrokeswhenhishandhitaprojectingrock,towhichheinstinctivelyclung,arrestinghisfurtherprogress.
Tohissurprise,onlettinghisbodysink,hisfeettouchedbottom,andhestoodinwaternotmuchmorethanwaistdeep,butwhichsweptagainsthimwithalmostirresistibleforce.
Hisfirstimpulsewastoscream,“Frank!oh,Frank!”butonlyadullechomockedhim,andhereceivednoreplybuttherushandgurgleofthewaterasithurriedpast.
Theninaninstanthecomprehendedwhathadhappened.
Hehadbeenflungintoa“sinkhole,”andwasnowburiedinthechannelofoneofthosemysteriousundergroundriversofwhichMr.Marchhadtoldthemafewnightsbefore.
Thatwasathome,wherehewassurroundedbyhisownlovingparentsandfriends.Shouldheeverseethemagain?No;hewasburiedalive.
Buriedalive!he,MarkElmer?No—itcouldn’tbe.Itmustbeadreadfuldream,anightmare;andhelaughedhystericallytothinkhowimprobableitwouldallseemwhenheawoke.
Buthefeltthecoldwatersweepingbyhimandknewitwasnodream.Therealitystunnedhim,andhebecameincapableofthinking;heonlymoanedandcalledout,incoherently,“Mother!father!Ruth!”
Afterawhilehebegantothinkagain.Hehadgottodie.Yes,therewasnoescapeforhim.
Herehemustdieamiserabledeath,andhisbodywouldbesweptonandonuntilitreachedtheGulfanddriftedouttosea;forthisrunningwatermustfinditswaytotheseasomehow.
Ifhecouldonlyreachthatseaalive!butofcoursethatwasimpossible.Wasit?HowfaristheGulf?Andthepoorboytriedtocollecthisthoughts.
Itcouldn’tbemorethanfivemilesinastraightline,nor,atthemost,morethanthreetimesasfarbywater.
Perhapstheremightbemore“sinkholes”openingintothisburiedriver.Oh,ifhecouldonlyreachoneofthem!
Hewouldthendieinsightoftheblessedstars,andperhapsevenlivetoseethedearsunlightoncemore.
Thesethoughtspassedthroughhismindslowly,buttheygavehimarayofhope.
Hedeterminedthathewouldmakeabravefightwithdeath,andnotgiveup,likeacoward,withoutmakingevenanefforttosavehimself.
Thusthinking,heletgohisholdoftheprojectiontowhichhehadclungallthistime,andallowedhimselftobecarriedalongwiththecurrent.
Hefoundthathecouldtouchbottommostofthetime,thougheverynowandthenhehadtoswimforgreaterorlessdistances,buthewasalwayscarriedswiftlyonward.
Hetriedtokeephishandsextendedinfrontofhimasmuchaspossible,toprotecthimselffromprojectingrocks,butseveraltimeshisheadandshouldersstruckheavilyagainstthem.
Once,forquiteadistance,theroofwassolowthattherewasbarelyroomforhisheadbetweenitandthewater.Afewincheslowerwouldhavedrownedhim,butitgothigheragain,andhewenton.
Suddenlytheairseemedpurerandcooler,andthecurrentwasnotsostrong.
Marklookedupandsawastar—yes,actuallyastar—twinklingdownathimlikeabeaconlight.
Hewasinwateruptohisshoulders,butthecurrentwasnotstrong;hecouldmaintainhisfootingandholdhimselfwherehewas.
Hecouldonlyseeonestar,soheknewtheopeningthroughwhichhelookedmustbeverysmall;butuponthatonestarhefeastedhiseyes,andthoughtitthemostbeautifulthinghehadeverseen.
Hownumbandcoldhewas!Couldheholdoutuntildaylight?Yes,hewould.Hewouldseethesunlightoncemore.
Hedarednotmove,norevenchangehisposition,forfearlestheshouldlosesightofthestarandnotbeabletofinditagain.
Sohestoodthere,itseemedtohim,forhours,untilhisstarbegantofade,andthen,thoughhecouldnotyetseeit,heknewthatdaylightwascoming.
