The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-15

Wouuu paIub. Luis mousse was Tor the mos
part concealed from the view of person
approaching it by large old trees and thick
foliage. 1t was lonely spot. It stood
| about 200 feet from the bank of the Shen-
andoah river and but short distance from
the river road, and commanded from its
upper rooms a wide and lovely view of the
water as it went by. 49, #svs@
One day, not long after the burning of
the valley, small inspecting squad of cav
alrymen of the Union army rode bv the
charred ruins of this lonely house. The
trees were burnt stumps. The spot was a
heap of ashes that the wind had fingered.
One of this mounted squad happening to
suddenly halted by singular accident and
obliged to dismount. On alightine on the
ground he discovered that the hind legs of
his horse had sunk through half-charred
trap-door covered with ashes. Calling to
his comrades he finally succeeded with their
trap through which he had broken, when to
his amazement he found wooden stair
case winding down into a subterranean
opening.
It was such an unusual and unheard-of
arrangement in that southern country, and
breathed with SO cold and suggestive sus-
picion upon the little group, that they con-
closely. to descend. Taking out their
match-boxes they struck light and pro-
ceeded to explore the mysterious vaults that
frowned at them below the trap which they
had just lifted.
As they wound down the wooden stair
case they found below rocky strata a cool
cavern seventy feet deep. thirty feet wide
and about two hundred feet long.
having an opening, on the Shenandoah I'M
der bluff. This cavern was still
partially strewn with straw which
had undoubtedly been used as bedding for
hnrNno and 1iui1ol 0H h~y clo
poles in some instances swung by ropes
from the top of the cavern, into stalls for
horses. In several of these stalls rude boxes
were placed at their head and stray REM
nants of hay were discovered, showing
plainly that large number of horses had
tilated at intervals by wooden shafts run
ming up to the roots of trees and arranged
in such a way as to defy detection. On the
walls of this cavern hung large iron rings,
showing plainly that the cave had been lit
by lanterns. The stable surely could not
stalls enough in it to hold easily between
two and three hundred horses and more, if
crowded.
Following the cavern along. they came at
length to the goole or throat of the cave
that opens out on the river. This opening
was obscured by .well-arranged rocks, in
terlaced vines and shrubbery on its banks.
It was narrow and only wide enough for
one horseman to enter at a time, The
water at the mouth of the cave was about
three feet deep. The mystery of Mosby's
sudden disappearance was solved. It was
at this very spot that he had often been
seen to disappear. Could there be devised |
q more mastery retreat? An underground
stable, out of which at one end a stairway
should lead up into house, which was un-
doubleday Mosby's headquarters, where he |
3 and his officers drank their healths to
those who were looking all about for their
horses just over their heads, planned their
nightly attacks, slept with their guards
posted about them, and laughed, as we'll |
they might. at the long joke which they had |
played upon the whole Northern army,
Was there ever anything like it2 Was the /
'enlplon that Napoleon flung over the Alps
aalf SO foiling tactic? 70 fight, to wheel.
20 hang on the outskirts of an enemy, and.
after seducing him for miles in weary pur-
,uit, suddenly to disappear, and as sud
ienly to feed, to sleep, to hear nothing of
he sounds OF war save muffied footsteps
'currying overhead. What joculose tao
&c. And still what could possibly be better?
Suppose the house is surprised, The
staircase opens and the trap in the cellar
closes on it tightly. Who would dream of a
rap there! But suppose a human ferret or
bloodhound should scent the fine line and
lift the trap. What of it? The whole file
# two hundred horse in an instant could
,ass out of the other end and swim the
lyer. or rush up on London Heights. Or
he riders could leave their horses and drop
Town the Shenandoah by boat to place of
afety, or better yet, they could stand in
he dark of the cavern and pick off all who
'ould possibly come down that staircase
me by one, killing all, and losing none.
md they could do the same at the other
nd, where only one could enter at time.
What place In the hot summer was that
liver, at the very mouth of that cavern, to
cad horses TO water. How easy of trans
,ortation was hay, or watts of corn. or straw
z forage generally. The bales all came
Esns 0nfaflv fnwAd rintlf in Shrone.h ~ /