Tom Cornwiler's Tumble

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 346, 25 December 1902, Page 8

Tom Cornwiler's Tumble

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Ri min» «- „, — mmmmwmmm iii«ii»»«tii- i BELIEVE that boy Iwa eambed •rsry tre* is the township, Pestwise the front cam," said Mr©. perawiler. [•Deary ms* X should lie afraid fcel feraek bis neck," said Mrs. MiUwatte. J» *TL don't see where he go.t rV said |fr*. Cornwiler. | "'He got it iron) you, that's plain," §tid Mr. Cornwiler, boldly. t~ *From me! Why, Just climbing a ■taee makes me almost dizzy!" F •Tour father waa a Bailor," said a/Ornwiler, "and his father waa topajuii In the navy under old CoromoEore Preble, Tom's inherited their Wab from you." IfrVhile this discussion was going on B doers Tom was going of! outdoors. re. Millwaite'a visit ga-re him a fchanct to go fishing. He put a hook a>ad Una In hie pocket, intending to Bat a fishpole on the way, and trusting to find fat, white bait grubs in logs. He owned a sharp one-hand "fcatchet, which he thrust under his frucksldn belt. A quarter of a mile from the river fie came to a familiar tree-stub. It ttad -been a forest giant, but some frtorm had broken off its top, leaving its great trunk 30 feet high. Forest fires had consumed the fallen top and deeply charred the huge trunk. fTcm struck it with his hatcher, head. (To his surprise it sounded hollow— A mere shell. He was immediately curious to know if it was hollow all the way up, and the only way to ascertain was to climb it. ▲ more uninviting stub to climb could not be found. It was very grimy, and too smooth and large to tte clasped by either arms or legs; feut Tom sought a thicket and cut the largest tough withe he could find. Be wrapped this about the stub and fastened its two ends securely to his fcelt with strips of strong bark, making a hoop somewhat larger than the tree. Leaning well back, he walked Ids moccasined toes right up, raising the hoop by quick jerks. '.The tree was hollow. Tom sat on Ihe edge, with his feet dangling outtide, as steady of nerve as if upon the ground. When his curiosity was satisfied he slipped off the hoop to cstie it more to suit him. An incauttsus movement broke a bit of the edge and disturbed his balance. He «nade a violent move to recover himself. More edge crumbled inward, and down he went inside, head and Iteels together, like a shut jackknife. One hand held to the hoop, pulling it after him. Head, bask, hips and legs scraped down the long tube, carrying fragments of rotten wood and a flusty cloud. Tom struck on a deep, soft pile e# ftebria, into which his donbled-up body plunged breast and knee-deep. ETae concussion shocked him breathteas and set his nose bleeding copiously and the dust and blood hinBered the recovery of his breath. Although he was not quite unconscious, it was long before he stirrsd. The back of his head had been severely caked and rotten wood waa ground Into all his lacerations. When at last he began to try to move he found himself wedged in. iVainly he wiggled; ha could hardly atir, and could neither lift himself nor get his legs down. His hips, back and all the muscles of his legs ached end prickled intolerably from strain pad checked circulation. ■ He could not resist crying; but, being a lad of good courage, endurance and resource, he soon began a systematic effort for release, packing the loose debris down as firmly as he could with his hands, at the same •time pressing it away all around with Ids body. This exertion caused greater ache, but he persisted resolutely. By and by he got his hatchet out of lis belt, and struck it, after a dozen efforts, so firmly into the wooden wall that he could hang his weight te it with one hand while he worked the debris under him with the other. He gradually enlarged bis space sufficiently to allow the bending of his knees. After that he was not long in getting his body up and feet down, eo as to sit eramped on one hip, with fcoth feet nearly level. Exertion, pain and the pressure of returning circulation made his pulses throb and his hesd swim, snd be lapsed into semiconsciousness. How long this lasted he knew not, but svhen he began to struggle again he eras in black darkness. A few stars shone calmly down his wooden well, but he could work, only by feeling ebont with his hands. He felt exhausted, hungry and weak, but he kept on working until he managed to stand erect. Then, after feebly kicking and pushing debris to fill up the hole where he had been, he curled himself as comfortably as he could and slept a blessed though troubled sleep.