Atlastthefriendlystardisappearedentirely,butinitsplacecameafaintlight—suchaveryfaintsuspicionoflightthathewasnotsureitwaslight.
Slowly,veryslowly,itgrewbrighter,untilhecouldseetheoutlineoftheopeningfarabovehim,andheknewthathehadlivedtoseethelightofanotherday.
ThenMarkprayed,prayedashehadneverdreamedofprayingbefore.
HethankedGodforoncemorelettinghimseetheblesseddaylight,andprayedthathemightbeshownsomemeansofescape.
Heprayedforstrengthtoholdoutjustalittlewhilelonger,anditwasgivenhim.
WhenFrankMarchwasdrawntothesurface,andsaidhehadbeenletdownintoaswiftcurrentofwater,Mr.Elmerburiedhisfaceinhishands,andgroanedaloudintheagonyofhisgrief.
“WhydidIbringhimtothisplace?”sobbedthestrickenman.
“Tothinkthathislifeshouldbegivenformine.
IfwehadonlystayedintheNorthmylifemighthavebeentaken,buthiswouldhavebeenspared.O,HeavenlyFather!whathaveIdonetodeservethisblow?”
Forsometimetheothersrespectedhisgrief,andstoodbyinsilence.ThenMr.Marchlaidhishandgentlyontheshoulderofhisfriend,andsaid,
“Youareindeedafflicted,butthereareothersofwhomyoumustthinkbesidesyourself.
Hismotherandsisterneedyounowastheyneverneededyoubefore.Youmustgotothem.”
TurningtoFrank,hesaid,“IwillgohomewithMr.Elmer,butIwantyoutoridewithJaninthedirectionyouthinkthisstreamtakes,andseeifyoucanfinditsoutletoranyothertracesofit.
Thereisabarepossibilitythatwemayrecoverthebody.”
Sotheyseparated,thetwogentlemenridingslowlyandsadlyhomeward,andFrankandJanridingsouthwardwithheavyhearts.
Theyhadnotgonemorethanhalfamilewhentheycametoalittlelog-houseinthewoods,andasthesunhadrisen,andtheyandtheirhorseswerewornoutwiththeirnight’swork,theydecidedtostopandasktobeallowedtorestawhile,andforsomethingtoeatforthemselvesandtheiranimals.
Theownerofthehousewasagenuine“cracker,”orpoorwhite—lean,sallow,andawkwardinhismovements,buthospitable,asmenofhisclassalwaysare.Inanswertotheirrequesthereplied,
“Sartin,sartin;tobesho’.Lightdown,gentleMEN,andcomeinside.We‘unsisplainfolks,andhain’tgotmuch,butsichaswehasyo’‘unsiswelkimto.Sal,runfo’abucketofwater.”
AsFrankandJanenteredthehouse,alittle-barefooted,tow-headedgirlstartedoffwithabucket.
Theywerehardlyseated,andtheirhosthadjustbeguntotellthemabouthiswonderful“nateralwell,”whenaloudscreamwasheardoutside.
Thenextinstantthelittlegirlcameflyingintothehouse,withaterror-strickenface,andflungherselfintoherfather’sarms.
“Why!whatisit,gal?So,honey,so!Tellyerdaddywhat’sa-skeeringofye”;andthemantriedtosoothethechild,andlearnthecauseofhersuddenfright.
Atlengthshemanagedtosobout,“It’sthedevvil,pa;thedevvil’sinourwell,an’heholleredatme,an’Idrappedthebucketan’run.”
AtthesewordsFranksprangtohisfeet,exclaiming,“What!avoiceinthewell?
Andyousaiditwasanaturalwell,mister?Oh,Jan,canitbe?”
Andthenturningfiercelytotheman,“Showustothewell,man,quick!Whatdoyousittherestaringfor?”
Withoutwaitingforareplyherushedfromthedoor,andrunningalongalittlepathwayleadingfromit,wasinanotherminutelyingflatontheground,lookingdownaholeofaboutsixfeetindiameter,andshouting,“Halloo!downthere.”
