The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-07-04

hold up the lantern"
sSThis story is contemplate poor PER-
formance,'' continued Tom Holmes.
SIT grows better as it gets on," promised
Gurley '.The lazy, fat Familiar, said,
opened the lantern slide and fatigued him
self throwing light into the hole while
threw dirt out And presently the metal
struck something which rang in response.
The Familiar sauatted in excitement and
Kissed directions over my painting head,
threatening me with his lantern because
I did not upheave the whole find at once.
The spade scooped great head over: and
it continued turning slowly as ii by its own
Will. The. top Of a helmet, on which had
been clinking, remained intact, but the lower
partbroke away and an under jaw fell from
its ancient repose. shedding teeth on the
spade with the rattle of over-ripe peas.
'sWe were wrapped in the emotions Of the
discoverer I stopped down and took hold
of the helmet, and l can still feel its Pc
culiar metallic thrill. The skull was gi-
gantic We turned it in the lantern light.
The ashen front head.had delicacy of text
ure which was almost inf Mt like
sBut you amt tellin' about In'juns," COM
planned Nose, curling himself around in an
other attitude.
"Wait, Moses. Their moccasin soles
make no noise, but step by step through the
dark woods they are coming"
Nose glanced behind him.
II whispered to the Familiar that both Of
US working together could hardly dig out
his length in week.
"'You could do it yourself in half the
night Kissed the Familiar, while hold
the lantern for you, if you'd only put to it.
hope the whole skeleton is in mail and as
well preserved as the head This proves
my theory that Indian tribes buried their
dead in mounds, and some Of them had
reached high state of civilization
".Don't deceive YOURSELF said l. This
proves my theory that an ancient race made
this continent great when the old world was
plunged in barbarism.'
II threw out a shovelful of earth, and felt
as if had struck somebody. The Familiar
lifted his lantern and flashed it around. We
both say, standing in unwinking gravity
on the ridge of fresh earth, a tall Indian
who never moved muscle while the Ian
tern pierced him. The Familiar turned our
light around the circle of the pit, and be-
hold, we were surrounded by ring OF saw
ages. The searching lantern revealed their
war-paint, their steady ghttering eyes, their
moccasin thongs and even tiny wrinkles In
their skin.
"Neisher the Familiar or spoke; we felt
under q spell. When the Familiar was
rushad into the pit, almost smothering me,
Thought it was trick But some hand
took my spade, and earth showered back
into that hole with terrific swiftness. We
endured the shower of clay, tramping it
under our feet in dance SO rapid, or we
should have been buried. The Familiar, as If
bewitched, still moved his lantern around in
circle, and there stood every brave notion
less while the spade cinked and the dirt
fell in In brief time we stood on level
earth, still tramping earth where the hole
had been But then the lantern was flung
against tree. the Indians seized US and we
were tied to saplings before I could realize
any thing except deer-hide throng which
cut palpably into my wrist.
"The elder Indians stood in group, while
timber, young ones collected chunks, tWlgs,
whole stumps, to wall us in for burning.
Instead Of preparing my mind for death,
found myself Eliminating on the Famihar's
immense capacity for combustion, and Won
dering if he would not burn up richly like q
barrel of tar.
GAS our fires mounted so did the spirits
of our captors, who were so determined to
keep from the white man the secrets OF
their ancient land They danced and threw
tomahawks awhile; then they paused and
stared; then they fell upon their knees in
two circles and all blew the flames. can
still see those aquiline noses bent to
earth, those leathern cheeks distending and
collapsing as they blew. But that ghostly
fire of the past, rubbed in the beginning
out of two hard sticks, would not take hold
Of the breathing present. It failed even
to warm US. And when those wretched be-
ings became convinced Of that fact, they
rose with one accord and tomahawked each
other and threw each other into the
fire, in true Indian fashion, until the Famil-
lar and were walled about by their charred
figures and not one brave was left'
II don't believe there's word o. truth in
it." commented Nose.
s'How can you be so incredulousa" re-
monstrated Gurley.
.sWhy, it don't stand to reason" argued
Nose.
Imagination said McArdle, spreading
his hands airily, lis fine thing, Moses"
''Oh, isn't itp' murmured Phoebe, watch
ing the fire. 'It's kind Of wonder palace
that you c4n step into out Of any thing.
MAJ be Lazarus had his head in such pal
ace. Whatever your self lacks you will
find in perfect self in that wonder palace.
So that it seems as if God gave US sixth
sense with which we can enjoy things we
don't possess"
"What on earth is the girl talkin' abouta"
said Randy Thompson.
''She is tuning her imagination for the
story about the North" volunteered Gurley.
~ thought one out long while ago." said
Phoebe, when was reading Scandinavian
things about Thor and Sif and Wodin-but
this is about hill Troll"
'.Now. what's hill Trolll" complained
Randy.
''He was little spirit fellow, sometimes
good and sometimes bad, who lived inside a
bill"
"There amt none Of them things" said
Nose, with conviction.
There was this one Troll' insisted
Ph:ebe, land he auarried rock. And one
night when he put up his Quarrying tools
wrinkled dwarf came and offered to show
him away down in the heart of the earth a
diamond finer than any the sun ever saw.
He did not hesitate to follow the dwarf
AND if find that diamond, I'll put up my
tuarrying tools for hundred years." said
thS Troll
'1Aey went down and went down until
the Troll began to distrust his guide and
called halt They were under the very
ribs Of the earth. 'Ill go no further says
the Troll.
1.-THE dwarf laughed. Don't you hear a