Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1890-03-07
TlG Medicine Mans Cave.
BY SAMUEL W. COZZENS.

a few flakes were to be seen float
ing in the chill December air.
"Well, Nat" said l, "you are
one of the fortunate prophets; yOu
haye only to prOphesy, and your
prediction proves true. Here's the
snow at last"
Eyes, and veil git enough of i
atore we git through. only wisl
we had a good, warm camp" re
piled Nat.
awe ought to be somewhere neal
the ruins now, and 1 don't care tC
camp at two o'clock in the after
noon, if we can reach the place
we are in search of by night
said /.
"We'd better camp" ,"replied Nat
II don't like to risk goin' muct
turder, as things look. Besides
there's a cave, l reckon, pointing
to what appeared to be an opening
in the side of the mountain some
distance abOye us.
Spurring his horse forward, ht
reached the place with some diff
Guilty, and, dlsmOunting, disappear
ed from sight. In a few moments
he reDpeared, and, mOtioning fol
me to come to him, | soon reached
the spot where he stood.
"It's a cave" said he, "but there's
some kind of a crItter in it.
reckon is a barr
DIsmOuntlng, We secured our an
imalE, and cautiously entered {
long, narrow passage, that appear
ed to he the entrance to the cave
AS we made our ways towards tht
end Of it, a low, deep, angry growl
warned us that it was occupied.
1t was so dark that we could SCI
nothing within, and 50 deemed i
prudent to retreat.
"We've got ter git that critic
out, any way" SAID Nat, "and th'
sooner we git about it the better
That's just the place we want, anC
you see the storms comm on hard
er every minute"
Soon we split some splinter
from a PROSTATE pine that lay nea
the mouth of the cave, and, light
ID g them, we once more CaustiOuI
ly advanced towards the furthe
end of the passage, with torches
one hand and our revolvers in th
other. The low, angry growl ths
saluted our ears caused us to hes
tate for moment.
"Now you take this ere torct
Judge" said Nat. "My narves i
steadiel'n clockwork. Hold 1t an,
your'n SOS you can see; but b
ready To draw if it's needed
Another forward movement, an
another growl sa!uted our ear'
just as Nat whispered, "Steady
steady, l see his eyes" |" and th
next instant he fred.
AS soon as the almost deafeniu
reverberations and din caused b
the discharge had subsided, hole
ing the torches as far in advanc
as possible, we entered the cave
and found, stretched in the corne
of a room nearly thirty feet squar'
and quite as high, a large, blaC
bear, dead.
"Hooray ~ exclaimed Nat, {
the gIarlng from our torches I
zfyealed the extent of the cave
"Renty of: room tor US all, al
| rf&nty of bar meat to last us
k, and all atone shot. No
#hat We want is ter git some woo
afore the snow kivers 1t up, and '
shall be as comfortable as thous
L we vas ter home instead of out
IS these plaguy mountains, in t
Ie middle of snow storm, a hundr'
Is miles from any place."
81 Our ANIMALS we're unsaddled al
e. quickly led into the cave.
70 quantity of dry wood was collect
es aud when a buffalo robe had be
hung up at the inner entrance,
- found ourselves quite as comic
able as two way farers need be.
g While Nat was dressing the be
g g | proceeded to explore the ca
. 1t consisted of Zone square roo
ds !. with no other opening than II
a by which we had entered, while
,o9 S9 one corner a small spring bubbl
.. out from under the rocky wall, a
:: n alter flowing g. ort distance,
. appeared beneath it again.
Upon announcing this discov
:, to Nat, he enthusiastically decla
that the king of England had
no better qnar ters than we did
we was ketched in a snow ste
In the mountains"
We also found many eviden
that conYinced US that the c'
was visited by Indians, but the
coverv caused Us little uneasint