Yes,therewasananswer,anditwas,“Help!he-l-p!”
ThetwomenhadfollowedFrankfromthehouse,andJanhadbeenthoughtfulenoughtobringwithhimtheManilaropethathadhungatthepommelofFrank’ssaddle.
Therewasnoneedforwordsnow.Frankhastilyknottedtheropeunderhisarms,handedittoJan,andsaying,“HaulupgentlywhenIcall,”slippedoverthecurbanddisappeared.
One,two,threeminutespassedaftertheropeslackenedintheirhands,showingthatFrankhadreachedthebottom,andthenthoseatthetopheard,clearandloudfromthedepths,“Haulawaygently.”
Verycarefullytheypulledonthatrope,andup,up,uptowardsthesunlightthathisstrainedeyeshadneverthoughttoseeagain,cameMarkElmer.
WhenJan,strongasanox,buttenderasawoman,leanedoverthecurbandliftedthelimp,drippingfigure,asitwerefromthegrave,heburstintotears,forhethoughttheboywasdead.
Hewasstillandwhite,themerrybrowneyeswereclosed,andhedidnotseemtobreathe.
Butanotherwasdownthere,sotheylaidMarkgentlyonthegrass,andagainloweredtheropeintothewell.
Thefigurethatappearedastheypulledupthistimewasjustaswetastheother,butfulloflifeandenergy.
“Carryhimintothehouse,Jan.Heisn’tdead.HewasalivewhenIgottohim.
Puthiminabed,andwraphimupinhotblankets.Rubhimwithwhiskey!slaphisfeet!—anything!
—onlyfetchhimto,whileIgoforhelp.”
WiththesewordsFrankMarch,wetasawater-spout,andmoreexcitedthanhehadeverbeeninhislife,sprangonhishorseandwasofflikeawhirlwind.
ThatthatridedidnotkillthehorsewasnofaultofFrank’s;forwhenhewasreinedsharplyupinthe“GoBang”yard,andhisridersprangfromhisbackandintothehouseatoneleap,hestaggeredandfell,whitewithfoam,andwithhisbreathcomingingasps.
Inthesitting-roomMr.ElmerwasjusttryingtobreakthenewsofMark’sdeathtohiswifeasgentlyaspossible,whenthedoorwasflungopen,andFrank,breathless,hatless,drippingwithwater,andpalewithexcitement,burstintotheroomshouting,
“He’salive!—he’saliveandsafe!”
OverandoveragaindidhehavetotellthemarvelousstoryofhowhehadfoundMarkstandinguptohisneckinwater,atthebottomofanaturalwell,nearlydead,butstillalive;howhehadknottedtheropearoundhimandsenthimtothetop,whilehehimselfstayeddownthereuntiltheropecouldagainbelowered;howMarkhadfainted,andnowlaylikedeadinafarm-house—beforetheparentscouldrealizethattheirson,whomtheywereamomentbeforemourningasdead,wasstillalive.
Thenthemuleswerehitchedtothefarm-wagon,afeather-bedandmanyblanketswerethrownin,Mr.andMrs.Elmer,Ruth,andFrankclimbedin,andawaytheywent.
JohnGilpin’sridewastameascomparedtothewaythatwagonflewovertheeightmilesofroughcountrybetweenWakullaandthehouseinwhichMarklay,slowlyregainingconsciousness.
Themeetingbetweentheparentsandthesonwhomtheyhaddeemedlosttothemwasnotdemonstrative;butnoneofthem,norofthosewhosawit,willeverforgetthescene.
Asolemn“ThankGod!”and“Myboy!mydarlingboy!”wereallthatwasheard;andthenMarkwasliftedgentlyintothewagon,anditwasdrivenslowlyandcarefullyhome.
AnhourafterhewastuckedintohisownbedMarkwasinaragingfever,andscreaming,“Thestar!thestar!Pleaseletmeseeitalittlelonger.”
Anditwasmanyadaybeforeheagainleftthehouse,andagainbreathedthefreshairout-of-doors.
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