...
With a stone she found uncovered by the filtering from the little
opening she began pounding against the wall.... Suddenly the wall
bulged inward.... There was a swish, and a roar, and a deadening
GUSH,--and then a RUSHING FLOOD tore open the side of the wall and
burst like a torrent into our muddy, narrow cell. Higher and higher it
mounted, enveloping us to our arm pits.... My 'prisoner' moved calmly
over to the stately woman, who was holding up the boy, and patted her
gently on the head. 'It will be all right, darling,' he said.... Then
he kissed all his children and impulsively _dashed in the direction of
the cataract_.
"... Struggling hard against the flood he worked his way nearer
and nearer toward the broken curbing and finally DOVE through the
waterspout and clung grimly to the wall.... For a moment his body
seemed to tremble.... Then with a supreme effort he pulled his body
into the opening and for a moment checked the flood.... It seemed like
a gallant sacrifice.... at the same time.... the girl, Maria, waded
back toward the opening that was NOW completely SEALED BY THE STICKY
CLAY and began to tear frantically at the bank....
"Little by little she seemed to make headway.... But it appeared like
an eternity,--and I felt certain that the man in the wall using his
body as a plug must presently give up the ghost and be hurled back
into our cell..
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