Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-03-30
BRIGHAM, THE CAVE-00G,


A common yellow cur is the hero o
this true story. William wag, a
well as a first.rate guide-explained h
me the odd name given TO the dog
1--WE call him Brigham-'cause he
young, you KNOW
This creature is remarkable for bu
one thing, and that is his fondneSs TO
life below ground. He seems at hOm
among the elves end gnomes, and ap
pears to have no fear of darkness.
Jack, the Old dog, with Brigham, tn,
new one, will trot, side by side, as ia
as the Iron Gate. But there they part
Jack, as usual, returns to the hotel
but Brigham advances, pushing ahea,
of the guides, choosing his own path
digressing now and then, yet alwayt
returning in safety to the light of tn
lamps.
Brigham and | became fast friends
during my fortnight's stay at Nam
moth Cave, last summer. The gentl,
dignity with which he sought to ait
my underground researches was yer,
amusing.
Brigham was a great favorite will
the manager of the cave, who particu
larly warned us not to lose him; for i
was feared the dog would be unable t.
find his way out again. Other cur
that had been left behind inyariabl!
staid in the place where they had be
come lost, not daring to stir, but yelp
ing and bowling till help came.
The dreaded accident happened al
last. We went one day on what i:
called the Long Route, to the end Of
the cave, said to be nine miles from
the entrance; and Brigham went viii
us. We left the main cave at the Gil
ants Coffin, by an arched way, lie ding
among some pits, the most famous OF
which has long been known as The
Bottomless Pit. My guide, however
measured it, and found that it was eX
actly one hundred and five feet deep
There are six pits in all at this place
two of them lately discovered. VT
named them Scylla and Charybdis-
because in trying to keep out of one
you are in danger of falling into The
other These we measured, finding
them to be more than two hundred
feet deep.
Brigham did not like the pits very
well. 1t was only by much coaXinG
that we led him across the narrow
bridge thrown over the Bottomles'
Pit. But, indeed we all were glad tC
get away from that dangerous place
We went through the Fat Mans
Misery" and entered River Hail, WHERE
there were several deep lakes. Pres
emily we came to the Echo River
about thirty feet deep, from twenty tt
two hundred feet wide, and three
fourths of "a mile long, Getting into ;
small boat, we padded cur way ovel
the clear, cold water, waking the ech
oes from the steep, rocky wall, Brig
ham helping with some lively barking
Presently, we landed on "A nice sandy
beach at the farther end.
Poor Brigham became very tired
and cared less for the lovely arches o.
lower-like crystals than for some COZ!
nook where he might curl down for /
nap. At length, after taking luncl
with us in Washington Hall, he start
ed in chase of a cave-rat, and pr0babl!
availed himself of the chance to taxi
his siesta. at all events he disappear
ad, and made no answer to our calls.
"Perhaps he has gone ahead to Echt
River" said |, "and is waiting for u
there"
"Iike enough" said y illiam, th,
guide. al hadn't thought Of that"
But no bounding form nor jOyfu
bark welcomed our approach. Th'
echoes answered our calls, until i
seemed as if a thousand voices wer,
crying, "Brigam, Brigham" in ever.
conceivable tOne,trom the softest whis
per to the deepest bass; and our whist
ling was, in like manner, repeated, un
til it seemed as if all the spirits of tn
cave had been let loose for an EOlial
concert.
Plainly, the dog was lost. William
thought Brigham might track us a
far as the river; but that on reachin
the water he surely would lose tn
scent, and would not try to swir
across. Lighting a freshly filled lamI
William set it on ledge, so that /
case the dog should come thus far h
might not feel too lonely.
Sadly we returned to the hote
where our announcement of the los
caused a sensation; the ladies espet
tally declaring it perfectly dreadfr
TO leave the poor thing alone in ths
horrible cave all night, t,"-as if it WEI
darker there at midnight than at moor
Early next morning, party Of e'
plorers crossed Echo river, and wei
met by Brigham. The guide reasone
with him, as one might reason with
runaway child, and tenderly took b,
in his arms aboard the boat.
Alas, the warnings were waste(
For, almost as soon as we had lande'
that capricious cave.dog disappeare
again; and, as before, refused to obt
our loudest summons. CompassiC
was now mixed with Indignation, an
we left him to his fate.
Nothing was seen of him all thi
day; and this time, of delibera
choice, he remained second nigl
underground.
And now comes, perhaps, the strani
est part of my story. On the follow
ing morning, Jack, too, was missin
The guides had to dispense with the
customary canine escort. On arrivin
however, at the Iron Gate, three hui
dred yards within the cave, they foun
Jack just outside, and Brigham benin
the bars; and there the dogs stoo
wagging their tails, and apparent
exchanging the news.
] Our curiosity led US TO examll