Alter a long tim* he stretched out. Sis sore heels hit on* wall, his aon head the other. This time the paia sroused him to a renewed sense of his situation. He sat np, stifle lame all ever, weak, gnawed by hunger and thirst, but still undismayed and reaourceful. A little thought and a trial convinced him that, weak and ■ore as he was, it would be a rain waste of strength to trj to climb up the difficult inside of his prison. "There's always more than on* way to akin a oat," ha reflected, 'Tre got .fto gat out of tld* somehow; that's »11 ttkara is to It." He ran a thumb orer the edge of his hatchet. "Pretty sharp yet. Too light to chop easy,

and no room to awing it, but it'll cat • hole, give it time." Scraping »way the rotten wood, he ■elected a place where the wall seemed thin, and began hackiug Progress was slow. At first his stiff muscles and sore body hurt acutely, but this pain wore away ns he went on. The wood, charred otitside and ▼cry dry, was hard and tough. Although it was a sunny day and his eyea had adjusted their vision to the dimness of bis he could hardly see where to strike. He dared not pry out large slivers, for if the edge or handle of his hatchet .should breakhe might never get out. His awkward position and the one-hand work tired him rapidly, and he suffered occasional cramps. During one of his frequent rests he heard Ban barking loudly outside. "Good dog! I'm coming!" he shouted.

When Tom did not sppear for supper, Mrs. Cornwiler began to fret, but not much, for he was often late. After supper, with' no Tom to do the chores, Mr. Cornwiler grumbled, but did them himself, saying: "Come, now, wife, tne boy probably has a good excuse. He's pretty regular, considering." By bedtime Mrs. Cornwiler was anxious. "I'm sure he's lying hurt somewhere in the woods, fallen from a tree; or maybe he'* got lost.""Pshaw, now. Edith! Tom couldn't lose himself anywhere in this county the darkest night that ever was; and he doesn't know how to fall from a tree. He'll be home all right pretty soon. likely he's hindered by something he thinks important." At ten o'clock Mrs. Cornwiler was insistent and Cornwiler less confident. He proposed to take the dog and search. Ban, being told to "Go find Tom!" set off joyfully, wagging hia tail. He led Cornwiler straight to the charred stub and barked, leaping against it. i Cornwiler, looked the stub all over. There were no signs of Tom. He j called, and fired his rifle. There was ; no reply. He supposed the stub solid, but thumped it. Unfortunately the blow struck where the shell was thick and where Tom had packed the debris hardest inside. It sounded 6olid. Mr. Cornwiler thought that Ban had foolishly tracked a squirrel up it, or perhaps a coon a£a been there and gone. He dragged the dog away, ordering him again to ''Find Tom!" Ban instantly ran back to the stub and whined and scratched, but Mr. Compiler pulled him away. • Mr. Cornwiler searched a long time, but fourd no trace of Tom, and Ban seemed puzzled and not much interested. After midnight Cornwiler began a terribly anxious inquiry, rousing neighbor after neighbor. No one had any tidings. Mr. Milhvaite dressed, took his rifle and accompanied Cornwiler. Mrs. Millwaite, notwithstanding her depreciation of Tom, went to cheer and comfort his mother all she could. Millwaite suggested going first to the charted stub. "You know Tom's been there," he said, "and it's the right point to stsrt from." As soon as they arrived Ban began whining and scratching about- the stub. Cornwiler sternly ordered him off, and the poor dog, probably supposing it was all right, reluctantly obeyed. Both men believed the stub solid, and that Tom had merely come and gone. The news of the loat boy spread, and by sunrise a dozen men and boys were scouring the woods.. After getting breakfast and doing the housework, Clara Millwaite, who hsd been thinking, concluded that Tom must, after all, be at or near the charred stub. "A dog never mistakea in such matters; men do," the sen* sible girl reasoned. She would go an 4 take a look for herself. "If Tom Is there he'll be hungry snd thirsty," she thought, so she put a generous breakfast and a bottle of new milk in a bark basket. Thinking Ban of no service, Cornwiler left him at the house, and the dog immediately returned to the stub and resumed his barking. Clara heard him and hurried to reach, the spot and judge isor herself of the dog's behavior, flu outlet Jnet as Tom drove a long sliver through, asm put out his .fingers for Ban to lick. In a few moments more he had the aperture sufficiently enlarged for Clara to paes in the bottle and slioes Of food. Tom drank first—a long, thirsty pulL Then how he did eat! with the appetite of a starved wolf . and the gratitude of a generous-mind-ed boy. Clara bade him give her the hatchet, and while he ate she hacked with the skill and strength of a pionaer girl. As the wall waa now pierced they could chop the edges of the shell atfd make faster progress. In half an hoar Toes was able to squeese through. What ea object he was! Bloody, grimy and covered with rotten wood from head to heels! Even his hair wss plastered with gore and dust. Clara gathered leaves and helped him clean it off as well ss he could, but it would require several severe scrub baths and a week'a healing to make him presentable. While they walked heme she rallied him about his appearance, suggesting that half the township, especially, the ladies, would be on hand to meet hits. But Tom said he guessed thai as long as she had seen him in this condition, he could stand being looked at by the other ladies. As for Ban, he was) »o absorbed that evening with the eausually large bone given him that he quite failed to hear Mr. Cornwiler'e compliment. "I sllow," said Mr. Cornwiler, "that when it cornea to woodcraft, I haven't got half the senss of that dog."—