The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-03-30
earth and human knowledge that had be.

earth and human knowledge that had be.
fallen his comrades,
whoever will venture in search OF the
missing men shall receive from me hum
dred dollars in goldl' exclaimed Hubert,
in his clear, ringing tones. who speaks
first for the money!
The offer was tempting bat il was not
accepted, Not word Of reply was made
to it.
Hubert hesitated, giving brief thought
to Miriam, bis loved and waiting Miriam!
His face then glowed with heroic light.
and he said, in tones that did not falter:
Il will 60 in search Of the men, Lieu.
tenant Bridges. Only, your party is uow
small and il do not return in twenty min
utes, you may resume your journey
But, Earle, expostulated the lieutenan.
this is positive madness. You must not
risk your life. We will wait while, and
if the men DO not return, we will move
onl'
'Thcy may need help, replied Hubert,
steadily. They may have encountered
well, God knows what, can't imagine
If fire my rifle. come to me. IL fail to
return within the time appointed, move
on!'
lie went up to the nearest fire, picked
up blazing stick, arranged his rifle for
instant use, approached the mouth Of the
cave, peered into it cautiously, and listened
intently for some sound Of life within.
No sound came. All was "a still as
death within the cavern.
The next instant Hubert had vanished
therein. II was now breathless suspense.
The Lieutenant and his men gathered
around to listen for the report Of the rife
, The minutes passed, but it came not. Five
minutes dragged by-ten-fifteen, and
still no sound reached their ears. They
could see brief space into the cavern, BY
the light ofiheir own torches, but nothing
but rocky walls and floor met their gaze.
Twenty minutes were thus passed.
The time was up, and Hubert had not re-
turned.
The men looked a. one another with
palld faces As il turned to stone, they
stool an awc-stricken groop about the
cavern's mouth, until the minutes had
made more than an hour-and still they
fingered
! During this time they had cleared
away the bushes from the mouth of the
cave, They had tried again and again
to peer inlo the dark depths of the open
ing, but could not, The lieutenant had
called repeatedly to Hubert, but received
no answer. AT length he proposed to tie
a rope around his waist and decend into
the sinister abyss, but his men objected
( unanimously.
i What the use ? asked one. There.
something here that no mortal man can
conquer
we can't risk your life, Lieutenant,
said another. Jus, think how few there
are of Us.
The time continued TO drag on.
Vt last, when two full hours had pas.
sc1, Lieut. Brydges staggered to his feet
and said:
This is horriblc-terribie beyond ex-
preston We have lost four OF our com,
rades and this noble young stranger.
whom loved as brother. This fearful
cave must hold the secret OF their fate, be
it what it may. Let us 60.
Without word, but with white face,
in a sort of mute terror, the men noun.
ted their horses and resumed their journey
The above is all of this story that will be
published in our columns, The continua-
ton of it from where it leaves off here can
be found only in the New York Ledger,
which is for sale at all the bookstores and
news dcpots. Ask for the number dated
! April 10, 1869 aui in it you will the
continuation OF this beautiful tale. The
Ledger is mailed TO subscribers at three
dollars year. The publication Of Rev
DR. Tyng's great story, which has been
written expressly ior the Ledger. jus;
commenced in the Ledger, so that our
readers will get the whole of these two
stories in it. The Ledger has the best
stories of any paper in the world; and
Henry Ward Beecher, James Parton and
Fanny Fern, have articles in every mum,
Der