The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-06-29


! faint yelp Of n hound. Cap HawEiu,
lashed his horses into q gallOp, and v,
sped on through the woods for half q
mitc, stopping again IN the shadow OF Z
Cliff. At their leaders order two Of the
men lifted me out OF the wagon, and ball
dragged me TO a spot where the eartl
formed kind of bench against the rock
wall.
Placing me on the ground they began
prying alta boulderwLich. gradually yield
ing TO their hand sticks, rolled over on its
side, exposing a hole in the cliff. Into
this they dragged me for some twenty
feet. and tossed me on a bed Of leaves.
Then one Of the men brought in some
food, and another water and motherhood.
l turned To the outlaw leader and asked
how long he intended 10 keep me prisoner.
He laughed at the question, but made
no reply.
1 begged him to shoot me. cut my
throat, hang me-anythinC but leave me
there 10 starve. But he paid no attention
to my appeals.
Ell ye air live when I git back, Kurnel
ct | git back, " he said. why, me an the
boys nIought put leetle lead in yer car
casS. Ae may hev cOmp'ny fore night
cnyhows. The Rey2cS air aFter Us hotter
n demnirion blazes. They air done cross
the dead tine. Hyar the Hoosic, Kurnel?"
i hope they u give yOI ali you deserve
you cold b!ooced murderer, ! said, wish
ing that ! could throttle the villain.
Vow, kUrnel, don't Eit ont o sorts.
1t air mighty conf table in hyer-board
an lodgin' free. Boys. air ye ready (?
Them hounds air picsin' MS mp. Light
the FIRE, CObr. kurLel, byer air knife
ter cut yer loose arter we leave We Don't
Elt skeered % the ghosts. an' member We
AR mighty conf table, mighty conf table
board an IJdgiu' free, an Yer epertaph
all down Oh the biz poplar. Good bv
kurnel' -
The outlaws were already placing the
boulder in position, and when Cap Haw-
klns had squeezed his way out the rock
4 rrr#
crUncAiuE souul it settled into place, and
! was q prisoner in Smoky hole
1 listened IOr the bayIug OF the hounds
hoping that they had tracked me 10 the
cav, Dut not q sound penetrated the door
OF my prison. The FIRE burned briskIv
ard SmCEy Hole glCwed in the light OF
the biaziu ug pine knots. tt was the work
OF a few minutes TO cut INV bonds yyitl.rhe
knife the outlaw had given me. and then
took an Inventory OF the contents OF the
cavern.
The place had evidently been fitted ND
Tor the Illicit manufacture of mountain
dew and tangietoCt and red aye, ," for
there were the wOrEcut copper still. the
worm, the mash tUh, JUGS and TASKS and
other apparatus Of lie mOOnshiner. The
cave was about the size of % railroad box
Car, except O. ast the roof was higher and
more aTCLed. l l8hsrd my knife into
every square foot Of tie walls. Iheyvere
OF solid rock. IL a vain, mad effort 10 roll
the boulder from the entrance ! Urcy. tht,
blood nom my shoulder. It was all Of no
use Unless help came to me from with
out my doom WAS scaled
4 duh heavy feeling came over me and
sat down near the fire. The confined air
was getting close. Suddenly, on looking
Up, was appalled, AT tue discovery Of n
new daI-e.. lle roof Uf the cavern WAS
10 longer visible. The dense black smoke
OF the pifcn pine, unable TO escape. was
banked above me like an OuIl-ou- cloud
ever growing ernzcT auG liaCker and de
sCeu-lAE ~to-cily, reugg- s-ly. up0D me
Ike "a Nrlitable shadow OF Death
4irea ~ The aspE-EiatIug rs-sS were
cau>.1- my brain 20 wliIl. / CIawled 10
tAe fire and stamped upon the blazing
EI.i- i'-f 4 every ...Ir.- WAS pEf .rs-pi-had
bat they continued 20 S-ud mp their stiG-
ing =sil. Ee- could feel II a=CeL-.u- lot
E.Jii.s.-s fat upon the ground saturated
my coat Sleeve with the water the outlaws
had LETT me and placing 1t against my
mouth secured u few fail 3reatLs Of
strained Gas. But they gave me little
respite. The high pressure OF the atmos-
laeTc made my veins ,sweli almost TO |
bursting, my hands and feet were be- 1
ana was soon Hua.le 10 move |
a muscle. Then 1 loHEed Tor death.
