Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1869-04-02

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the present circumstances, 1 am hke
Brown, and prefer my dinner to scienti-
fc explorations"
The meal seemed to be nearly ready,
for the rafting of tin cups and dishes
began TO be heard; the lieutenant's
small mp-chest was unpacked, and the
cooks shouted to the strollers to come to
dinner.
"Have Jones and Brown came back?'
asked the lieutenant as he rose to q sit
ting position, and glanced towards the
cavern.
The men replied in the negative.
$50 after them then, King, and hur-
ry them up" said the officer. We
must resume the march after dinner, and
cannot afford to waste time here"
King, q fine young soldier, took a
torch, and entered the cave.
The dinner was dealt out-hot savory
steaks and roasts-the coffee measured,
and the meal commenced, but none of
the men who had entered the cave made
their appearance
How singularl" calculated Bridges,
testify and impatiently. !" What can
keep those men? King has been gone ten
minutes. Here, Sergeant Halsey, hurry
those men upp'
The sergeant, brown, strong man of
middle age, hesitated, and ventured to
stammer:
81 beg your pardon, Lieutenant, but
/ think there's something wrong inside
the cave. There's three men in there
all hungry and knowing that dinners
ready. Surely they'd come back if they
could. Perhaps there's wild beasts, or
some strange kind of gas that smothers
'em, or"
"Nonsense, Sergeant" interrupted the
lieutenant, frowning. II give you five
minutes to bring those men back. Cor
The sergeant's face paled, but, with
out another word, ne took up a torch
and entered the cave, disappearing from
the gaze Of his friends.
The minutes passed, the lieutenant
and the men ate their dinner mechani-
cally, awaiting anxiously the expected
return; yet none Of the four came back.
The words of the sergeant had made
deep impression on the minds of his
hearers. A general gloom fell upon the
camp, and the men cast frequent and
fearful glances in the direction of the
cavern Even the lieutenant and HUI
bert felt strange depression creeping
over them, which neither could resist.
"What can be the matter?" at length
demanded the officer. 'sThe sergeant's
in trouble, | should judge, by this long
absence. There can't be gas in the cave,
or if SO, he would probably have had
time to cry out. There can't be wild
beasts, for those four men were all well
armed, and would at least have fred
Which of all you men will go into the
cave and learn what the matter is 2"
There was general shrinking back
Every soldier was brave in an Indian
fight, but not one dared to face mystic,
rious and unknown danger. Not one
wished to risk the complete and total
disappearance from earth and human
knowledge that had befallen his COM
rades.
Whoever will venture in search Of
the missing men shall receive from me a
hundred dollars in gold p exclaimed HUI
bert, in his clear, ringing tones. Who
speaks first for the money ?"
The offer was tempting but it was
not accepted. Not word of reply was
made to it.
Hubert hesitated, giving briet
thought to Miriam, his loved and wait
ing Miriam His face then glowed with
a heroic light, and he said, iu tones that
did not falter:
81 will go in search of the men, Lieu
tenant Bridges. Only, your party is
now small, and if | do not return in
: twenty minutes, you may resume youl
journey"
"But, Earle" expostulated the lieu
} tenant, this is positive madness. Yor
must not risk your life. We will wait .
WHILE and if the men do not return, We
} will move on!"
; "They may need help" replied HUI
bert, steadily. "They may have encoun
: tered-well, God knows what, | can
imagine. If fire my rifle, come to me
: If fail to return within the time APP
) pointed, move on"
He went up to the nearest fire, picked
up a blazing stick, arranged his rifle for
instant use, approached the mouth of the
cave, peered into it cautiously, and lis
tened intently for some sound of life
within.
, No sound came. All was still as death
within the cavern.
The next instant Hubert had vanished
t therein
All was now breathless suspense.
} The lieutenant and his men gathered
around to listen for the report Of the ri
: file. The minutes passed, but it came
not. Five minutes dragged by-ten-
: fifteen, and still no sound reached theil
} ears. They could see brief space into
the cavern, by the light of their owr
torches, but nothing but rocky walls anc
, floor met their gaze.
, Twenty minutes were thus passed. The
, time was up, and Hubert had not return
ed.
J The men looked at one another will
pallid faces. As if turned to stone, they
stood an awe-stricken group about the
! cavern's mouth, until the minutes had
, more than made up an hour-and still
they fingered.
During this time they had cleared
away the bushes from the mouth of the