suddenly there was a loud explosion, /
oiloWca Dy falling OF loose earth and /
rock and a rush OF air. \ faint ray of /
light appeared in the corner of the cavern /
over tG"slli, growing broaderand stronger !
as the srnoi-s cleared away. With life and |
renewed ! made my way TO the /
y tlfClAli4s-s s4sf-lf a fAl11k IN Att lEE~l air
with swelling heart and lighter con {
science than had ever hoped TO possess. /
The explosion had torn away some I
rough masonry with which the moon
sinners lad stopped mp fissUre an the |
rock. l had found the chimney. and IL
was my determination to use il to udvan-
taGe. II moment, f0rgetfUl of pains
and brEises, L was climbing for freedom
Soon the rocky sides Of the chimney
gave place TO wood, and the opening /
changed from fiat TO round. Siiu / /
Climbed on But the opening grew tighter
ana tighter, like an inverted tunnel. and
stdl the top seemed a long way Oft / |
must have climbed some thirty iegt in ali
when stopped to rest, proppiUG my ct
against, "A knCt-like projection, ~. .ah sud
denly breaking of left a hole through /
which tie daylight streamed Then for |
the hrsG-tune il flashed upon me that
was in a hollow tree. 4 glance thr0ugh
the llnot-hole proved this 10 b the cyse.
Tor there was the ground ten f.yt below
ne-thc bench OF earth haduoticcd when
me outlaws were making ready for my
incarceration.
Escape now seemed certain The wall
pf my prison s"aS only Two inches thick.
ana though the wood was dry aud hard
rom age and exposure TO smoke and heut.
my knife WIS soon aJ work eular-iu- the |
lnothoie. As this faced the cave. 1 could
iecp LOOKOUT Ter the moousuiIers, and
top cutting a5 the first suspicious noise.
Night soon set IN. and l hoped 10 turn ,lv !
pack on Sleepy Cave ere the dawn of an !
,ther day. But when the sun rose INV
ask seemed not near. some. Tic kla;f.
vas dulled, aud M strength had slowly
;bbed away
The bayiug Of a hound reached me. II
vas repeat cd, and In p moment tho thrill |
ing music of the pack walked a-ain and |
gain the sleeping echoes of Slcciy Cove. |
Nearer AMI nearer IL came. until "a dozen |
inc bioodhoEHds hurst through the nm
ierbuSh ami dashed up to the boulder nj
he entrance 10 Smoky Hole Then cuep-
nS again, they sped On the cold trail OF
he mCOnshluerS.
Dan, here Dan, down. sirrr shouted
o the Leader with all nay might. The
bedient brute, recognizing my voice !
ropped to the ground. ! called him to
ne, ana soon the entire pack was barking
LAY luily n the roots OF INV novel urisou
Hearing Well-knOWn signal in the
,oocs answered il, and one hy one five
my trends creVt caUticasiy ND TO the
ave, carbines IN hand. When spoke n
mem from my pOr5bole. there was q
foid sliilc on every face. An axe was
REQUIRED, and, while four OF the men
uar!ed against surprise, the fifth ,i,ra
lhuow Ia my Jail, through which /
'aWted. having been = prisoner for nearly
yeuty hours
When we reached the big pouIartbat
yards the pass to Sleepy Cove. ! fastened
! iiT Iourih notch a piece OF paper bear
u these words
Cap Hawkins beware. The Colonel -
your trail. Go look for his bones IL,
noky Hole. i3T-IIsrrrr, ''-
Astronomical Intelligence.